Archive for August 20th, 2006
Continue Reading August 20th, 2006
MONDAY NEWS UPDATE.
BY THE NUMBERS: LATEST INDEPENDENT NUMBERS.
MARYLAND - GOVERNOR: Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley (D) - 50%, Governor Bob Ehrlich (R) - 43%. (Rasmussen Reports).
MARYLAND - US SENATE: Congressman Ben Cardin (D) - 47%, former Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele (R) - 42%. (Rasmussen Reports).
MARYLAND - US SENATE: Former Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D) - 46%, Steele (R) - 44%. (Rasmussen Reports).
VIRGINIA - US SENATE: US Senator George Allen (R) - 47%, former Navy Secretary Jim Webb (D) - 42%. (Rasmussen Reports).
WISCONSIN - GOVERNOR: Governor Jim Doyle (D) - 45%, Congressman Mark Green (R) - 44%. (Strategic Vision-R).
WISCONSIN - GOVERNOR: Governor Jim Doyle (D) - 49%, Congressman Mark Green (R) - 41%. (Rasmussen Reports).
WISCONSIN - US SENATE: US Senator Herb Kohl (D) - 59%, attorney Robert Gerald Lorge (R) - 31%. (Rasmussen Reports).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.21.06
OREGON: GOP TRYING TO REMOVE CONSTITUTION GOV NOMINEE FROM BALLOT.
The most prominent Constitution Party candidate in the nation this election year may lose her ballot status. The AP reports that Republican lawyer and former State Representative Kelly Clark filed a state election complaint against anti-abortion activist and former local TV news anchor Mary Starrett, the CP’s candidate for Oregon Governor. Clark said that the Oregon Constitution Party failed to file the required notice in a general circulation newspaper publicizing the party’s June 3 nominating convention where Starrett was nominated, thereby violating state election laws related to ballot qualifying. “If we are right, and the party didn’t follow proper process, then Mary Starrett doesn’t belong on the ballot,” Clark told the AP. If the Secretary of State rejects the complaint, Clark plans to file a lawsuit in the Circuit Court to invalidate Starrett’s nomination. Clark — a prominent anti-gay rights activist — denies that the suit has any direct links with Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron Saxon or that he is trying knock out a potential “spoiler” in Saxon’s race against Governor Ted Kulongoski (D). However, Clark confirmed to the AP he filed this complaint on behalf of “several individual voters, some of who are supporters of Saxton” who were concerned about the integrity of election laws. Recently, the Democrats lost their own potential “spoiler candidate” when moderate State Senator Ben Westlund (Independent) dropped out of the race.
Writer: David Jimenez - 08.21.06
OHIO: TWO SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES SET.
Last Friday we mentioned how eight Republicans filed to run in the special election primary in Ohio’s CD-18 next to replace retiring Congressman Bob Ney (R) on the November ballot. The GOP special primary is set for September 14. In Ohio’s CD-3, veterinarian Stephanie Studebaker (D) abruptly ended her campaign last week just days after both she and her husband were arrested on domestic violence charges for hitting each other. In a quickly called filing period — open for only one day — four Democrats filed to compete in the September 15 special primary. Click here to view all of the CD-3 and CD-18 candidates.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger; Cindy Zawadzki of AsOhioGoes.com also contributed to the story - 08.21.06
FREE SPEECH ZONE.
The DNC confirmed the early Nevada caucus and South Carolina primary dates, as previously reported … and US Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) is yet again criticizing his own party as having lost the values it formerly represented … So, what else is going on?
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.21.06
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Here’s my open offer for every campaign (and campaign supporter): send me a button or pin from the Governor, US Senate, Congressional, Statewide Office, etc., campaign you are involved in — feel free to add a sticker and brochure — and I’ll place a link to official campaign site here on our homepage in a daily “thank you” note. My address: Ron Gunzburger, 409 NE 17 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. TODAY’S THANKS GO TO: Former Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce Director and attorney Jim Esch, Democrat for Congress in Nebraska’s CD-2.
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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE.
ALASKA: CERTAIN PRIMARY DEFEAT LOOMS FOR GOVERNOR MURKOWSKI.
Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski (R) will see his career in politics end on Tuesday in the same way it began in 1970: with an electoral defeat. Murkowski — a first-term Governor and former 4-term US Senator — regularly scores among the lowest approval races of any governor in the nation. Polls show him lagging in third place in the GOP primary, with former Wasilla Mayor and unsuccessful 2002 Lieutenant Governor candidate Sarah Palin fairly certain to win the race. Former State Senator John Binkley is also expected to finish ahead of Murkowski. Former Governor Tony Knowles is a safe bet to win the Democratic primary, setting up a highly competitive Knowles-Palin contest in November.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.22.06
OKLAHOMA: LT GOV, CD-5 RUN-OFF DAY.
