Update on NY 20
Tedisco is now trailing by 8 votes and is not doing as well in the absentee votes from several counties he won on election night ( military votes in every county will not be counted till 13th). For example, in Renssalaer County — largest of the four counties that completed absentee counts Thursday — Tedisco was ahead by 474 votes on election night, but among absentee voters trailed by 19. Saratoga County, the district’s most populous, has not completed the count of its absentee ballots.
KY Bunning (R)
Attorney General Jack Conway announced he is running for US Senate Seat of Jim Bunning setting up a contested Democratic primary election next year with Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, who nearly defeated Bunning in 2004.
Conway’s Senate bid is his second attempt to serve in Congress. In 2002, he challenged Republican Rep. Anne M. Northup in the Louisville-based 3rd District and lost by 3 percentage points; that seat now is held by Democrat John Yarmuth. Conway was elected state Attorney General in 2007.
AR Lincoln (D)
Sen. Blanche Lincoln,an Arkansas Democrat, raised $1.7 million during the year’s first quarter for her 2010 re-election bid.
Lincoln now has 2.3 million COH
Wisconsin Doyle (D)
Wisconsin Democrats plan to run an ad Sunday on a Milwaukee TV station attacking Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, a likely Republican candidate for governor next year.
MI Open Seat (D)
Saying he can’t justify leaving his job as Oakland County executive, L. Brooks Patterson said this morning that he won’t run for governor.
He was in a growing field of potential Republican candidates for governor in 2010, including Attorney General Mike Cox, Secretary ofState
Terri Lynn Land, U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, state Sen. Tom George of Texas Township, Ann Arbor businessmen David Brandon and Rick Snyder and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Potential Democrats in the race include: Lt. Gov. John Cherry, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel, former MSU football coach George Perles and former Flint Mayor Don Williamson.
TN Open Seat (D)
Sen. Roy Herron says he will run for Tennessee governor in 2010.
The Dresden Democrat said Wednesday that he and his family have “carefully and prayerfully considered” his decision. Herron said he will make a formal announcement later but didn’t specify a date.
Herron becomes the third Democratic gubernatorial candidate. He joins Nashville businessman Ward Cammack and former state House Majority Leader Kim McMillan of Clarksville.
As for the Republican candidates, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga and Memphis prosecutor Bill Gibbons have declared so far. Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville has formed an exploratory committee.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
Keep up the updates, dld
McKinley (Diary) Thursday, April 9th at 11:08PM EST (link)Is there anyone on the R bench in Arkansas aside from Huckabee who could challenge Lincoln?
Although its early, I worry a weak field of candidates in states like AR, NV, and traditional Dem advantages in NY and CT might mean we have nothing to offset possible losses in PA, OH, KY, and perhaps FL.
Worry about MO and NH
dld1717 (Diary) Thursday, April 9th at 11:46PM EST (link)In AR there is not many Republicans but recent polls show her in not best shape
The NRSC could have some great candidates if the stars aligned
HA Lingle
ND Hoeven
DE Castle
NY Peter King
AR Huckabee
WI Tommy Thompson
NH Sununu (best we have)
CO Bill Owens
It may be very early to many but look at how much Lincoln has in bank already? Its not that easy I bet to raise funds right now either
I realize I might catch some flak for this
Aetius728 Thursday, April 9th at 11:27PM EST (link)But if Toomey beats Specter in the PA primary, there is a better than 50% chance that PA will elect a Democratic senator in 2010.
Just being realistic. I say this as a PA voter and Toomey supporter. PA’s Democrats are not very liberal, at least where I am from, but they easily buy into populist demagoguery. And that is what Toomey will face. And Republican’s are terrible at countering it. In fact, I don’t even think they realize why they keep losing around here.
I agree, Aetius
McKinley (Diary) Thursday, April 9th at 11:44PM EST (link)It seems it would take an awfully big Republican wave to get Toomey over the top in a state that has been trending blue the last two election cycles. I’d rather stay above forty in the Senate than get rid of a RINO
Could you actually vote for Specter in a primary in good conscience though?
AKSteveB (Diary) Friday, April 10th at 12:12AM EST (link)He is worse than a RINO, he is a genuine backstabber. There have to be some lines you don’t cross.
Hell is other people – Sartre
Specter is practacially a Democrat
Illinicon (Diary) Friday, April 10th at 12:34AM EST (link)but in Philly its tough to get one self elected as Democrat because of tougher primary challanges, as a Republican you have a norrower field of people to get through in primaries and as such an easier time getting elected in a 2 democrat race is easier to win than a multi democrat race. For example, that is why Bloomberg switched from D to R so he could avoid a crowded primary. If Toomey wins the primary and loses the General atleast the Democratic vote will not be spun into Barry having Bi-partisan supprt.
