Greens make IL ballot; New polls; Ciro in or out?; FBI raids 6 Alaska State Leg offices
September 1st, 2006
FRIDAY NEWS UPDATE.ILLINOIS: GREENS SURVIVE CHALLENGE, WIN SPOT ON STATE BALLOT.
The Illinois State Board of Elections ruled unanimously on Thursday to place the Green Party state slate, led by civil rights attorney Rich Whitney in the gubernatorial race, on the ballot this November. The slate also includes Illinois' first openly gay candidate for statewide office -- Congregationalist Minister Dan Rodiguez-Schlorff -- who is running for State Treasurer. To get on the ballot, the Green Party collected more than 39,000 signatures in an all volunteer effort over a 90-day period following the March primary. Democrats had filed a legal challenge to the Green petitions and objected to signatures, seemingly at random. Case in point, the Dems even challenged gubernatorial candidate Whitney's own signature. The Democrats failed in the challenge but succeeded in draining Green campaign money, as the legal challenge dragged on for nearly two months. A GOP challenge earlier this summer succeeded in knocking the Constitution Party's nominee off the state ballot, although the CP gubernatorial nominee is continuing as a write-in candidate. Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) is being challenged by State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka (R).
Writer: Patrick Kelly - 09.01.06
BY THE NUMBERS: LATEST INDEPENDENT NUMBERS.
ARIZONA - GOVERNOR: Governor Janet Napolitano (D) - 55%, financial consultant Don Goldwater (R) - 32%. (Rasmussen Reports).
ARIZONA - GOVERNOR: Napolitano (D) - 52%, Religious Right activist Len Munsil (R) - 33%. (Rasmussen Reports).
ARIZONA - US SENATE: US Senator Jon Kyl (R) - 52%, former State Democratic Chair Jim Pederson (D) - 35%. (Rasmussen Reports).
ARKANSAS - GOVERNOR: Attorney General Mike Beebe (D) - 55%, former Congressman Asa Hutchinson (R) - 38%. (KTHV-TV/SurveyUSA).
ARKANSAS - LT. GOVERNOR: Former Social Security Commissioner Bill Halter (D) - 50%, State Senator Jim Holt (R) - 41%. (KTHV-TV/SurveyUSA).
CALIFORNIA - GOVERNOR: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) - 45%, State Treasurer Phil Angelides (D) - 32%. (Public Policy Institutite).
CALIFORNIA - GOVERNOR: Schwarzenegger (R) - 48%, Angelides (D) - 42%. (Rasmussen Reports).
CALIFORNIA - US SENATE: US Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) - 56%, former State Senator Dick Mountjoy (R) - 34%. (Rasmussen Reports).
FLORIDA - GOVERNOR - DEM PRIMARY: Congressman Jim Davis - 43%, State Senator Rod Smith - 32%. (Quinnipiac University).
FLORIDA - GOVERNOR - GOP PRIMARY: Attorney General Charlie Crist - 57%, State CFO Tom Gallagher - 32%. (Quinnipiac University).
FLORIDA - US SENATE - GOP PRIMARY: Congresswoman Katherine Harris - 38%, attorney Will McBride - 22%, retired Navy Admiral LeRoy Collins Jr. - 11%, developer Peter Monroe - 3%. (Quinnipiac University).
MARYLAND - US SENATE - DEM PRIMARY: Former Congressman Kweisi Mfume - 42%, Congressman Ben Cardin - 38%, developer Josh Rales - 7%, Others - 1%. (WUSA-TV/SurveyUSA).
MARYLAND - STATE COMPTROLLER - DEM PRIMARY: Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens - 42%, State Comptroller DOn Schaefer - 35%, State Delegate Peter Franchot - 15%. (WUSA-TV/SurveyUSA).
RHODE ISLAND - US SENATE - GOP PRIMARY: Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey - 51%, US Senator Linc Chafee - 34%. (Rhode Island College).
WASHINGTON - CD-2: Congressman Rick Larsen (D) - 58%, businessman Doug Roulstone (R) - 35%. (WUSA-TV/SurveyUSA).
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 09.01.06
TEXAS: CIRO RODRIGUEZ QUITTING CD-23 RACE ... OR MAYBE NOT.
Former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez (D) lost a primary earlier this year to Congressman Henry Cuellar in CD-28, and his campaign still had an $80,000 debt. Now, with the court-ordered redrawn lines of several districts, Rodriguez filed earlier this month to run in CD-23 against Congressman Henry Bonilla (R). To Rodriguez's surprise, other Dems did not hand him a clear shot at Bonilla. Instead, five other Dems also filed to run against Bonilla in the November special election. Speaking to the AFL-CIO on Wednesday night, Rodriguez "I'm not going to be running and that's my decision based on family and personal reasons" Then, on Thursday, Rodriguez's spokeswoman said Rodriguez was "only considering his options and has not dropped out of the race," reported CQPolitics.com. She said people had pledged money to the campaign and reduced his debt to just $7,000. "I think it makes him look very indecisive and I have to wonder what kind of leadership he's trying to convey," said a spokesman for Bonilla. Rodriguez promises to make a final decision by the end of this week.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 09.01.06
ALASKA: FBI RAIDS SIX STATE LEGISLATIVE OFFICES IN CORRUPTION PROBE.
The FBI on Thursday raided the offices of at least six state legislators as part of an ongoing corruption probe. According to the AP, the federal agents executed the warrants searching for evidence of unlawful gifts and others ties "between the legislators and [VECO], a large oil field services company." The six legislators: State Senate President Ben Stevens (R), Senate Rules Committee Chair John Cowdery (R), State Senator Donald Olson (D), State Representative Bruce Weyhrauch (R), State Representative Vic Kohring (R) and State Representative Pete Kott (R). "This morning, investigators from the FBI interviewed me in my office regarding an investigation of VECO," said Kohring, who said he is fully cooperating and believe he is not a target. The other five declined to comment. Stevens is the son of US Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK). The AP reports the FBI agents were seen leaving the various offices carrying boxes of seized items.
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 09.01.06
FREE SPEECH ZONE.
TGIF!
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 09.01.06
WANNA TRADE?
Apropos of nothing above, I'm interested in building up my collection of Canadian campaign buttons. If you've got Canadian political buttons to trade, I'm interesting in swapping with you for some great US pins. Please drop me a note!
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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