Election 2008

Meet the Candidates: Congressional primaries in Florida and Alaska Tuesday

by Conor Kenny — August 26, 2008 - 6:05pm
  • Topics: Election 2008, U.S. Congress, U.S. Government

    • In Alaska (see all candidates), two members of Congress, both Republicans and both under federal investigation, face formidable primary challenges Tuesday. Down in Florida there are primary candidates running in each of Florida's 25 congressional districts (see all candidates).

    Alaska Rep. Don Young is facing two Republican challengers: State Representative Gabrielle LeDoux and Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell, who is backed by the much of the state party's establishment. On the Democratic side, former State House Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz and Diane Benson, who nearly beat Young in 2006, are running.

    It's a little unclear, but Young may be under a Department of Justice investigation for a $10 million earmark benefitting one of his campaign contributors in Florida that was mysteriously inserted into a bill after it was passed. However, Young is definitely under federal investigation for his connections to the same oil company bribery scandal that ensnared Sen. Ted Stevens (R) in corruption charges earlier this month.

    Stevens is facing his own tough primary challenge from a raft of Republican candidates including Dave Cuddy, Jerry Heikes, Rick Sikma, Ray Metcalfe and Vic Vickers. On the Democratic side, running are Nels Anderson, Rocky Caldero, Frank Vondersaar and Mark Begich, the front runner. And we'd be remiss to leave out Libertarian David Hase, Veterans Party of Alaska candidate Ted Gianoutsos and Alaska Independence candidate Bob Bird.

    Turnout appears light in Florida, which is still enduring Hurricane Fay-caused blackouts and has no statewide races on the ballot.

    Meet the Candidates: Winners of the Congressional Primaries in Washington and Wyoming

    by Conor Kenny — August 20, 2008 - 5:13pm
  • Topics: Election 2008, U.S. Congress, U.S. Government

    • (For a full list of candidates, see the Washington and Wyoming portals.)

    By Congresspedia assistant editor Avelino Maestas

    Washington’s controversial new primary system was put to the test yesterday, as voters across the state could vote for candidates from any political party. The top two finishers will advance to the general election, and in every congressional district voters chose one Republican and one Democrat. Those results set up a rematch for one of the most closely watched races in the country. Wyoming voters, meanwhile, used traditional primary elections to try to define the November ballot for two Senate races and the state’s only House seat. However, one race was almost too close to call.

    In Washington’s 8th congressional district, Rep. Dave Reichert (R) will once again face Darcy Burner on November 4, following their close election battle in 2006. Under the state’s new primary system, the top-two finishers are placed on the general election ballot, regardless of party affiliation. About 93 percent of district 8 voters picked either Reichert or Burner, with three other candidates receiving the remaining votes. Reichert pulled in 45 percent to Burner’s 42, and the slim margin ensures the race will continue to be a battle through November.

    Wyoming’s voters had three federal races on the ballot Tuesday: both Sens. Mike Enzi (R) and John Barrasso (R) are up for election, and the seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Barbara Cubin is being contested as well. Enzi will face Democrat Chris Rothfuss come November, while Gary Trauner will take another shot at the House seat he narrowly lost to Cubin in 2006; he faces former state treasurer Cynthia Lummis (R) this year.

    Click through the jump for complete primary results.

    Meet the Candidates: Congressional primaries in Washington and Wyoming Tuesday

    by Conor Kenny — August 18, 2008 - 9:14am
  • Topics: Election 2008, U.S. Congress

    • By Congresspedia asst. editor Avelino Maestas

    (For all candidate profiles, see the Wyoming and Washington portals.)

    It is anything but business-as-usual for voters in both states holding their congressional primaries on Tuesday. In Wyoming, every seat in the congressional delegation is up for election this year and in Washington state, voters will try out a controversial new primary election system that has already garnered protests from the state's political parties and a Supreme Court ruling.

    Washington’s new “top-two” system, designed by Secretary of State Sam Reed, removes the party apparatus from primary elections. Under the new rules, the two candidates who receive the most votes in a given race will move on to the November election, regardless of party affiliation.

