State News Shot

SC: Republican AG Candidate Gets Newspaper Endorsement

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 October 2010 01:26 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 28 October 2010 01:26

From GreenvilleOnline.com:

Of the two major-party candidates running to replace Henry McMaster as the attorney general of South Carolina, Alan Wilson brings the most prosecutorial experience and solid leadership qualities to this race. Wilson had to win a tough Republican primary to earn the right to face Democrat Matthew Richardson. A third-party candidate also is in this race.

Wilson and Richardson fall short of the impressive credentials of the current office holder. Henry McMaster had been a successful U.S. attorney for South Carolina who proved his mettle early on in some corruption cases, and the attorney general before McMaster, Charlie Condon, had been a respected solicitor who represented Charleston and Berkeley counties.

While a bit more seasoning certainly would have been preferred, each candidate meets what voters should consider minimum requirements for the job. Although based in Columbia, Richardson is an attorney with the Greenville-based Wyche firm. He’s smart, has handled complex legal cases, and has a good understanding of the office he is seeking. He also has a legal pedigree that comes from being the grandson of the legendary Bubba Ness of Bamberg, an exceptionally tough judge who served as chief justice of the S.C. Supreme Court before retiring and returning to private practice.

Wilson has fewer years as an attorney under his belt — about seven compared to Richardson’s 12 years experience. And Wilson has his own political pedigree, that of being the son of Rep. Joe Wilson of the 2nd Congressional District.

Read the Rest…

OK: Republicans Lead Lt. Governor and Attorney General Races

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 October 2010 01:24 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 28 October 2010 01:23

From Tulsa World:

There, the incumbent one-term Democrat, Kim Holland, has a lead over the Republican nominee, John Doak, of 43 percent to 41 percent – within the poll’s margin of error.

Holland is the senior statewide officer on the ballot, having been appointed to the office in 2005 after the resignation of Carroll Fisher.

With the retirements of Attorney General Drew Edmondson and State Superintendent Sandy Garrett, the decision by Treasurer Scott Meacham not to seek another term and the choice by Lt. Gov. Jari Askins to run for governor, the only other elected incumbent on Tuesday’s statewide ballot is Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields, a surprise winner in 2006.

Fields, a Democrat, trails Mark Costello, an Oklahoma City businessman, 46 percent to 33 percent in the latest Oklahoma Poll survey conducted Oct. 18-23.

Costello, who has put more than $480,000 of his own money into the race, has a huge funding advantage over Fields, but money does not appear to necessarily be the deciding factor in the races.

Read the Rest…

GA: Republican Leads Latest AG Poll

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 October 2010 12:51 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 28 October 2010 12:51

From LegalNewsLine:

With five days left until Tuesday’s general election, Georgia’s Republican attorney general candidate Sam Olens looks likely to defeat his Democratic opponent, according to the newest poll results.

According to a SurveyUSA poll of all statewide races on Monday, Olens leads his rival and former prosecutor Ken Hodges by 13 points in the open-seat fight.

The survey found Olens, the former Cobb County Commission chairman, with exactly 50 percent of the vote and Hodges with 37 percent.

Meanwhile, Libertarian candidate Don Smart was found taking 7 percent of the vote overall, 26 percent among independents and 18 percent among liberals.

Read the Rest…

MI: GOP Has Shot at State House

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 October 2010 12:10 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 28 October 2010 12:10

From Freep.com:

Prognosticators thought the chances were remote a year ago, but there’s now a real possibility that a GOP election swing Tuesday could leave Michigan Republicans controlling both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s office.

The toughest hurdle for Republicans is the state House, where Democrats hold a 64-42 advantage with four seats currently unfilled.
In the final days before the election, Democrats have the big money edge — $1.3 million to $206,000, based on recent campaign finance reports.

Democrats took a big advantage in the House in the 2008 election, when Barack Obama led Democrats on a butt-kicking in races from Congress to the Legislature to local offices.

Read the Rest…

LA: Democrat Lt. Governor Switches Parties

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 October 2010 12:02 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 28 October 2010 12:02

From nola.com:

Lt. Gov. Scott Angelle said Tuesday that he has changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican because of his dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama and the administration’s recent actions on oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Angelle, who has served as Gov. Bobby Jindal’s Department of Natural Resources secretary and chief liaison to the Legislature, said he grew disenchanted with the Democratic Party’s philosophy of dealing with energy matters, especially the moratorium on drilling that followed the Deepwater Horizon explosion that claimed 11 lives and spilled millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf and sensitive coastal estuaries.

