Cross posted: Campaign News Update for 5/7 to 5/14

A compilation of campaign news (2005, 2006, and 2008) from around the web, and the state of the Democratic Party and other news. Items via a variety of sources (i.e. The Note, National Journal, etc.), diaries at DKos, or found by me through Google News.  Some commentary is mine.  

Unless otherwise noted, opinions aren’t mine (nor do I necessarily endorse them).

Electoral Issues, Party News, Shifts in Voting Pref, etc.

2005

<U>OH-2 Special Election</U&gt 19 canidates have filed nominating petitions to fill the seat left bacant by Rep. Bob Portman (R)

<U>VA</U&gt Governor race: Kaine releases bio ad that answers Kilgore campaign’s assertion that Kaine disrespected SW VAns in an earlier ad. Kaine’s wife and father-in-law are both SW VAns. Hopefully, Kilgore comes off as whiny after all of this. As a public service, Newsie directs you to Kaine’s website: Tim Kaine for VA Governor 05

Not much movement in LA Mayor or NYC mayor races.  Bloomberg leads, as does Villiargosa (sp?) Hahn is gaining ground in LA, but he’s still down 10 points.

2006

House of Representatives

<U>CA6</U&gt (HRH) “CA assemblyman Joe Nation, a “self-described” centrist who’s “termed-out” in ’06, announced 5/5 he’ll launch a $1M Dem primary race against Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D), a “hard-core political liberal” (California Target Book’s Hot Sheet, 5/6).” As a public service, Newsie directs you to Woolsey’s campaign website. Send her some $.

<U>CO4</U&gt (HRH) On 5/9,Cheney helped raise more than $200K for Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R), who is one of ten members on the “GOP endangered list.” She had already raised more than $421K as of 3/31.

<U>CO7</U&gt (HRH) “Banker Jim Polsfut (D) and ’04 6th CD nominee Joanna Conti (D) ended their campaigns, boosting the prospect of the two Dems remaining in the open-seat race. Polsfut threw his weight behind state Sen. Ed Perlmutter (D). Ex-state Rep. Peggy Lamm (D) is also running on the Dem side (Cillizza, Roll Call, 5/10).”

<U>FL9</U&gt (HRH) “Ex-Safety Harbor City Commissioner Robin Borland (R) announced on 5/10 that she would run to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R)”

<U>IL8</U&gt Melissa Bean challenger. Via Carpetbagger Report: “Investment banker David McSweeney is gearing up to take on Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) next year, indicating yesterday that he’s prepared to “put at least seven figures” into his campaign. McSweeney filed papers with the Federal Election Commission last week. State GOP leaders aren’t exactly thrilled about his prospects: “He might be able to win the primary, but if David McSweeney wins the primary it all but assures that Bean is reelected,” an Illinois Republican told The Hill.”… Rep. Melissa Bean for Congress

<U>IL10</U&gt (HRH) “Ever since Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) won his seat in ’00, he has had to “fear one potential foe”: state Sen. Susan Garrett (D). Garrett is the “only one” of the suburban Dems in eastern Lake and northwest Cook counties with the “total package of legislative record, fund-raising skills and vote-getting ability” to wage a “strong challenge” to Kirk. After 2 elections where Dems “didn’t put up much resistance,” Garrett is “considering a run””

<U>IN9</U&gt (HRH) “Ex-Rep. Baron Hill (D) said 5/12 that he will try to win back his seat in ’06. Hill has formed a new campaign group, the Committee to Bring Back Baron” in the S. IN district.