    Leaders of the state Democratic, Libertarian and Republican parties all objected to the change, arguing it dilutes voters’ choices. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, ruled there was no proof the system confuses voters, since there is no precedent for that type of election.

    For more on the Washington and Wyoming races, and our Wiki the Vote project, click through.

    Penn's Tentacles

    by Bob Burton — August 18, 2008 - 5:14am

    The senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly, Joshua Green, thinks some commentators may be too quick in claiming that a political consulting career is over for Mark Penn, the CEO of Burson Marsteller and former "chief strategist" for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

    Main Source: 
    The Atlantic Monthly, August 2008

    Meet the Candidates: Winners of the Congressional Primaries in Colorado, Connecticut and Nevada

    by Conor Kenny — August 13, 2008 - 3:55pm
  • Topics: Election 2008, U.S. Congress

    • (For a full list of candidates, see the Nevada, Colorado and Connecticut portals.)

    By Congresspedia assistant editor Avelino Maestas

    The incumbent members of Congress running in the Connecticut, Nevada and Colorado primaries all survived their same-party challenges Tuesday.

    In one of the two open House seats (both in Colorado), retiring Rep. Tom Tancredo's heavily Republican 6th congressional district, Colorado secretary of state Mike Coffman won the GOP nomination. In the other, Colorado's 2nd congressional district, Jared Polis (and the millions spent out of his own pocket) beat out the crowded field to represent the Democratic Party. Polis’s victory almost guarantees his victory in November – the district is very Democratic, so Republican challenger Scott Starin definitely has his work cut out for him.

    Colorado is also home to the only open Senate seat, currently held by retiring Sen. Wayne Allard (R). Democratic Rep. Mark Udall and former Bob Schaffer (R), were uncontested in that primary.

    Probably the most vulnerable incumbent in these states come fall is Rep. Chris Shays, the last remaining Republican in the House from New England. The Democrats in that district overwhelmingly nominated Jim Himes to challenge him in the general election.

    See the full list of candidates and winners after the jump.

    As part of Congresspedia's Wiki the Vote project, citizen journalists from around the country (and even some candidates!) have been logging information about the candidates' positions, biographies and records. We’ve also started displaying the candidates’ biggest campaign contributors on their profile page.

    A full list of the candidates and their professions are after the jump, but you can also find them at their respective state portals via the Wiki the Vote project homepage. We need your help to find out more about these candidates, so if you know something about them please add it to their profile. (You can always contact one of the staff editors for help.)

    Meet the candidates: Congressional primaries in Colorado, Connecticut and Nevada Tuesday

    by Conor Kenny — August 11, 2008 - 11:42am
  • Topics: Election 2008, U.S. Congress

    • By Congresspedia assistant editor Avelino Maestas

    A trio of states will hold nominating contests tomorrow, and some of those primary elections will be more important than others. For instance, two Colorado districts have open seats, and the primary winners will probably carry those districts come November. Meanwhile, in Connecticut, two Democrats are vying for the chance to take on Rep. Chris Shays, the lone Republican from New England in the U.S. House. Nevadans are also heading to the polls, and a cadre of Ron Paul’s supporters has helped drive support for a challenger to Rep. Dean Heller (R) in the 2nd congressional district.

    The battle for Connecticut’s 4th CD may be one of the most closely-watched races in the country come November. Democrats in 2006 were able to flip two House seats in Connecticut, leaving Shays as the only Republican member of the state’s delegation. Shays won a hard-fought election in 2006, and 2008 will be no walk in the park. Democrats endorsed Jim Himes at a convention in May, but Lee Whitnum has forced a primary tomorrow. Himes has a large fundraising advantage over Whitnum and the support of national organizations that have targeted Shays’ seat.

    The other candidates for office in Connecticut are all unopposed in their respective primary elections.

    For more on Nevada's and Colorado's faces, click through.

    Meet the candidates: Winners of the congressional primaries in Tennessee

    by Conor Kenny — August 8, 2008 - 1:55pm
  • Topics: Election 2008, U.S. Congress

    • Tennessee Republican Rep. David Davis became the fourth member of the U.S. House of Representatives to be booted by primary voters this election cycle, when he was defeated by Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe on Thursday. Across the state, Rep. Steve Cohen (D) easily defeated his main rival, Nikki Tinker, who had used racially charged images in campaign ads attacking Cohen.

