I’m interested to see what today’s elections will bring, even though I think they’ll be of limited use in making predictions about next year’s federal elections. At least in some of the high-profile races and issues, it looks to be a good night for the Democrats. I expect that Ohioans will reject Kasich’s anti-collective bargaining reforms, that Maine will restore same-day voter registration, and that there’s a good chance that the people of Mississippi will reject the personhood amendment. The Democrats will also probably win the gubernatorial elections in Kentucky and West Virginia, which are two of Obama’s weakest states. San Francisco might even get its first Chinese mayor, although I don’t know that he’s the best candidate. And there’s reason for optimism in some of the state legislature races, including in Iowa and Virginia.
On the other hand, this is a low-turnout election and Democrats generally fare poorly in low-turnout elections. I’m concerned that I received a robocall yesterday concerning a school board race. I talked to the Democratic candidate today at the polls, and she said that she’s never seen anything like the campaign being waged against her. Where is all this money coming from, and how far spread is it around the country? We could be in for an ugly surprise on the local level.
I was sure that Maine would vote the right way on gay rights two years ago. (Three years, now?) I’ve lost faith in my fellow Mainers.
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Yay!
I live in a Republican town. I voted Dem.
Don’t really know how things will go.
I voted no to more NJ gambling.
I had names prepared for the school board and board of supervisors races, but apparently my precinct wasn’t electing any. My polling place was also different than years past.
Heh. Local school board runoff election today and the turnout was pretty damn good. Has huge implications as far as national Tea Party groups ($) and their influence on local elections. Wake County, NC. Winner decides who controls the school board 2 years after the teabaggers took over and dismantled the diversity policy. It’s one to watch.
My Democratic Virginia Delegate Ken Plum said in a mailer, “I have an opponent!” as if expressing surprise. It was a surprise; he hadn’t been opposed for re-election in modern memory.
It might come out right in the end. I figure the more teabaggers run for office at all levels and try to politicize offices like school board, sheriff, and dogcatcher, the sooner they’ll wear out their welcome.
The truth is that the more teabaggers run for office at all levels and win, politicizing offices like school board, sheriff, and dogcatcher, the sooner they’ll run the country.
Fight them for every inch of territory that they wish to gain.
please do the right thing Ohio, Mississippi and Maine
There are often important state and local initiatives that occur on these off years. Although those don’t have quite the glamor of the larger races, they are arguably more important. And believe me, the composition of school boards matters a great deal. I’ve seen it first hand.
Isn’t there an African American running for Gov in Mississippi or something like that?
Does this guy have any real chances in Mississippi?
Yes there is. http://www.johnnydupree.com/
Not really. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2011/governor/ms/mississippi_governor_bryant_vs_dupree-2978.
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I voted the Dem ticket except for city council. This was my first vote for a Republican ever. Why the hell would I do that horrible thing?
I’ll tell you. The local Dems have taken the City’s debt from 4.4 million to over twenty in the last few years. There are 1600 properties in town to share that burden. Do the math. I already pay almost $5000/year in taxes for a postage stamp lot. Sure there is a property tax cap now, but should the response be to destroy the city’s books with debt? How are we going to pay that debt if we can’t raise taxes?
Their agenda for the last few years has not been to bend to economic realities (well they are ‘studying’ regionally combined services at great expense), but rather to buy up failed housing developments with bond money and call them ‘parks’ and ‘open space’.
They are also covering for United Water who’s actions wrecked half the town in the last hurricane by releasing huge volumes of water into the creek that runs right behind my house and through town. I was yelled at (literally!) when I even brought up the subject at city hall (who works for who, again?) when I was trying to get a city owned tree off my little old lady neighbor’s house. It was like living in one of those email ‘anecdotes’ that conservatives send eachother.
Why again, should I vote for Democrats if that is how they govern locally? They enthusiastically side with corporations over citizens, they spend money they don’t have and they think they are the people’s bosses, not their servants.
If this is what the Democratic party are offering people, no wonder the Repugs have been wiping up in local/state elections lately. Not merely because of GOP dirty tricks as we are always told, but because of truly shitty, corrupt governing by Democrats who cannot respond to hard times in any way buy to run up huge debts.
I’m sure there are many highly functional Dem towns out there, but my money is that this little Blue jewel turns red in next year’s election. There is no serious republican party here, but it won’t take one.
I’d rather the Dems be in charge of making cuts, but if they won’t do it and choose to doom the town instead, they don’t deserve my vote. It’s not hard to see how this story applies to the state or the nation.
I just don’t feel like our team has it’s shit together around here.
I hear you and feel your pain. No raise for three years then local Democrats saddle me with a 20% property tax increase after our Democratic Governor doubles the income tax.
Your situations sounds like you are at one of the epicenters of the housing market collapse.
Nope, a cute little tourist river town between NY and NJ.
What we have learned thus far. In Wake County, a turnout of 15% for the school board election amounts to high turnout.
This is why progressive candidates can easily gain local office (and “experience”) in these off-year, low-on-the-ticket races and build a foothold. A lot of local elections are “non-partisan”; with organization and some popularity, a candidate independent of party establishments can win.
Question about Ohio: who will be the first to cite Citizens United to argue that the Issue 2 loss stifles conservatives’ free speech?