(Interesting analysis. - promoted by Rob "EaBo Clipper" Eno)
As the Patriot Ledger is reporting, more than 60 communities have moved their local election day to the day of the US Senate Special Election Primary Day.
The communities themselves do not necessarily favor one candidate over another, given that competitive local races will draw turnout higher in certain towns - and ballot questions like Prop 2 1/2 overrides can certainly marshal larger turnouts, but the list is interesting - and may not be complete yet.
This could be a way to bolster turnout in places where a candidate is particularly strong and for campaigns targeting ID and GOTV efforts, these towns may deserve extra attention.
Of note - 5 are in Mike Sullivan's stronghold of Plymouth County (although Hingham and Scituate are closer to Gomez' hometown of Cohasset than Mike's in Abington), 4 of the 5 towns in Dan Winslow's rep district are included and other than Brookline, none seem to pose a significant benefit to either Markey or Lynch on the Democratic side.
Towns have until March 26th to make the change, so for those campaigns that have not used this to help their chances, it is time to call those friendly elected officials and suggest a money saver for the town.
Republican Sean Bielat announced Wednesday that after mulling for less than a week, he will not join in the special election to replace Secretary of State John Kerry in the U.S. Senate.
The two-time congressional candidate said in an email to supporters that his candidacy never left the exploratory phase, although he recently filed papers with the Federal Election Commission as well as an official statement of candidacy for the Senate seat.
"The numbers looked pretty good and the fundraising went well so I think we could have mounted strong campaign but now is just not the right time for us," Bielat said. "After spending some time thinking it through with Hope, we decided running another campaign just wasn't a good fit for our family right now, given the age of our one and two year old children and their needs."
The Framingham Patch is reporting that the Republican Party will have another candidate for the April 30th primary for the US Senate special election. John Fetherston, former Chair of the Ashland Board of Selectmen and State Representative candidate, is planning to announce his candidacy today at 5pm. http://framingham.patch.com/ar...
The field is potentially a crowded one, but with Dan Winslow the only candidate with anything approaching name recognition and his limited at that, it appears that the first real race will be to see how many are actually able to qualify for the ballot by collect enough signatures in the next 20 days.
Special elections provide us the opportunity to campaign for a seat with, usually, little else in terms of elections on the calendar. This is exciting.
Special elections also impose a cost on the communities which have to run them. Personnel, space, machines, mailings, etc. all come with a cost to the community, costs which are not budgeted and can mean that something else has to be cut to cover the expense of running the election.
So I have a proposal, require the departing elected official to contribute the balance of their campaign account to the affected communities to defray the cost of the election that they caused. Marty Walz and Jack Hart both knew that they were running for re-election for a two year term and now, less than a month into their 24 month terms they have decided to leave office for a private sector job. Both have decent balances in their campaign accounts, Marty with over $100K and Jack over $25K, so let's have them help out with the costs. While the details would need to be ironed out, it is very simple, they knew what they were signing up for when they were elected, they decided to leave office, they should contribute their campaign account balance to cover the cost of the election resulting from their decision. The voters and taxpayers should not have to pay!
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JAN. 10, 2011....Rep. Vincent Pedone on Tuesday deferred to his colleagues over whether there should be a special election to fill the Worcester House seat he's vacating, while Rep. William Brownsberger said he was prepared to respond to his constituents from the Senate if his seat goes unfilled in 2012.
Following concerns raised by Secretary of State William Galvin about the cost and practicality of holding special elections this spring to fill both House positions, House Speaker Robert DeLeo said Monday he is leaning against calling for special elections, a plan that would leave over 82,000 residents without representation for the next year.
"This is a decision for the members of the House and no one else. I know there are some challenges and the House members will determine whether a special is warranted," Pedone told the News Service on Tuesday.
Pedone said he plans to resign from the House on Friday, Jan. 20 in order to start his new job as the executive officer of the Council of Presidents of the Massachusetts State University System the following Monday.
Yesterday, we learned that Secretary of State William F. Galvin believes that approximately 45,00 residents of Worcester should go without representation for close to a year. According to Galvin, this should happen because holding a special election in old districts, after new districts have been drawn could prove difficult.
Precedence, even in a Presidential election year, is not on the Secretary of State's side. According to the 1992 Public Document 43 of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, there were three seats filled via special election, in 1992. Four of those six elections happened, on or after, the date of the Presidential Primary election of that year. The primary was held on March 10, 1992.
The Second Worcester and Middlesex Senate district was filled by a special election held on March 10, 1992. The seat was won by Robert Antononi (D-Leominster). The special primary was held on February 11, 1992.
