Redistricting - Early results favor Dems in IL & CA
Jun 13, 2011
In the wake of the 2010 elections, many observers believed that Republicans would have the upper hand in the upcoming Congressional redistricting process and use it to build on their already sizable majority in the House of Representatives. Following the Republican wave of 2010, Republicans enjoyed control of both the Governorship and legislature in 20 states. The Democrats controlled only 11 states and 18 states were split.
However, as the minutiae of the redistricting process begin to play out, this does not seem to be the case. Two factors are largely responsible. First, Republicans won so many seats in 2010 that there are few left for them to win through redistricting, and second, the changing demographics of the U.S. population simply favor the Democrats. Most places where news seats are being added will tend to elect Democrats while the populations of Republican parts of the country are shrinking.
Two states in the midst of their redistricting processes demonstrate that Democrats are actually gaining seats – Illinois and California.
House Election Results
Nov 03, 2010
Thank you for all your support of Council-endorsed candidates. The results of these elections are listed below.
The Big Picture:
8 Wins
19 Losses
1 Undecided
Candidates endorsed by Council for a Livable World in italics.
Winners are in bold.
Note: These percentages may still be adjusted by late-counted votes and absentee votes.
Arizona 07 – Race too close to callRep. Raul Grijalva (D) – 48.6%
Ruth McClung (R) – 45.8%
California 44
Bill Hedrick (D) – 42%
Rep. Ken Calvert (R) – 58%
California 45
Steve Pougnet (D) – 41%
Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R) – 52%
Colorado 04
Rep. Betsy Markey (D) – 41%
Cory Gardner (R) – 53%
Connecticut 04
Rep. Jim Himes (D) – 50%
Dan Debicella (R) – 49%
2 Late Breaking Races
Oct 21, 2010
Two pro-arms control candidates have emerged victorious in primary elections held late in the year. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) and Cedric Richmond (D-LA) are both well-positioned to defeat their Republican opponents, but first they had to get through contentious and expensive primaries. Last minute donations can help them build on their success and go on to victory in November.
Click here to make valuable contributions in these late breaking races.
Ann McLane Kuster is a community activist running to fill the House seat left open by Rep. Paul Hodes (D) as he runs for Senate. Kuster has spent years working tirelessly to advocate for public access to healthcare and higher education. She has also toiled hard to promote peace and human rights. She vocally opposed the Iraq war before it began. She publicly disagreed with President Obama’s decision to escalate the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan.
Kuster’s opponent is former Rep. Charles Bass. Bass represented this district for five terms until he was defeated by Hodes in 2006. Over his many years in office, Bass earned a 23% on the Council for a Livable World voting record. Polls show the race between Bass and Kuster to be neck and neck.
Click here to send Ann McLane Kuster to Congress.
Cedric Richmond has represented New Orleans in the Louisiana House of Representatives since 2000. Now he is running for the U.S. Congress in the 2nd Congressional District. Richmond is a progressive who supports the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
Richmond’s opponent is Republican Rep. Joe Cao. Cao was elected in 2008 under a unique set of circumstances. The Democratic incumbent in that election was Rep. William Jefferson, who was under indictment for corruption at the time and has since been convicted. In addition, the devastation from Hurricane Gustav caused the election to be delayed until December. Between the unusual timing and the effects of the storm, turnout was particularly low. Even so, Cao only narrowly defeated Jefferson, 50-47%.
This race is considered a top Democratic pick-up opportunity, but the late contested primary election makes the race competitive. Richmond only emerged as the candidate on August 28th, with a severely depleted war chest. Late contributions will be key to getting him over the finish line.
Click here to help Richmond defeat Cao in this Democratic district.
We can turn back the Tea Party Tide!
Oct 21, 2010
On Monday the Tea Party Express, joined by Sarah Palin, began a nationwide tour to press their radical agenda. First stop: Nevada, where they have targeted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
That radical movement has dominated the Republican primaries.
Tea Party candidates are determined to turn the country back to the “good old days” – days before Social Security was created to protect our senior citizens, unemployment insurance helped those out of work, corporations could pollute the environment with impunity and maintain lax safety standards, and bank failures caused millions of Americans to lose their savings.
Tea Party candidates such as Sharron Angle in Nevada, Rand Paul in Kentucky, Ken Buck in Colorado and Christine O’Donnell in Delaware object to the reforms implemented over the last 70 years that protect ordinary Americans. They argue these improvements are unconstitutional.
Senator Harry Reid in Nevada, Jack Conway in Kentucky, Senator Michael Bennet in Colorado and Chris Coons in Delaware, all Democrats, are working hard to keep the Tea Party extremists out of the U.S. Senate, but they need your help in the last two weeks of the campaign.
Council's 2010 Elections Contest is Now Open!
Oct 19, 2010
Polls today show Republicans poised to make major gains in the House and Senate elections, perhaps capturing one or both chambers. Republicans claim that their polls show more and more vulnerable House Democrats while Democrats assert that their base is coming home and a number of Senate and House elections are looking better.
Will the Republicans sweep the Senate and House of Representatives as predicted by some political pundits? Will public disenchantment with incumbents in general instead cause upsets for both parties?
