State News Shot

Iowa Republican AG Candidate Campaigns with Virginia Attorney General

Last Updated on Wednesday, 6 October 2010 10:13 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 30 September 2010 01:08

From IowaPolitics.com:

Brenna Findley, candidate for Iowa Attorney General, will have some powerful backup as she shares her vision for how to get Iowa back on track.Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s Attorney General, will be campaigning in Iowa on Monday, October 4, to elect fellow Republican Brenna Findley. AG Cuccinelli became nationally known when he was the first Attorney General to file suit against the unconstitutional mandate by Congress that would force Americans to buy government approved health insurance or face IRS penalty.

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CO: Campaign Finance Complaint Filed against Democrat Secretary of State

Last Updated on Wednesday, 6 October 2010 10:13 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 30 September 2010 12:48

From AuroraSentinel.com:

A Republican activist filed a complaint against Secretary of State Bernie Buescher, claiming the Democrat broke the law by using state workers to coordinate his campaign for re-election.

The complaint, received by the secretary of state’s office Wednesday, said Buescher used his executive assistant, Heidi Hamilton, on state time for to help manage campaign appearances. Buescher’s calendar shows a meeting April 20 between Faye Diamond, a partner for RBI Strategies & Research, Buescher, Hamilton, and campaign committee member Eleni Albrechta. Denver attorney Robert McGuire, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Nickelette Bingham-Gullette, said Buescher ordered Hamilton to attend.

“It’s an illegal contribution for a candidate to use state time and office resources,” McGuire said.

All campaign finance complaints must be filed with the secretary of state’s office. Buescher’s spokesman, Rich Coolidge, said the complaint was forwarded to the Attorney General John Suthers, who will investigate and determine whether he will represent Buescher or advise him to get another lawyer. An administrative law judge must hold a hearing in 15 days unless Buescher requests an extension.

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Mass. Republican AG Candidate Starts Campaign

Last Updated on Wednesday, 6 October 2010 10:14 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 30 September 2010 12:29

From Boston Globe:

McKenna, 49, became only the second politician since the 1970s to qualify for the general election ballot as a statewide write-in candidate, after he received more than 10,000 votes in the Septem ber primary.

“It is time to restore trust in our government,’’ the former prosecutor said at the state Republican Party’s headquarters in Boston. “The Beacon Hill boys and girls club is a free-for-all of waste, fraud, and corruption, where holier-than-thou attitudes prevail and the special interests run the show.

“I’ve listened to the people, and they say, ‘No more,’ and I agree.’’

McKenna accused Coakley of “sitting idly by’’ instead of aggressively prosecuting political corruption.

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KS: Former KBI Director Leads Republican AG Candidate’s Campaign

Last Updated on Wednesday, 6 October 2010 10:14 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 30 September 2010 12:16

From 27KSNT.com:

The former director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation will serve as a co-chairman of the campaign to elect Derek Schmidt attorney general of Kansas.

Larry Welch, who served nearly 13 years as KBI director, today endorsed Schmidt at a news conference in the Statehouse. Welch will serve as one of four statewide co-chairs of Schmidt’s campaign. The other three co-chairs have not yet been announced.

Welch was first appointed KBI director by former Attorney General Bob Stephan, July 1, 1994, and served as KBI director under four attorneys general from 1994 until his retirement June 1, 2007. Previously he served the FBI as special agent and supervisor, 1961-1986, and the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center as associate director and director, 1986-1994.

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AR: State GOP Sues over use of Vehicles

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 September 2010 12:50 Written by rslcpol Thursday, 30 September 2010 11:50

From Times Record Online:

As promised, the Republican Party of Arkansas filed a lawsuit Wednesday over elected state officials’ personal use of state vehicles.

State GOP Chairman Doyle Webb, a lawyer, filed the lawsuit in Pulaski County Circuit Court, alleging officials’ personal use of state vehicles violates Amendment 70 of the Arkansas Constitution, which prohibits constitutional and legislative officers from receiving income for their services beyond their salaries and work-related expenses.

Webb said he asked the court to expedite the case in an effort to get at least an injunction prohibiting further use of the vehicles before the Nov. 2 general election.

Aaron Sadler, spokesman for Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, said Wednesday afternoon that the lawsuit is similar to one filed in June against several state officials and that it will be defended by the attorney general’s office.