    Davis was elected in 2006 after besting 12 other Republican candidates in the primary. Roe was among those who lost 2 years ago, but with a smaller field he was able to mount a successful challenge to the freshman representative. Roe is favored to win the November election, since the 1st congressional district leans Republican.

    Davis is the latest incumbent to fall to partisan challengers this year: Reps. Chris Cannon (R-Utah), Wayne Gilchrist (R-Md.) and Albert Wynn (D-Md.) were also voted out in primaries.

    Meanwhile, Cohen (another freshman representative) won his primary battle by a landslide 60-point margin. Democrats in his majority-black 9th district gave him 79 percent of the vote, while Tinker pulled in 19 percent. Tinker had used an image of Ku Klux Clan founder Nathan Bedford Forest in an ad attacking Cohen, who is white and Jewish. Cohen should have an easy victory come November in the heavily-Democratic district.

    Also Thursday, Democrats nominated law professor Bob Tuke to take on Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Republican conference chair in the Senate.

    As part of Congresspedia's Wiki the Vote project, citizen journalists from around the country (and even some candidates!) have been logging information about the candidates' positions, biographies and records. A full list of the candidates and their professions are below, but you can also find them at their respective state portals via the Wiki the Vote project homepage. We need your help to find out more about these candidates, so if you know something about them please add it to their profile. (You can always contact one of the staff editors for help.)

    Meet the candidates: Winners of the congressional primaries in Kansas, Michigan and Missouri

    by Conor Kenny — August 6, 2008 - 4:53pm
  • Topics: Election 2008, U.S. Congress

    • By Avelino Maestas

    If nothing else, this year's election cycle has shown that Americans are prepared to try something new. That hasn’t always translated into a win for primary challengers this year, but as Donna Edwards and Andy Harris showed in Maryland, sometimes party voters are more than willing to oust an incumbent.

    In Michigan yesterday, it looked for a time as though voters might toss out another incumbent. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick barely survived a spirited race against Martha Scott and Mary Waters, edging out Waters by a 39.5 percent to 37.5 percent. Early returns had Waters in the lead, but in the end Kilpatrick was able to scrape by.

    In Kansas, former Rep. Jim Ryun lost his bid for the Republican nomination to regain his seat from Democratic incumbent Rep. Nancy Boyda. Another former Congressman, Democrat Jim Slattery, is challenging Sen. Pat Roberts (R) come November.

    The crowded field of candidates for Missouri’s 9th congressional district was narrowed to two: Democrat Judy Baker, a part-time non-profit director who also owns a consulting firm, will challenge Blaine Luetkemeyer (R), a small businessman and farmer, in the November election.

    As part of Congresspedia's Wiki the Vote project, citizen journalists from around the country (and even some candidates!) have been logging information about the candidates' positions, biographies and records. A full list of the candidates and their professions are below, but you can also find them at their respective state portals via the Wiki the Vote project homepage. We need your help to find out more about these candidates, so if you know something about them please add it to their profile. (You can always contact one of the staff editors for help.)

    Meet the candidates: Congressional primaries in Tennessee Thursday

    by Conor Kenny — August 6, 2008 - 1:00pm
  • Topics: Election 2008, U.S. Congress

    • A trio of House races in Tennessee will keep observers’ eyes locked on the state Friday as voters head to the polls in the state’s congressional primary elections. Of course, we’ve been tracking the races as part of our Wiki the Vote project, and Congresspedia readers like yourself are adding details to the project every day.

    Rep. Steve Cohen (D), representing the 9th congressional district, has been under attack in his majority-black district. Challenger Nikki Tinker has hit Cohen hard in a recent campaign commercial by running the congressman’s picture beside an image of Ku Klux Klan founder Nathan Bedford Forest. The ad takes Cohen to task for his vote, while a Center City commissioner, against renaming a park that was named after Forest.

    Cohen has countered the attack by highlighting his Jewish heritage, and his recent sponsorship of legislation in the House to apologize for slavery.

    (Click through for more on the congressional primaries)

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