In the open CD-5 race, Oklahoma Republicans have seemingly rallied behind Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin. After placing first in the six-candidate primary last month, all of the eliminated candidates endorsed Fallin. Polls since then show Fallin gaining traction and increasing her advantage over Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. Voters in both major parties will cast run-off ballots in the Lieutenant Governor race. Republicans will choose betwen State House Speaker Todd Hiett and State Senator Scott Pruitt. Democrats will pick between State House Minority Leader Jari Askins and former Congressional aide Pete Regan.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.22.06
WYOMING: QUIET PRIMARY DAY ON TAP FOR TUESDAY.
Primary day will be fairly sedate in Wyoming. The top contests are GOP races for some open sate constitutional offices: Secretary of State, State Auditor and State Treasurer. Due to term limits, the three incumbents cannot seek reelection — so two of the three are playing musical chairs by running for different statewide offices. Congresswoman Barbara Cubin (R) again faces a primary challenge, but she should win handily again. Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) faces only nominal primary opposition from a frequent gadfly candidate.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.22.06
TEXAS: GOP UNITY IN CD-22 RACE.
While Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (R) still remains an underdog as the write-in GOP nominee for Tom DeLay’s open House seat, she got some good news Monday. Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace (R) caved to pressure from state party leaders on Monday, ending his rival write-in bid for Congress. Former Congressman Nick Lampson (D) must still be rated the favorite, despite the historical Republican advantage in the district.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.22.06
BY THE NUMBERS: LATEST INDEPENDENT NUMBERS.
ARKANSAS - GOVERNOR: Attorney General Mike Beebe (D) - 45%, former Congressman Asa Hutchinson (R) - 41%. (Rasmussen Reports).
COLORADO - CD-7: State Higher Education Commission Chair Rick O’Donnell (R) - 45%, former State Senator Ed Perlmutter (D) - 45%, businessman Dave Chandler (Green) - 2%, businessman Roger McCarville (Constitution) - 2%. (KFOR-TV/SurveyUSA).
MAINE - US SENATE: US Senator Olympia Snowe (R) - 68%, liberal activist Jean Hay Bright (D) - 20%. (Rasmussen Reports).
OKLAHOMA - CD-5 - GOP RUN-OFF: Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin - 61%, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett - 36%. (KFOR-TV/SurveyUSA).
VIRGINIA - US SENATE: US Senator George Allen (R) - 48%, former Navy Secretary Jim Webb (D) - 45%, businesswoman Gail Parker (Ind. Green) - 2%. (WUSA-TV/SurveyUSA).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.22.06
P2008: NEW HAMPSHIRE CONTEMPLATES HOLDING PREZ PRIMARY IN 2007.
In the aftermath of the Democratic National Committee vote to add two states — Nevada and South Carolina — to the early voting calendar for the 2008 Democratic Presidential calendar, party and state leaders in New Hampshire are left to discern how to respond to this challenge to their prized “first-in-the-nation” primary status. State law dictates the NH contest be held ‘at least seven days prior to any other similar contest.’ The Iowa caucuses have preceded NH during modern presidential elections for decades, but the AP reports that NH Secretary of State Bill Gardener has broad authority of protect the state’s early status — even if that means moving the primary to late fall 2007. Expecting some turmoil, the DNC also voted to punish candidates who campaign early in states that do not abide by the DNC calendar by denying them delegates elected from those states. Governor John Lynch (D-NH) announced over the weekend he already has letters from ten potential candidates who pledged to campaign in the Granite State no matter when the primary is held.
Writer: Andy W. Davis - 08.22.06
FREE SPEECH ZONE.
Whatever … other stuff.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.21.06
SEND A PIN = GET A FREE PLUG HERE.
Here’s my open offer for every campaign (and campaign supporter): send me a button or pin from the Governor, US Senate, Congressional, Statewide Office, etc., campaign you are involved in — feel free to add a sticker and brochure — and I’ll place a link to official campaign site here on our homepage in a daily “thank you” note. My address: Ron Gunzburger, 409 NE 17 Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.
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WEDNESDAY NEWS UPDATE.
BY THE NUMBERS: LATEST INDEPENDENT NUMBERS.
ARKANSAS - GOVERNOR: Attorney General Mike Beebe (D) - 52%, former Congressman Asa Hutchinson (R) - 31%. (Arkansas News Bureau/Stephens Media).
CONNECTICUT - US SENATE: US Senate Joe Lieberman (Independent) - 44%, businessman Ned Lamont (D) - 42%, former State Representative Alan Schlesinger (R) - 3% . (American Research Group).
GEORGIA - GOVERNOR: Governor Sonny Perdue (R) - 54%, Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor (D) - 41%. (Strategic Vision-R).
MAINE - GOVERNOR: Governor John Baldacci (D) - 43%, State Senator Chandler Woodcock (R) - 42%. (Rasmussen Reports).