Here’s your chance to make your best guess – and win some money and notoriety while you do it.
This year, we want you to predict who will win the House and Senate as well as a number of the hottest, most-contested, most-watched congressional and gubernatorial races across the country.
So, here’s your chance to cast your best guess as to what will happen on Nov. 2 (and, win $100). Enter now!
Send this contest to your friends, colleagues and fellow political pundits (even though we know you probably don’t want the added competition). This year’s races are too interesting and too contested to sit on the sidelines.
2 Dead Heats in Washington State
Oct 15, 2010
With just a few weeks left in the campaign, recent polling shows two Council backed candidates in Washington State in races that are too close to call. Both these candidates are strong supporters of progressive foreign policies and the vision of a nuclear weapons free world. These races will be decided in the final days, and your contributions can make a huge difference.
4 House Races We Can Win
Sep 29, 2010
The struggle over control of the House of Representatives in the November elections will be close.
While many Democrats are in trouble, there are four Democrats below who can win but need your help before the fundraising deadline at midnight September 30.
We urge you to support these progressive candidates today before this crucial fundraising deadline.
John Carney is running in an open seat race in Delaware. He has served the state for more than twenty years as Lt. Governor, Secretary of Finance and Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Tom Carper, and as a staffer to Sen. Joe Biden. He is widely known and respected in the small world of Delaware politics. This is the top Democratic opportunity to pick up a Republican seat in the country.
Steve Pougnet is running for Congress against Rep. Mary Bono Mack in California’s 45th Congressional District. He is a supporter of progressive foreign policies who opposed the war in Iraq and favors bringing all U.S. troops home immediately.
Bryan Lentz is running for the seat in Pennsylvania that is now held by Rep. Joe Sestak, who is running for Senate. Lentz knows from his time in the military that true security comes from diplomacy rather than high-priced weapons systems. He supports a negotiated solution to the stand-off over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and opposed the Bush administration doctrine of preemptive attack on other nations.
Manan Trivedi is a physician and the son of Indian immigrants also running in Pennsylvania – one of this year’s battleground states. From 2001 to 2003, Trivedi served as a battalion surgeon in the Marine Corps. His battalion was among the first U.S. ground forces to enter Iraq. Trivedi served on the front lines of battle, commanding a medical team that cared for over 1,200 troops and hundreds of Iraqi civilians and earning multiple decorations. He is running against incumbent Rep. Jim Gerlach.
Please contribute in these critical House contests.
All four of these candidates are running strong campaigns and polls show they can defeat their right-wing opponents. Tomorrow is a crucial fundraising deadline, the last opportunity to demonstrate the strength of their campaigns to political donors and pundits.
We urge you to make a generous donation to help prove that they can win.
Republicans Release List of House Targets
Aug 25, 2010
It's a target. Get it?
Republicans released a list of 41 House races where they will reserve television time for campaign commercials. House Minority Leader John Boehner (OH) subsequently promised that the NRCC will spend $50 million on the effort. REaders of my last post will quickly point out that this is far more the the $22 million the NRCC has in the bank. However, if the NRCC keeps fundraising at its current pace ($8.5 million in July) and takes out a line of credit, as it has in past elections, this figure may be within its grasp.
Complete list of targeted races after the jump.
Party Committees Release Fundraising Figures
Aug 25, 2010
Money Makes the World Go 'Round
The independent Republican and Democratic party committees released their July fund-raising numbers last week. This money will be used to help elect their candidates, primarily on television ads not coordinated with the individual campaigns. Here are their current cash-on-hand totals:
House
DCCC - $35,807,987
NRCC - $22,092,381
Senate
DSCC - $22,500,000
NRSC - $21,200,000
DNC - $10,855,684
RNC - $5,297,047
Dem. Total - $69,163,671
Rep. Total - $48,589,428
Money, it appears, is the one place where Democrats still enjoy an advantage over Republicans this cycle.
A Winner in Washington State
Aug 18, 2010
Last night, Suzan DelBene won the Democratic nomination in Washington State’s 8th Congressional District. Now, she needs your support to defeat Republican Rep. Dave Reichert in November. DelBene is strong supporter of progressive foreign policies, whereas Reichert has earned a 14% on the PeacePAC voting record over his three terms in office.
Contribute now to support Suzan DelBene in Washington State.
Council for a Livable World has endorsed Suzan DelBene for Congress because she is a quality candidate that can be elected the next Representative of the 8th Congressional District. This progressive Democrat supports President Obama’s vision of a nuclear weapons free world. She also opposed the invasion of Iraq and supports vigorous pursuit of a negotiated solution to the diplomatic stand-off with Iran.
DelBene faces a tough general election against Reichert, who had $1 million in his campaign account as of July. With your support, DelBene can run a competitive campaign and have a real chance to win this Congressional District seat for Democrats.
Reichert has served three terms, but this district has been growing steadily more Democratic. In 2000, just 33% of the state legislative seats in this district were held by Democrats. Today Democrats represent 70% of the legislative seats there. This trend puts DelBene in a strong position to defeat Congressman Reichert.
Remember that 100% of your contributions to candidates go directly to their campaigns; Council for a Livable world does not take a penny.
