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| BLOG ARCHIVE: FEBRUARY 17-28, 2006
FLORIDA.
US Senator Bill Nelson (D) is up in the latest Quinnipiac
University poll. The new numbers: ALABAMA.
Governor Bob Riley (R) is on the rebound, after previously
looking to be endangered in both his primary and general election
contests, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll. Riley leads
Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley (D) by a 53% to 37% vote. By contrast,
the latest Mobile Register/University of South Alabama
statewide poll shows a slightly closer race: Riley-45%, Baxley-36%.
The poll also shows Riley would destroy former Governor Don Siegelman
(D) by a 26-point margin. OREGON.
A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows Governor Ted Kulongoski
(D) is regaining previously lost ground. The incumbent has a 54%
approval rating versus a 42% disapproval rating -- a real approval
over his weaker numbers in recent months. In terms of specific
match-ups, Kulongoski is also performing much better. Kulongoski
leads former State GOP Chair Kevin Mannix by a 51% to 36% vote.
He also leads State Senator Jason Atkinson (R) by a 48% to 36%
vote, and holds a 47% to 33% advantage over centrist former Portland
School Board Member Ron Saxton. SITE
OF THE DAY. Our Politics1 Site of the Day winner is
Becky
Lourey for Minnesota Governor. FREE
SPEECH ZONE. Just an aside -- and I certainly am not
yet willing to name any names -- but my gut feeling tells me the
anti-DC corruption sentiments will cause at least one or two Congressional
incumbents to unexpectedly lose primaries this year to little-known
challengers. Think Guy Vander Jagt or Alan Dixon, circa 1992.
TENNESSEE.
A new development in the gubernatorial race. Congressman
Bill Jenkins (R) -- who recently announced his decision to retire
this year to spend more time with his family -- said Saturday
that GOP activists are pressing him to run for Governor. Speaking
at the Greene County Lincoln Day Dinner, Jenkins said "This
talk of [running for] Governor is pretty heavy ... I want to remind
you all, I did that once [in 1970]." Jenkins said he was
33 during that campaign, looked to be in his 20s, and everyone
thought he "looked too young" then to be Governor. "I
guess I’ve gotten old enough," joked the 69-year-old
Jenkins. While Jenkins promised to give the race serious consideration
and make a formal decision soon, he said entering the race "would
undo all the reasons" why he was retiring from Congress.
If Jenkins passes on the race -- as is ultimately expected --
no major GOP hopefuls remain in play to challenge Governor Phil
Bredesen (D). In related news, check out our Tennessee
page to view the crowded races for the open CD-1 and CD-9
seats.
ARIZONA.
State Treasurer David Peterson (R) unexpectedly announced
Friday he would not seek reelection this year -- even though he
was not yet facing any opposition. The announcement came just
a day after word leaked out to the media that Peterson was being
investigated on allegations of possible wrongdoing. The Attorney
General's office apparently seized
a computer and documents from Peterson's office, but Peterson's
office declined to discuss the investigation or allegations. "It
is not a public matter. It's not something that's out there for
public consumption," said Peterson's spokesman, who refused
to provide any further details. Subsequent news reports indicate
the investigation is focused upon theft and fraud allegations.
Even before the investigation broke, Peterson had been getting
bad press starting when a top aide resigned and issued a scathing,
4-page letter sent to state legislative leaders detailing a lengthy
list of problems in the Treasurer's office. And -- while we're
on the topic of (allegedly) corrupt State Treasurers -- recently
resigned New Mexico State Treasurer Robert Vigil (D) was indicted
last week by the feds on two counts of racketeering and one count
of extortion. That is in addition to the 19 felonies he pled not
guilty to following his October resignation. Vigil's trial is
set to start in April. GAY
ADOPTION. State Senator Robert Hagan (D-Ohio) says he
will introduce legislation to ban Republican couples from adopting
children. According to Hagan, "credible research'' shows
that adopted children raised in GOP households are more at risk
for developing "emotional problems, social stigmas, inflated
egos, and alarming lack of tolerance for others they deem different
than themselves and an air of overconfidence to mask their insecurities."
