Archive for the ‘Lieutenant Governor News’ Category

Some would say the current system works. The process is political by nature – you can’t take politics out of it.

One of the more egregious examples of circumventing the democratic process is the decennial practice of gerrymandering undertaken by the party in power in the Virginia General Assembly.Every 10 years, the majority party carefully carves out legislative districts to give itself optimum partisan advantage in subsequent elections. Party leaders shamelessly draw district lines to protect their own interests and diminish the electoral chances of the opposition party.

Democrats did it for decades. In what was essentially a one-party state for the better part of a century, Democrats routinely shaped districts to protect the status quo.

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A closer read of campaign reports shows that the Lone Star State won’t be flipping to the blue team anytime soon. Texas Republicans continue to have a deep bench, though statewide domination of all major offices can’t hold up for ever. Texas Democrats have a long way to go, and are going to need more than a couple hundred thousand dollars from the DNC to even scratch the surface of the state’s GOP strength.

AUSTIN (AP) – More than $41 million flowed through the Texas political system in 2007, according to fundraising reports.A Houston Chronicle analysis of reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission found that Houston home builder Bob Perry topped the list of individual donors in Texas.

He gave more than 1 million dollars to Texas candidates and political action committees last year, mostly on the Republican side.

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There is a special election to fill a vacant state representative seat in Hampton on Feb. 5. Why should Exeter area residents care?

For one reason, it will help return some political focus from the presidential race to state issues. Democrat Richard Goodman faces Republican Christopher Nevins in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Democrat Jane Kelley.

Democrats control the gubernatorial post, Executive Council, Senate and House of Representatives, having cleaned up in the November 2006 elections. They also won two area special elections since. Don Petterson beat Richard Calantonio Jr. last fall in Brentwood and party mate Jim Webber of Kensington defeated Seabrook’s Frank Palazzo before that.

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Now that’s what we call Party building!

Gov. Matt Blunt can fill the coffers of the state Republican Party with the $1.9 million remaining in his campaign war chest or dole out donations to GOP candidates across Missouri.Missouri’s campaign finance laws restrict Blunt to the same contribution limits faced by citizens, corporations and political action committees.

But he can give unlimited amounts of stockpiled cash to his party, political action committees or legislative caucus committees, which help finance GOP candidates seeking seats in the General Assembly, said Joe Carroll, spokesman for the Missouri Ethics Commission.

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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Rod Blagojevich is rebuilding his prolific fundraising machine, but close in his rearview mirror are several prominent Democrats who could be considering a run for his seat in 2010.

Blagojevich raised a little more than $2 million in the last half of 2007 and had about $2 million in his war chest at the end of the year, according to new campaign finance reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections. Blagojevich emptied his coffers by spending $16 million to beat Republican Judy Baar Topinka in 2006.

It’s too early to say the governor will run for a third term, but his campaign is pleased considering that Blagojevich didn’t focus much on fundraising in 2007, Blagojevich campaign spokesman Doug Scofield said Wednesday.

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