MASSACHUSETTS - GOVERNOR - DEM PRIMARY: Former US Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick (D) - 34%, venture capitalist Chris Gabrieli - 30%, Attorney General Tom Reilly (D) - 30%. (WBZ-TV/SurveyUSA).
MICHIGAN - GOVERNOR: Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) - 47%, businessman Dick DeVos (R) - 47%, engineer Doug Campbell (Green) - 1%, hospital worker Greg Creswell (Libertarian) - 1%, engineer Bhagwan Dashairya (US Taxpayers) - 1%. (WDIV-TV/SurveyUSA).
MICHIGAN - US SENATE: US Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) - 51%, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard (R) - 42%, retired auto engineer W. Dennis FitzSimons (US Taxpayers) - 2%, David Sole (Green) - 1%, attorney Leonard Schwartz (Libertarian) - 1%. (WDIV-TV/SurveyUSA).
MISSOUR - US SENATE: US Senator Jim Talent (R) - 46%, State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D) - 44%. (Rasmussen Reports).
OREGON - GOVERNOR: Governor Ted Kulongoski (D) - 49%, attorney Ron Saxton (R) - 35%. (Rasmussen Reports).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.23.06
ALASKA: PALIN OUSTS GOVERNOR MURKOWSKI, KNOWLES WINS BIG.
Tuesday was “comeback day” in the Alaska gubernatorial primary. Former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin (R) — who lost the 2002 primary for Lieutenant Governor — easily defeated incumbent Governor Frank Murkowski. Palin captured 51%, former State Senator John Binkley was second with 30%, followed by Murkowski with 19%. On the Democratic side, former Governor Tony Knowles — who lost the 2004 US Senate race to Murkowski’s daughter — cruised to victory over State Representative Eric Croft by a vote of 73% to 26%. In a sign of party unity, Murkowski and Binkley endorsed Palin and Croft endorsed endorsed Knowles on Tuesday night. Former GOP State Representative Andrew Halcro (Independent) also filed his gubernatorial candidacy on Tuesday, stating he submitted more than enough signatures to ensure his place on the November ballot. The Palin-Knowles contest is currently a toss-up for November. Former State Senator Sean Parnell (R) and State House Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz (D) won their respective Lieutenant Governor primaries, and each will run in November paired on tickets with the guv primary winners.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.23.06
WYOMING: CUBIN, UNEXPECTEDLY WEAK, SCORES TEPID PRIMARY WIN.
Six-term incumbent Congresswoman Barbara Cubin (R) posted a surprisingly weak victory in Tuesday’s primary. Retired Navy officer Bill Winney spent almost no money, yet he captured 39% of the primary vote, won Laramie County (Cheyenne) and evenly split Natrona County (Casper). Cubin won big in the less-populated rural counties, giving her the victory. Many Republicans — and even newspapers which endorsed her — have voiced concerns that, as the state’s lone House member, Cubin has largely proven herself ineffective in Washington. Cubin will face Teton County School Board Chair Gary Trauner (D) in November. Trauner has shown decent fundraising abilities, so he should be able to make this a competitive contest. House Race rating: Leans GOP. Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) and attorney Ray Hunkins (R) cruised to landslide gubernatorial primary victories. Freudenthal is a favorite to win a second term in November. There were no primaries in the US Senate race, although incumbent Craig Thomas (R) is a safe bet to defeat college professor Dale Groutage (D) in the general election.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.23.06
OKLAHOMA: FALLIN WINS BIG IN CD-5, HIETT & ASKINS WIN LT GOV RUN-OFFS.
Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin (R) cruised to an easy run-off victory Tuesday In the open CD-5 race. Fallin defeated Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. The CD-5 seat — currently held by GOP gubernatorial nominee Ernest Istook — is solidly Republican. Voters in both major parties also selected nominees for Lieutenant Governor. State House Speaker Todd Hiett won the GOP race by four points and State House Minority Leader Jari Askins won the Dem contest by eight points.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.23.06
FREE SPEECH ZONE.
The daily open thread.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 08.23.06
Continue Reading August 20th, 2006
From the Star-Telegram…
By dropping off the ballot, Republican Tom DeLay may have given a boost to a Libertarian candidate in the race for the former majority leader’s House seat.
Bob Smither said voters in the Houston-area district have been pledging support in phone calls. He also said he has seen a …
Continue Reading August 20th, 2006
From KGBT-TV…
Texas Republican precinct chairmen tonight selected a Houston city councilwoman as the write-in candidate to support in place of Tom DeLay.
Republican officials say Doctor Shelley Sekula-Gibbs was selected by a clear majority of the precinct chairmen who attended a gathering in Pearland.
The Texas Republican Party decided it should rally …
Continue Reading August 20th, 2006
A nonsense technicality is endangering the ballot status of Oregon’s Mary Starrett, the Constitution Party’s nominee for governor. It seems that the party failed to post a notice of their convention in a newspaper of general circulation.
Fearing that Starrett may play a “spoiler” role in November, a conservative activist …