Hagan agrees there is no scientific evidence backing his claims
about Republican parents -- just, as Hagan notes, there is none
backing State Representative Ron Hood's (R) bill banning gay parents
from adopting. Hood claims children purportedly suffer from emotional
"harm" when they are adopted by gay couples. Hagan admits
he created his proposal to mock Hood's proposed ban on gay adoption
in a way that people would see the "blatantly discriminatory
and extremely divisive" nature of the bill. The GOP House
leadership does not support Hood's proposal. SITE
OF THE DAY. Our Politics1 Site of the Day winner is
TerriPAC. FREE
SPEECH ZONE. Special thanks to Bob
Bruce -- a candidate for NH Executive Council -- who this
weekend became the first candidate to purchase one of our specially-priced
($50/month) banner ads on a state page. Check our Bob's ad on
our New Hampshire page, to give you an idea
of what your ad could look like on the state page covering your
race. FREE
SPEECH ZONE. The weekend open thread. FREE
SPEECH ZONE. Sorry about this, but I was so swamped
at work Thursday -- and ended up working really late -- that I'm
just too exhauster to write updates tonight. But ... here's one
usual item to ponder: Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and surgeon
Bob Johnson (D-NY) -- an '04 Congressional nominee and current
'06 candidate -- showed up at his local airport for a flight to
Florida ... and found himself barred from flying because he is
now on the FAA's "No Fly List" of high-risk, banned
travelers. Johnson concedes he is against the Iraq war, but didn't
think that could get him banned. Click here to read
more of this disturbing and odd story. OHIO.
Talk about embarrassing, but the frontrunner for the
CD-6 seat left open by the gubernatorial candidacy of incumbent
Congressman Ted Strickland (D) was bounced from the ballot this
week because he failed fell short of the required 50 valid petition
signatures. State Senator and former State House Minority Whip
Charlie Wilson (D) fell two signatures short of the meager number
requirement, forcing the Columbiana County Board of Elections
to disqualify him. Write it off to sloppiness. It's not the end
of Wilson's campaign, but it is a needless setback. Wilson has
raised nearly $500,000 last year for the race, and faces only
minor opposition in the primary -- but now he must win the primary
as a write-in candidate. Wilson also has the option of filing
as an Independent, instead of taking the primary write-in route,
but the primary option appears most likely. If Wilson secures
the nomination as a write-in candidate -- just as DC Mayor Anthony
Wiliams (D) was forced to do in his sloppy but successful 2002
re-election -- we'll move this race back to "Leans Dem"
from our new rating of "Toss-Up." State House Speaker
Pro Tem Chuck Blasdel faces a primary against four others, but
is the likely GOP nominee.
MARYLAND.
A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows Lieutenant Governor
Michael Steele's (R) recent verbal blunders have wounded his campaign.
According to the poll, Congressman Ben Cardin (D) now leads Steele
in the open US Senate race by a vote of 49% to 35%. However, if
former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume (D) trails Steele by a 42%
to 41% vote.
SITE
OF THE DAY. Our Politics1 Site of the Day winner is
Joe Dunn
for California State Controller. FREE
SPEECH ZONE. What did we miss today? OHIO.
Eleventh Commandment ... What Eleventh Commandment?
The GOP primary for Governor took a sudden nasty turn in new TV
and radio spots. The ads also blast retiring Governor Bob Taft
(R).
State
GOP Chair Bob Bennett blasted Blackwell: "The race for Governor
should be a contest of ideas, not smear tactics and attack ads.
I expect this kind of negative campaigning from the Democrats,
but Ken Blackwell should have a better strategy for winning this
primary than simply burning down the house." From our perspective,
the theme is smart way for Blackwell to continue to package himself
as the anti-Taft Republican. TEXAS.
A new Dallas Morning News poll shows Governor
Rick Perry (R) holding a big lead in his multi-candidate race
for re-election. The poll also shows former Congressman Chris
Bell leading former Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage by a 28%
to 12% vote among likely Democratic primary voters -- leaving
a whopping 60% undecided with the March 7 primary just two weeks
away. As for the general election, Perry has no problem against
either Democrat. Scenario #1: Perry-36%, Bell-19%, State Comptroller
Carole Keeton Strayhorn (Independent)-16%, author/musician Kinky
Friedman (Independent)-10%. Scenario #2: Perry-36%, Gammage-17%,
Strayhorn-17%, Friedman-10%. The only bad news for Perry: only
59% of Perry's 2002 voters say they plan to vote for Perry again.
ALABAMA.