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MI Republican AG Candidate Raises 3X more than Democrat Opponent

Last Updated on Wednesday, 6 October 2010 10:16 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 29 September 2010 01:57

From LSJ.com:

Republican Bill Schuette has raised nearly three times as much money as Democrat David Leyton in the campaign for Michigan attorney general.

Finance reports show Schuette raised more than $1.1 million, including more than $61,000 from the Michigan Republican Party and $34,000 each from political action committees related to the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and Grand Rapids-based retailer Meijer Inc.

The former Court of Appeals judge spent more than $714,000 and has about $426,000 on hand.

Leyton raised nearly $403,000, including $17,000 from the Michigan Education Association’s political action committee.

The Genesee County prosecutor has spent more than $143,000 and has more than $259,000 on hand.

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MA: Republican Kicks off His Attorney General Campaign

Last Updated on Wednesday, 6 October 2010 10:16 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 29 September 2010 01:46

From boston.com:

James P. McKenna, the Republican hoping to unseat Attorney General Martha Coakley, launched his campaign today with a vow to crack down on public corruption and illegal immigration and a strong defense of his voting record, which includes a few missed elections.

“It is time to restore trust in our government,” McKenna said in a four-minute speech at the headquarters of the state Republican Party in downtown Boston. “The Beacon Hill boys and girls club is a free-for-all of waste, fraud and corruption, where holier-than-thou attitudes prevail and the special interests run the show.”

“I’ve listened to the people and they say, ‘No more,’ and I agree,” McKenna continued. “No more sitting by while Beacon Hill engages in criminal activity while the attorney general sits idly by, making excuses about their hands getting tied,” McKenna said, pointing to the federal corruption charges against state Senator Dianne Wilkerson. “We know real leaders don’t let their hands get tied. Real leaders act.”

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State Legislature Forecast Worsens for Democrats

Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 01:19 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 29 September 2010 01:19

From Governing.com:

When Governing last assessed the 2010 state legislative elections in July, the situation looked grim for the Democrats. The Democrats had 21 of their chambers in play, compared to just four for the Republicans — by far the most lopsided split we’ve seen in any of the past five election cycles.

Now, a few months down the road, the Democratic outlook for the state legislatures has only worsened.

In our new assessment — the second of three we will do before Election Day — we find 28 chambers “in play,” a net increase of one from July. Of the 28, the Democrats currently control 25, with just one held by the GOP and two currently tied. (Chambers that are rated tossups and lean Democratic/lean Republican are considered to be “in play.”)

As we indicated in July, this is a terrible combination for the Democrats — both an unusually large number of chambers are in play at the same time (32 percent of all chambers up this cycle — the highest percentage recorded in the five cycles this author has been handicapping the legislatures), and there’s a startlingly unprecedented lean toward one party, the GOP.

In none of the previous five cycles — which included two national wave elections (2006 and 2008) and a heavily anti-incumbent cycle for governors (2002) — was there ever this wide a difference in projected risk between the two parties. Instead, the typical ratio of vulnerable chambers between the parties has been close to even.

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OH: Secretary of State Candidates Exchange Accusations

Last Updated on Wednesday, 6 October 2010 10:17 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 29 September 2010 01:17

From Vindy.com:

State Sen. Jon Husted, the Republican nominee for secretary of state, said he is much more qualified for the job than Maryellen O’Shaughnessy, his Democratic opponent.

O’Shaughnessy, the Franklin County clerk of courts, questions Husted’s “trustworthiness” and said, “He clearly doesn’t understand what it is to be an administrator.”

The two secretary of state candidates met separately Monday with The Vindicator editorial board.

Monday also was the first day that Husted began airing television commercials statewide calling O’Shaughnessy a “professional politician,” who is “padding her pockets” at the expense of taxpayers.

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IA: Republican AG Candidate Outraised Incumbent

Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 01:06 Written by rslcpol Wednesday, 29 September 2010 01:06

From IowaPolitics.com:

Attorney General candidate Brenna Findley of Dexter outraised her opponent, entrenched incumbent Tom Miller.

Findley raised eight times more in contributions than her opponent, posting $124,077.80 on the May report, while her opponent collected only $15,748.00. Brenna Findley has over 700 donors who have contributed to her campaign to date.

Findley’s strong fundraising shows that Iowans are ready for a new Attorney General. Her groundbreaking campaign shows that she has an active, engaged operation throughout the state.

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