<U>NY20</U&gt (HRH) “Rep. John Sweeney (R) “has been under increasing pressure to define his position” on Social Security proposals, but unlike the other 434 Members, he “alone represents FDR’s hometown, on the banks of the Hudson River.” To this town of nearly 21K, Sweeney’s “reticence has been noticed.” “

<U>NY29</U&gt Via Carpetbagger Report:: “Almost two years ago, Eric Massa was forced to resign as a Republican staffer on the House Armed Services Committee after he was spotted outside an event for his former boss and good friend Wesley Clark. Now a Dem, Massa is planning a run for Congress against freshman Rep. Randy Kuhl (R-N.Y.), whom Dems consider very vulnerable. Massa is a 24-year veteran of the Navy who spent several years in the late 90s as a top aide to Clark – first in Panama, where Clark headed the U.S. Southern Command, and later when Clark was NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.”

<U>VT</U&gt (HRH) “State Rep. David Zuckerman (P) “helped stir” maneuvering among Dems and Progressives 5/10 when he said he was “seriously considering” a bid. State Sen. Matt Dunne (D) “has essentially gotten into the race,” though ex-state Senate Pres Pro Tem Peter Shumlin (D) and current Pres Pro Tem Peter Welch (D) are considering bids as well (AP/Bennington Banner, 5/11).”

2006

Senate
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<U>MD</U&gt NRSC is trying to recruit Lt. Gov. Michael Steele to enter the race.

<U>MT</U&gt MT Senate Update: Tester Headed to DC to feel out a run against Burns, by Left in the West

<U>NE</U&gt Gov. Dave Heineman is being urged to run against Sen. Ben Nelson (D).  Nelson is probably the only Democrat who can win anything statewide in Nebraska, and while he does vote with the Republicans on a number of issues, he has no shot of winning his seat back if he doesn’t.  In a state like Nebraska, a Democrat has a chance of he/she votes with the Republicans some of the time, and no shot if he/she votes with the Democrats all of the time.  Hopefully, Heineman will stay out of the race.  If any Republican opposition, including Heineman, enters the race, Nelson will have a tough re-election…Heineman would make it tougher than others.

<U>NY</U&gt G.O.P. Sees Pirro as Knight in Armor (With Dents)Friends of Hillary Clinton

<U>PA</U&gt Social Security Privatization May Cost Santorum His Seat Thankfully both PA Dems running are good on economic issues and strongly support Social Security.

<U>RI</U&gt Chafee leads both Democrats in a poll. It’s unclear what the name ID is for the two Democrats, which has an obvious impact on a poll this early in the race.  Chafee hits 41% and 44% depending on the Dem candidate, which isn’t good at all for Chafee. Those are well below 50.

<U>VT</U&gt Coming November 2006: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I)

2006

Governor

<U>CO</U&gt First Dem Enters Colorado Governor’s Race, by ohwilleke… (Hotline) “Denver DA Bill Ritter (D) “registered his intent” 5/12 to run, making him the 1st Dem to file campaign papers with the Sec/State. “Ritter, an anti-abortion” Dem, “vowed to bring innovation and imagination” to the office, “listing good jobs, education, affordable health care, protection of natural resources and preservation” of CO’s quality of life… Ritter: “It’s the law. Abortion is legal. It’s not the thing I’m running on.” Ritter “said he would not actively seek legislation limiting abortion but refused to say whether he would sign such a bill if it got to his desk.” He “listed 16 endorsers in his announcement letter,” including ’02 CO-07 nominee/ex-state Sen. Michael Feeley (D), who will serve as treas. Other Dems mentioned for GOV include entrepreneur Rutt Bridges (D) and ’98 nominee/ex-LG Gail Schoettler (D)”

<U>FL</U&gt FL AG Charlie Crist (R) jumps into the race… (WakeupCall) Bob Graham said he “enthusiastically” endorses Rep. Jim Davis (D-FL) for FL GOV (St. Petersburg Times).

<U>NY</U&gt Dudley Do-Right in the Valley of Death A profile of Eliot Spitzer.