The Democratic primary for Governor appears much closer
than previously believed. According to the latest Mobile Register/University
of South Alabama poll, Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley leads former
Governor Don Siegelman by a vote of 37% to 34% among likely Dem
primary voters. Siegelman is currently under indictment on corruption
charges, which he claim are politically motiviated. "Even
though Lucy Baxley does have some name recognition, a lot of Democrats
in Alabama are still not sure who she is," said the pollster. SITE
OF THE DAY. Our Politics1 Site of the Day winner is
Eliot
Spitzer for New York Governor. FREE
SPEECH ZONE. Olympics, politics, David Irving, Bosnia,
whatever.
OREGON.
The race against centrist Governor Ted Kulongoski (D)
is getting rather interesting these days. Kulongoski -- though
not embroiled in any scandals -- consistently draws only lackluster
support in all the ILLINOIS.
The gay rights issues are becoming the defining topics
splitting the GOP candidates for Governor into two camps: centrists
and conservatives. The centrists are State Treasurer Judy Baar
Topinka and former State Board of Education Chairman Ron Gidwitz.
The conservatives are State Senator Bill Brady and securities
firm executive Jim Oberweis. Topinka and Gidwitz both support
gay civil unions and allowing gay couples to continue adopting
children. Brady and Oberweis oppose civil unions and want to ban
gay couples from adopting kids. All four Republicans oppose gay
marriage -- but Topinka and Gidwitz oppose the proposed state
constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Topinka also supported
the move last year to add sexual orientation to the state’s
human rights law forbidding discrimination in areas like jobs
and housing -- although the other three disagree. On the Democratic
side, both Dems oppose the proposed constitutional amendment and
support gay adoption. However, Governor Rod Balgojevich has backed
away from his 2002 support for gay civil unions while his primary
challenger -- former Chicago Alderman Edwin Eisendrath -- strongly
supports civil unions. Polls show Blagojevich and Topinka are
the frontrunners for their respective nominations.
SITE
OF THE DAY. Our Politics1 Site of the Day winner is
Nick
Reid for Congress (R-WI). FREE
SPEECH ZONE. Your turn. INDIANA.
Candidate filing for the Hoosier State's May 2 primary
closed on Friday, with no real surprises. No Democrat filed against
US Senator Dick Lugar (R), guaranteeing him a sixth term. OHIO.
A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows US Senator Mike DeWine
(R) has moved into a decent lead over Congressman Sherrod Brown
(D). The numbers: DeWine-46%, Brown-37%. The poll was taken last
week immediately following the withdrawal from the race of Iraq
War veteran Paul Hackett (D). An angry Hackett has said he was
"betrayed" by Democratic leaders who forced him to quit
the race in order to close ranks behind Brown. Interestingly,
31% of Ohio Democrats agreed Hackett was betrayed by party leaders
versus 24% who disagreed (and the rest offered no opinion). MISSOURI.
Facing a SITE
OF THE DAY. Our Politics1 Site of the Day winner is
Kinky Friedman
for Texas Governor. FREE
SPEECH ZONE. Sorry for posting so few items today --
and for posting unusually early on Sunday evening -- but I'll
be at a friend's wedding on Sunday night and had to get it done
quickly. FREE
SPEECH ZONE. An open thread for the weekend. OHIO.
Candidate filing for the primary closed on Thursday,
giving a better picture of the key races. In the gubernatorial
contest, Congressman Ted Strickland (D) is the prohibitive favorite
to capture the nomination. MASSACHUSETTS.
Bay State Republicans may finally have a fairly credible
hopeful ready to belly up to bar in the race against US Senator
Ted Kennedy (D). Former two-term Congressman Peter Blute (R) told
the Boston Herald he's looking at the contest and will
make up his mind within the next few weeks. "It’s something
that’s been suggested to me and I’m analyzing the
opportunity," he said. Kennedy already has more than $8 million
in his campaign account, so Blute understands the uphill nature
of the race. Still, Blute likes to note he's won 5 of the 6 races
he entered -- losing only his 1996 re-election contest. Blute
later was the Director of MassPort, but was forced to resign following
newspaper revelations (and photos) of Blute on a weekday "booze
cruise" around Boston Harbor with a topless female passenger.
Referring indirectly to Kennedy's infamous Chappaquiddick scandal,
Blute said that "In the scheme of Massachusetts political
issues, [the booze cruise incident] doesn’t seem to be a
big one." Wealthy businessman and gubernatorial candidate
Christy Mihos (R) recently met with Blute to entice him to be
his Lieutenant Governor runningmate.