The First Bristol District was filled by a special election held on April 7, 1992. The seat was won by Barbara Hyland (R-Foxboro). The special primary was held on March 10, 1992.
The Third Hampshire District was filled by a special election on March 17, 1992. The seat was won by Ellen Story (D-Amherst). The special primary was held on February, 18, 1992.
If in 1992 cities and towns across the Commonwealth were able to hold special elections for old districts, even after redistricting. In addition they were even able to figure out holding them on the same day as Presidential elections which used new precinct lines, as the First Bristol district only included portions of multiple towns.
Secretary Galvin's contention that Worcester residents should be denied representation, due to the difficulty of holding an election, is an affront to the basic ideals of our representative government. To compound matters, 45,000 residents of Belmont, Cambridge, and Arlington will find themselves in a similar situation, as their representative, William Brownsberger, is the only candidate who made the ballot for the January 10, 2012 special election to fill Steven Tolman's seat. Galvin owes the people of both districts a better explanation as to why he thinks convenience trumps their basic right to representation.
"We owe Justice Prosser our gratitude for his more than 30 years of public service. Wisconsin voters have spoken and I am grateful for, and humbled by, their confidence and trust. I will be independent and impartial and I will decide cases based on the facts and the law. As I have traveled the State, people tell me they believe partisan politics do not belong in our Courts. I look forward to bringing new blood to the Supreme Court and focusing my energy on the important work Wisconsin residents elect Supreme Court justices to do."
Yet, it seems that Kloppenburg may have been a little hasty in her proclamation of victor as a reporting error identified on Wednesday and reported on Thursday had a significant, some might say seismic, impact on the race.
Many pundits have noted the conservative apathy regarding the Wisconsin judicial election. I have also noticed the apathy and feel a little ashamed that I didn't do more to help. Despite being a superior candidate, Judge Prosser finds himself an underdog to an activist, ideological retread who possesses little respect for the rule of law and even less respect for common decency. There is little to write that hasn't already been written.
This is just a reminder that the election is tomorrow and that it is important for all Americans. A victory for the Left could validate the abusive tactics used in Madison, and those tactics will spread. It will inspire the recall elections in Wisconsin and lay the groundwork for 2012. The media may use the election to mark the death knell of union reform measures everywhere, and, of course, they will gleefully report on the demise of the Tea Party. Soft Republicans and moderates may abandon the issue of union reform in states like New Hampshire and Maine.
On a side note, the Left is unscrupulously using a priest pedophile case to smear Prosser. It's been despicable, and reminiscent of the Scott Brown rape victim ads:
Here is the response from the victim:
It's a little too late now, but if you know anyone with any kind of connections to Wisconsin, please reach out and help push Judge Prosser over the finish line. I'll let the man speak for himself. READ AND WATCH!
This should really go under my 'Letters to the Editor" post, but thought it deserves more attention:
From the Danvers Herald. The endorsement isn't long so here goes:
Partisan bickering is a cornerstone of Washington politics. At no time has that been more obvious than under the current administration. Republicans have been kept out of legislative meeting regarding the largest bills in American history. Some may argue that this was also the case under the former administration, and while that may be true, I would like to offer a solution.
While I would prefer that a third party (and even a fourth or fifth!) would emerge and break the "us versus them" mentality in Washington, it is obvious to me that Massachusetts needs a bi-partisan delegation in Washington. Twelve other States have one Republican and one Democrat, so let's become the thirteenth and elect Scott Brown to the United States Senate on January 19th.
In 1776, thirteen colonies issued a declaration that changed the way government operated. In 2010, Massachusetts should do the same.
3. Say it ain't so! As race gets tighter Republican Scott Brown's veering to the left.
We really want to like Scott Brown. But he's making it difficult. Like John McCain, Brown's best asset is the fact that he's running against the worst Democrat ever.
As this race gets tighter Brown seems to be succumbing to the idea that you'll pick up even more votes if you just move more to the left. Become a moderate and more people will like you!
Of course, it helps that most Massachusetts conservatives -- unlike the Left -- are not very principled and will easily support "the lesser of two evils" rather than demand any kind of ideological fortitude.
They recognize that Coakley "would probably be the most left-wing, anti-family member of Congress in Massachusetts history", but it looks like they are wary enough of Brown that they might not bother to vote on a cold January day.