<U>OH</U&gt Strickland joins race for Ohio governor

<U>SC</U&gt SC-Gov: Things are afoot in the Palmetto State, by samuelclemens

<U>TX</U&gt (Gov.com) Gov. Rick Perry’s job approval rating slipped to 45 percent in a new poll showing that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson remains the state’s most popular politician, with a 67 percent approval rating… Perry’s other potential Republican challenger, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, with 51 percent.

Pres 2008

  • Donate to the DNC
  • Marist 2008 poll
  • (WakeupCall) A straw poll of those attending the WI GOP convo shows Sec/State Condoleezza Rice leading the pack of WH ’08 GOPers with 35%, defeating ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (24%), FL Gov. Jeb Bush (16%), Sen. Bill Frist (10%), VA Sen. George Allen (7%), John McCain (5%) and MA Gov. Mitt Romney (2%) (WisPolitics.com).
  • Survey USA: Approval Ratings for all 50 Governors as of 5/10/05 Approval/Disapproval ratings for governors who have had their names talked about re: 08: Huckabee 51/41, Bush 49/46, Vilsack 50/39, Romney, 41/51, Pawlenty 54/38, Barbour 37/55, Richardson 54/39, Warner 55/31.
  • (WakeupCall) Asked if he “wasn’t going to be” a WH ’08 running mate for Sen. George Allen (R-VA), CO Gov. Bill Owens (R) said: “I think that’s probably a very safe assumption” (Rocky Mountain News).
  • (WakeupCall) A State House News poll shows Clinton defeating MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) in a WH ’08 general matchup 54%-38% among MA regis. voters (release).
  • (Hotline) Americans for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist told NBC’s “First Read” that only 2 GOP WH candidates haven’t taken the pledge not to raise taxes: Bob Dole and Pat Robertson. Norquist indicates that breaking the pledge, as George H.W. Bush did, has consequences. In the GOP ’08 field, “almost all of the potential candidates” have already taken the pledge: Sens. George Allen (R-VA), Sam Brownback (R-KS), John McCain (R-AZ), Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Senate Maj. Leader Bill Frist and Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC). The exceptions are: ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) (who, Norquist explains, has “informed him about his tax-cutting ways” as NYC mayor), AR Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) and MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R).

<U>Barbour</U&gt (WakeupCall) MS Gov. Haley Barbour (R) was in MI Wed for two GOP fundraisers (AP).

<U>Bayh</U&gt Evidence that Bayh is running

<U>Edwards</U&gt His future plans…

<U>Gingrich</U&gt (Note) Newt Gingrich begins a two-day swing through IA, with stops at Sioux City, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Fundraisers and book signings and private meetings are on the agenda… (WakeupCall) Newt Gingrich said in IA that “he would consider” a WH ’08 bid if “there’s a big enough movement” supporting the ideas in his book (Des Moines Register).

<U>Kerry</U&gt NYT: On the Go, but Not Running, Kerry Looks Like a Shhh!Ezra Klein on Kerry’s problem… Really good stuff…

<U>Romney</U&gt Romney may forgo re-election plans and go straight for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination or so says Novak.

State & Local Races; Miscellaneous

  • (WakeupCall) John Edwards announced that his One America Committee is launching an initiative to help Dems “build and maintain majorities in state legislatures all across the country” (release).
  • (Hotline) “Ex-Rep. Enid Greene (R-UT) “is attempting to put more distance” between her family and Joseph Waldholtz, the ex-husband “she blames” for the campaign finance scandal “that drove her from Congress.” Greene has filed a petition “to terminate Waldholtz’s parental rights” to their daughter Elizabeth, 9. Waldholtz is serving his 2nd prison term during Elizabeth’s lifetime, a 3-to-15-yr term that began in 5/04 for stealing $30K “from his dead father’s estate” and other accounts…[Greene]said her legal action has “nothing to do” with any political aspirations (Salt Lake Tribune, 5/12).”

Please post in the replies of official Democratic candidate websites (esp. those for candidates who will be in tough races come 2005 or 2006) that you know of.  Thanks!

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