My Potus shortlist
declared candidates:
1. Tim Pawlenty
2. Herman Cain
3. Gary Johnson
4. Rick Santorum
among declared and rumored candidates:
1. Rick Perry
2. Tim Pawlenty
3. Rudy Giuilani
4. Herman Cain
If you look
drohan00 (Diary) Friday, April 10th at 1:35AM EST (link)at the American Conservative Union’s own rankings of members of congress, Arlen Specter has been trending more conservative over his Senate career. I know he was a key link in the whole Robert Bork fiasco twenty years ago, but can Toomey win?
I really don’t think Specter is as bad as another liberal Democrat. I think he gets 50+ ratings from the ACU. We need to realize that we should take what we can get. If Toomey has a realistic chance to win the election, by all means we should support him. But we need to understand that Arlen Specter might be our best bet in PA, and in that case, I would support him just to keep a worse option out of office.
I know that is lesser of two evils thinking, but we need to think that way in order to get to frame the agenda again. I have written in my diary about supporting Pay-Go to fork the Blue Dog Democrats. We need all we can get, and I know that is a tough pill to swallow, but Arlen Specter with a 50 ACU rating is better than a liberal with a 0 ACU rating.
CO Update
dld1717 (Diary) Thursday, April 9th at 11:43PM EST (link)Republican Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier said Wednesday he is “seriously considering” running for U.S. Senate in 2010, though he acknowledged his toughest fight may come from the more conservative wing of his own party.
On the PA race I have to ask who holds Toomey’s old House Race?
Nevada
TC Robinson (Diary) Friday, April 10th at 9:08AM EST (link)Suprised no one has mentioned this, but has there been any thought of having Dawn Gibbons, Nevada’s First Lady, challenge her soon to be ex-husband for Nevada Governor in 2010? Now, THAT would be fun to watch.
Join the RedState Strike Force
I am still leaning toward voting for Toomey
Aetius728 Friday, April 10th at 1:30PM EST (link)But we really need to give this some rational thought. It might be wiser to let Specter keep the seat, as it will more than likely be his last term. Perhaps the next time the seat comes up the environment will be more friendly for Republicans. Unless their is such a huge wave to the GOP, Toomey would certainly be the underdog.
It is unpalatble to consider keeping Specter, but when one of the possible alternatives is electing a relatively young Democrat that could hold the seat for perhaps several decades and become another Ted Kennedy or Chris Dodd, it needs to be considered.
NY 20 Update
dld1717 (Diary) Friday, April 10th at 7:48PM EST (link)Most of the counties have completed their absentee counts and Murphy is now leading by 80 votes
Saratoga county has not reported yet and so has Warren and Washington county ( both counties which went for Murphy big)
No military or foreign ballots have been counted either.
It appears the absentee ballots are going more towards Murphy too as many counties Tedisco won on election night are giving Murphy more votes with absentees.
the left has done much more with all this
Doc Holliday (Diary) Friday, April 10th at 7:52PM EST (link)motor voter absentee crap. I say we all go back to voting on election day, absentee voting used to be just about the disabled. Also, expect the majority of non military overseas ballots to go for the left, expats overwhelmingly vote Demo.
Molon Labe!
I vote absentee a lot
dld1717 (Diary) Friday, April 10th at 8:06PM EST (link)I disagree I vote absentee a lot when I was in college
I helped out on many campaigns and you always knew who absentee voters were and u sent them something to remind them to vote it appears the Tedisco campaign ran a lousy campaign in this aspect.
Although keep in mind many absentee voters in this district are NYC residents who have a home in upstate and for tax purposes use this as their official residence.
I'm With Doc Holliday
IJB Friday, April 10th at 8:38PM EST (link)Absentee voting has become far too common-place: it rewards lazy voters, and makes it far too easy (for Dems, ACORN, etc.) to monkey with voting results.
I also favor making everyone who’s not physically infirm actually show up and vote in person on election day. To accommodate business travelers, they could open up one or two “early voting” days.
As for college kids, I’m in the camp that thinks they shouldn’t be voting anyway (26th Amendment was a huge mistake), but if they are, they can register in the town of the college they live in.
I so Disagree
dld1717 (Diary) Friday, April 10th at 9:04PM EST (link)Talk about disenfranchising voters. College kids not being able to vote? How old are you? Kids can die for this country but not vote?
Absentee voting is fine it usually benefits Republicans in this case the Republican ran lousy campaign here. Calling voters lazy is vile.
My grandparents vote absentee and are no lazy; my gram broke her hip and is in rehabilitation and for her to get too and from a voting booth would take more time and energy that it would never happen without absentee voting.