How could he say same-sex marriage is settled law? It is precisely the issue the next senator is going to be dealing with before Obama's term ends. I can understand not making it his primary issue, but he is in danger of losing a big part of his motivated base by going soft on marriage. All the moonbats that are insistent on same-sex marriage are solidly in Coakley's column, they can't be swayed to a Republican who said lesbians raising children is "not normal" just because now he is claiming to be moderate who wouldn't stop same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. I predict low turnout by unsatisfied social conservatives, unimpressed by pickup trucks, war, and steaks, and Coakley romping because she constantly reassures her base that she is just as radical and anti-family as it's possible to be. The good news is that we would be able to cite Brown's abandonment of traditional marriage supporters as the cause.
Good thing I didn't buy "writeinjohnhowardforsenate2010".
Be patient as their server is probable buried right now with this astonishing news regarding the new NY23rd Dem breaking 4 major campaign promises within an hour of going through the door in DC.
This the new Chicago style cheat till you win politics. To hell with any thing like ethics as bully and Chicago thug Rohm Emanuel would say.
In the absence of the article which you'll see eventually, basically Owens ran as a so called "conservative democrat" or at least that's the impression the poor voters were given based on his campaign promises and commitments. Well guess what folks? As soon as he gets to Pelosiville in Obongoland Presto! off come the conservative sheeps clothing and out pops.....??? Yes folks ! you guessed it! A FLAMING LIBERAL !!! YES!! a flamer!!
The people of NY have been HAD ..Big time!
Whats even more nauseating is Pelosi flapping her brain dead cakehole bragging that the people of a Republican NY district have elected a Democrat! The reality is that the people of NY have been duped by a party that will LIE, CHEAT, STUFF THE BALLOT BOX and RE-COUNT TILL YA WIN to steal power from the American people.
2010 can't come fast enough to get rid of these scumbags.
A representative of Congressman Stephen Lynch took out nomination papers today at the Massachusetts secretary of state's office to run in the special election for the US Senate seat left vacant by the death of long-time Senator Edward M. Kennedy, an office spokesman said this morning.
If Lynch runs, he will be joining Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, who officially announced Thursday that she will vie for the office held by Kennedy for 47 years.
The results are in, and with 100% of precincts reporting, the Democrat leads by 65 votes out of 154,623 votes cast (so far).
Looks like there will definately be a re-count. There are over 6,000 absentee ballots, and "Absentee ballots and emergency paper ballots in the 20th Congressional District special election have been impounded under a court order"
Tomorrow (Tuesday) there will be one last phonebank for Jim Tedisco at the MassGOP HQ (85 Merrimac St.) from 4pm-7pm. Jim Tedisco is in a dead heat with Democrat Scott Murphy and needs every call he can get. Since Tuesday is election day, we will be calling voters to get those who have not yet voted to get to the poles and vote. Refreshments will be provided.
Lets end Washington's liberal streak and help get Jim Tedisco elected!
If you have questions please feel free to send them to karl@rebuildtheparty.com
Phone Banking from 12-5pm - promoted by garrett3000)
This Saturday there will be a phonebank at the MassGOP headquarters on 85 Merrimac St. for congressional candidate Jim Tedisco. Jim Tedisco is a Republican running in a special election in New York's 20th congressional district. He is in a close race and needs all the help he can get.
If you have any questions please feel free to email me at karl@rebuildtheparty.com
Last night David Trumbull (R-Boston) announced his plans to run for the Third Suffolk Representative seat recently vacated by Sal Dimasi. David is a resident of the North End and a tireless Republican activist. In my conversations with David over the years, I have always considered him a brilliant and articulate mind.
Tonight I received a message from David outlining his next steps. That email is shown below.
The trip Rob Willington and I took to NY20 this past weekend is making news. The Daily Gazette of Schenectady, NY has the story.
Red Mass Group, which two years ago launched a Web site promoting Republican candidates in Massachusetts, is stepping out of its state borders for the first time to push Tedisco.
The group's owner, Rob Eno of East Boston, drove to a Tedisco campaign stop in Rensselaer County Saturday and recorded two videos of the assemblyman for his Web site.
The article also quotes video from Rob Wilington. The article further talks about our hopeful efforts to have members of this website go out to NY20 in March to help Jim. This race is winnable and we should do all we can to help. If you've not seen the videos, I've put them after the jump again. The first thing you can do is click on the graphic in the upper right of this web-page and give $20 for NY20.
Here's the video package from today's trip out to the 20th Congressional District of New York. Thanks to Rob Willington from Rebuild the Party for keeping me company on the trip. Thank you to our donors who made this video possible. I look forward to making more videos like this for you. Please feel free to embed this video on your blog, especially if it's national in focus. Oh and remember to Give $20 for NY20!
Jim Tedisco wants your help Massachusetts. Let's help him. The first thing you can do is look to the right hand side of this blog. Then you should click on the I (GOP) NY20 ad, and donate $20 for NY20. Let's get this ball rolling!