Editor's Note: I used the word "credible" above
-- not viable. There is a difference.
PENNSYLVANIA.
Pro football Hall of Famer and businessman Lynn Swann
(R) fumbled the ball when it came to his history of casting ballots
in elections. Over the last 18 years, Swann entirely missed voting
in 20 out of 36 elections -- including 13 out of 18 GOP primaries
and one Presidential general election. "He regrets not voting,
and he should have voted," said Swann's spokesperson. She
suggested that Swann's travel schedule over the years explained
his poor voter record.
GEORGIA.
Governor Sonny Perdue (R) continues to look strong,
according to the latest Rasmussen Reports tracking poll. Perdue
leads Secretary of State Cathy Cox (D) by a 54% to 34% vote. Perdue
also holds a 53% to 33% advantage over Lieutenant Governor Mark
Taylor (D).
SITE
OF THE DAY. Our Politics1 Site of the Day winner is
Zack Space for Congress
(D-OH). FREE
SPEECH ZONE. Whatever. |
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Nelson
- 53%, Congresswoman Katherine Harris (R) - 31%. Harris got more
bad news this past week as her finance director and campaign treasurer
both quit. Also, the same corrupt defense contractor who previously
pled guilty to bribing former Congressman Randy Cunningham (R-CA)
told prosecutors he funnelled over $50,000 in illegal contributions
to Harris. While that made the contractor Harris' largest donor
in the last election cycle, there is no hint of wrongdoing by
Harris in that nothing indicates she knew the illegal source of
the money.
WEST
VIRGINIA. US Senator Robert C. Byrd (D) -- the aging
dean of the Senate -- is cruising to a comfortable re-election
victory, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll. The poll
also shows it makes little difference whether Byrd faces off against
the perceived GOP frontrunner or a total unknown. When matched
against wealthy state media mogul and former State GOP Chair John
Raese, Byrd wins by a 58% to 32% vote. Byrd beats attorney Hiram
Lewis (R) by a 60% to 29% vote. The incumbent also crushes optometrist
Zane Lawhorn (R) by a vote of 61% to 28%. These numbers seemingly
place Byrd somewhere between the "Dem Favored" and "Safe
Dem" columns.
COLORADO.
A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows former Denver District
Attorney Bill Ritter (D) is pulling ahead of either of his likely
GOP rivals in the open gubernatorial contest, now that Democrats
are largely unifying behind Ritter's candidacy. Ritter leads Congressman
Bob Beauprez (R) by a vote of 40% to 33%. Ritter leads former
university president Marc Holtzman (R) by an even wider vote of
41% to 28%. Interestingly, little-known State Representative Gary
Lindstrom (D) -- who has almost a zero chance of capturing the
nomination -- holds his own against both Republicans. The poll
showed Lindstrom besting Beauprez by one point and leading Holtzman
by two points.
FLORIDA.
A new Quinnipiac University poll shows clear favorites
emerging in the gubernatorial primary contests. On the GOP side,
the poll showed Attorney General Charlie Crist now leading State
CFO Tom Gallagher by a vote of 40% to 31%. On the Democratic side,
Congressman Jim Davis holds a wide lead of 29% to 13% over State
Senator Rod Smith. The poll also included general election match-ups
-- with Crist again the strongest of the bunch. The numbers: Crist-40%,
Davis-36% ... Crist-42%, Smith-32% ... Gallagher-37%, Davis-36%
... Gallagher-38%, Smith-34%. (Full
Disclosure: I'm openly supporting Jim Davis and contributed to
his campaign -- but I also like and respect Rod Smith, and think
he'd make a great Lieutenant Governor runningmate for Jim.)
PENNSYLVANIA.
The silence from Governor Ed Rendell (D) in the Democratic
primary for Lieutenant Governor speaks volumes, based upon his
past history. Normally Rendell intervenes in statewide primary
fights to twist arms and avoid divisive ballots contests. However,
Rendell has never been close to incumbent Lieutenant Governor
Catherine Baker Knoll (D), who was matched with him in the 2002
general election after she won a primary upset over Rendell's
preferred runningmate. Jump forward four years to 2006 and Rendell
is uncharacteristically silent about the energetic primary challenge
Knoll is facing from former Congressman Joe Hoeffel and one other.