Read the Rest…

Republicans Poised to win Redistricting Supremacy

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 October 2010 09:02 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 28 October 2010 09:02

From the Associated Press:

The Republicans’ expected gains next week go way beyond Congress. The GOP could capture new Senate or House majorities in a dozen to 18 states — along with critical new power to redraw district maps and influence elections for a decade to come.

Three of the biggest prizes are New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. All three states are expected to lose seats in Congress as a result of the 2010 census, and that’s sure to ignite boundary fights. A party’s congressman on the wrong end of redistricting can find the district he’s represented for years no longer exists.

Democrats have hopes, too. They aim to take away state Senate control in Michigan and Kentucky and the House in Texas and Tennessee. Texas would be a particular victory, since it seems likely to have four more seats to divvy up under the new census. But none of the analysts contacted by The Associated Press predicted the Democrats would succeed in any of those states.

Both houses in Florida, a state that’s expected to gain two seats in Congress, are likely to remain under GOP control.

Read the Rest…

Nike Chairman Supports Republicans in Oregon

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 October 2010 01:13 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 27 October 2010 01:13

From Oregonlive.com:

Johnson is running against freshman Rep. Suzanne VanOrman, D-Hood River. Brewer is running against Democrat Katie Riley for an open seat in Washington County that has been Democratic and Parrish is seeking to hold an open seat for the Republicans in a race against Democrat Will Rasmussen.

Knight clearly has issues with the Democratic leadership of the Legislature. He gave $100,000 to the unsuccessful campaign to overturn the legislatively approved tax hikes on businesses and high-income individuals.

Just as importantly, he’s given $200,000 to Republican Chris Dudley for his campaign for governor. So he’s certainly looking for a change in Salem.

Read the Rest…

IN: Governor’s PAC puts $1 Million into State House Races

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 October 2010 01:12 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 27 October 2010 01:12

From JConline.com:

The governor’s political action committee, Aiming Higher, has spent nearly $1 million so far to deliver control of the Indiana House of Representatives to Republicans, with more likely to be spent before voters go to the polls on Tuesday.

While the money is spread among 27 House candidates and one Senate candidate, about 40 percent is devoted to two candidates: Kyle Hupfer, Daniels’ former head of the Department of Natural Resources who is trying to unseat Democrat incumbent Scott Reske in a Madison County district, and Bob Heaton, an insurance agent running for an open seat in a Vigo County district.

Daniels’ PAC has given Hupfer more than $199,000, including more than $167,000 since Oct. 9. Heaton – running against Democrat Bionca Gambill, a Terre Haute nurse and township trustee, for the seat being vacated by Democrat Rep. Vern Tincher – has received more than $185,000 from Aiming Higher.

Read the Rest…

CO: Republican Incumbent Leads AG Race

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 October 2010 12:59 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 27 October 2010 12:59

From 9news.com:

Incumbent John Suthers (R-Colorado) leads his challenger, Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett (D-Colorado), 47-36 percent with 17 percent not yet focused on the contest. In the Treasurer’s race, challenger Walker Stapleton (R-Colorado) is ahead of incumbent Cary Kennedy (D-Colorado), 42-39 percent with 20 percent undecided. The candidates seeking to become the next Secretary of State are very close according to the poll with challenger Scott Gessler (R-Colorado) receiving 37 percent and incumbent Bernie Buescher (D-Colorado) earning 33 percent. The Constitution Party candidate Amanda Campbell has 11 percent support and 18 percent haven’t focused on the race yet.

In all of those races, a larger number of independent voters are saying they support Republican candidates instead of Democratic ones.

Read the Rest…

IN: Republican Leads Secretary of State Race

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 October 2010 01:37 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 27 October 2010 12:52

From WFIE.com:

A poll released Tuesday by WISH-TV in Indianapolis shows 47 percent favoring White over Democrat Vop Osili, who has 31 percent.

Libertarian Mike Wherry has 6 percent.

Democrats say White committed voter fraud in the May primary by using his ex-wife’s home as his address when he didn’t live there.

White says it was an innocent mistake.

Read the Rest…

« Older Entries

Newer Entries »