Observers believe Rendell's silence is a clear sign he prefers
Hoeffel as a runningmate to the 76-year-old, gaffe-prone Knoll.
Montgomery County Commission Chair Jim Matthews -- brother of
MSNBC Hardball show host Chris Matthews -- is unopposed
for the GOP nomination to be Lynn Swann's Lt Gov runningmate.
Secretary
of State Ken Blackwell went on this air this week with commercials
attacking GOP primary rival Jim Petro for lacking integrity. Here's
the full script: 
PENNSYLVANIA.
The latest Rasmussen Reports poll shows US Senator Rick
Santorum (R) continues to lag far behind State Treasurer Bob Casey
Jr. (D). The numbers: Casey-52%, Santorum-36%. The gubernatorial
contest is much closer: Governor Ed Rendell (D) - 46%, retired
football player Lynn Swann (R) - 43%. 
IOWA.
Iowa Republicans have brokered a deal to avoid a costly
gubernatorial primary. Wealthy businessman Bob Vander Plaats (R)
is ending his campaign for Governor, according to the Cedar
Rapids Gazette. Instead, Vander Plaats will become conservative
Congressman Jim Nussle's runningmate for Lieutenant Governor.
State GOP leaders said a formal Nussle-Vander Plaats announcement
ceremony is being planned for Wednesday. The move will allow the
Republicans to unify early and conserve money for the fall. Secretary
of State Chet Culver, former State Economic Development Director
Mike Blouin and liberal State Representative Ed Fallon are the
leaders for the Democratic nomination. Fairfield City Councilwoman
Christy Welty (Libertarian), a frequent statewide candidate, also
entered the race this week.
independent
polls. Former State Treasurer Jim Hill (D) announced two weeks
ago he'd challenge Kulongoski in the primary. The liberal Hill
previously opposed Kulongoski in the open seat 2002 primary, but
finished third. However, the most significant development came
within the past few days when agribusinessman and State Senator
Ben Westlund announced he was quitting the Republican Party to
make an Independent run for Governor. Westlund espouses a fairly
libertarian philosophy -- pro-business, pro-gun rights, pro-gay
marriage -- so it is hard to tell how much his candidacy will
hurt the eventual Republican nominee. The two leading candidates
for the GOP nomination, State Senator Jason Atkinson and former
State GOP Chair Kevin Mannix, both come from the Religious Right
wing of the party. Oregon State University political scientist
Bill Lunch predicted to CQPolitics.com that Westlund will ultimately
draw around 23% of the vote -- numbers similar to those Ross Perot
attracted in the state in his '92 Presidential race. Portland
Oregonian editorial page editor Robert Caldwell agreed Westlund
would be a spoiler -- most likely drawing substantially more from
the Republican nominee -- but predicted Westlund would still only
finish in the single digits.
OHIO.
The latest Rasmussen Reports tracking poll shows Congressman
Ted Strickland (D) widening his lead in the open gubernatorial
contest. Strickland leads conservative Secretary of State Ken
Blackwell (R) by a vote of 47% to 35% -- widening the gap by 8-points
since last month. Strickland also leads centrist Attorney General
Jim Petro (R) by a vote of 44% to 37%. Retiring Governor Bob Taft
(R) -- with a dismal 16% approval rating and a reputation stained
by corruption allegations -- is apparently so disliked his mere
continuing presence on the political scene is hurting many high-profile
GOP candidates in the Buckeye State.
The
hottest race in the state is the CD-9 rematch between Congressman
Mike Sodrel (R) and former Congressman Baron Hill (D). It is the
third face-off between the two men: Hill narrowly won in 2002,
then Sodrel won in 2004 by a margin of just 0.5%. Sodrel and Hill
both face primary opposition, but should easily secure their respective
nominations. Current rating: Leans GOP. Two other races worth
watching are the CD-2 and CD-8 contests. In CD-2, Congressman
Chris Chocola (R) faces a likely rematch from attorney Joe Donnelly
(D) -- and we'd put this one in the "GOP Favored" column.
In CD-8, perpetual Dem target John Hotstettler (R) -- a traditionally
poor fundraiser -- looks to be facing the toughest challenge of
his career. Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth (D) is an
attractive candidate who is the raising the money he needs to
run a truly viable race, so place this one in the "Leans
GOP" category. Congresswoman Julia Carson (D) is facing a
crowded and colorful field of eight challengers -- including a
neo-nazi drifter named "Hippie Joe" (who formerly called
himself "Anti-Semitic Joe") and a convicted felon who
has worked as a female impersonator. A few of Carson's other challengers
are more credible, but she's still safe.
competitive
race for re-election, US Senator Jim Talent (R) has shifted his
position on the hot-button issue of stem-cell research. Speaking
on the Senate floor a few days ago, Talent withdraw his name as
co-sponsor of an anti-cloning bill that would outlaw a promising
form of embryonic stem-cell research. Talent said a new approach
called "altered nuclear transfer" can alter the genetic
material of an embryo to prevent it from developing into a human
being and create "an ethically untroubling way" of obtaining
embryonic stem-cell material for research. Pro-life groups --
which are very powerful in Missouri -- are outraged with Talent's
shift and vow revenge. Sam Lee, leader of the Campaign Life Missouri
lobbying group, told Reuters that pro-life activists "were
angry enough to skip voting for Talent in November." However,
with polling in Missouri running 2-to-1 in support of stem-cell
research -- and with the issue expected to be on the state's ballot
in a November referendum -- the move is a risky gamble for Talent.
By
contrast, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and Attorney General
Jim Petro are locked in a very competitive fight -- with Blackwell
holding a slim edge in the primary. The US Senate race will feature
incumbent Mike DeWine (R) versus Congressman Sherrod Brown (D),
although both face minor primary opposition. Several Congressional
races here are also worth watching. Congresswoman Jean Schmidt
faces a tough GOP primary challenge from former Congressman
Bob McEwen in CD-2. Abramoff scandal-linked Congressman Bob Ney
(R) can, at best, be rated just a slight favorite in his CD-18
contest. State Senator Jim Jordan (R) is the heavy favorite to
win the open CD-4 race. State Senator Charlie Wilson (D) and State
House Speaker Chuck Blasdel (R) are expected to face-off in a
close contest for the CD-6 open seat. Lorain Mayor Chuck Fortin
(R) jumped into the open CD-13 seat, requiring the Dems to make
a serious effort to hold this Dem seat. Former State Representative
Betty Sutton, former Congressman Tom Sawyer and shopping mall
heiress Capri Cafaro are the Dem leaders for the seat. Congresswoman
Deb Pryce (R) and Congressman Steve Chabot (R) face lively challenges,
but both are favored as of today.
CONNECTICUT.
Independent polls repeatedly convince us that Governor
Jodi Rell (R) can be moved into the "Safe GOP" column.
The latest example is the a Quinnipiac University poll showing
Rell destroying her Democratic rivals. Rell leads New Haven Mayor
John DeStefano (D) by a vote of 70% to 16%. Rell also trounces
Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy (D) by an equally lopsided 70% to 15%
vote. Of course, with Rell holding an 81% approval rating, these
numbers aren't surprising.
COLORADO.
Another day, another Congressional retirement. As had
been rumored for months, Congressman Joel Hefley (R) announced
he would not seek re-election this year. "I have received
a great deal of encouragement to run again and I appreciate that
support, but the timing seems right to move on to other opportunities,"
he explained. Hefley -- the former House Ethics Committee Chair
-- had grown frustrated in DC in recent years as he unsuccessfully
butted heads with former Majority Leader Tom DeLay over Hefley's
desire for tougher bipartisan handling of purported ethics lapses.
In response, the GOP leadership removed Hefley from the Ethics
Committee. "It's not that I didn't like the job or was anxious
to get out ... It's with a great deal of mixed feelings that I
do this," said Hefley. The CD-5 seat is heavily Republican,
so the real fight here will be in the likely-to-be-crowded GOP
primary.
VERMONT.
Democrats got some good news in the open Congressional
race this week. Republicans were buoyed by the announcement this
week that State Adjutant General Martha Rainville would enter
the contest. That good news was quashed by the Thursday announcement
by State Representative David Zuckerman (Progressive) that he
was exiting the race. "[Many of my supporters] fear that
a vote for someone outside the two-party system would result in
a Republican being elected to office. Many said they would rather
vote for their hope than their fears, but that in this race, at
this time, they could not," said Zuckerman, explaining his
decision as a personal sacrifice made to avert a possible GOP
victory. Zuckerman's exit keeps State Senate President Peter Welch
(D) as the frontrunner for the seat.
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