Free Republic

Democrats are expected to make strong gains in state legislatures this fall, but what do these stronger Democratic majorities mean? A look at Washington State may show what is in store for the rest of the country.Public employee unions are handing over vast amounts of money to the incumbent governor's re-election campaign, while the governor is simultaneously sitting at the bargaining table negotiating contracts with these very unions. If it seems inappropriate for the governor, Christine Gregoire, who is locked in a very tight re-election, to benefit personally from the parties that her office is negotiating with, that's just your...

Terry McAuliffe, former Democratic Party chairman and head of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, is weighing a run for Virginia governor next year. Mr. McAuliffe, 51, a frequent TV commentator and Democratic spokesman, fanned rumors at the party's nominating convention in Denver when he talked to Virginia delegates, then declined to rule out a run when speaking with reporters. A top McAuliffe aide, Tracy Sefl, said Wednesday that Mr. McAuliffe has been "inundated" by well-wishers in the state urging him to run. "He's really flattered, and his position is the same, that he's not ruling out anything,"...

Culture Of Corruption Firebrand Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer bragged to a convention of trial lawyers to have rigged the 2006 Montana’s elections in favor of the Democrat Party.

A six-term Republican assemblyman from Morris County today said it was time for a career change. Richard A. Merkt, 59, said he won't seek another term in the lower house and will instead focus on winning the gubernatorial election in 2009. “My vision is to give [government] back much more to the people than it has been in years,” said Merkt, announcing at a Morristown news conference that he'd formed an exploratory committee. The top issues Merkt said he would confront if he decides to run for governor would be New Jersey’s economy, funding for public schools and rising property...

The Democratic primary for Governor was the most hotly contested race in the state. It pitted Delaware’s Lieutenant Governor against the State Treasurer. Tuesday night, Democrats made their choice..Jack Markell. Markell thinks Delawareans, in the end, voted for him, because they believed he offered the best opportunity to move the state forward. For John Carney,it was a disappointing loss, but he says he will support the Democratic nominee in November and he urged his supporters to do the same.

In an election for North Carolina Governor Tuesday, September 9th, 8 weeks to the vote, Republican Mayor of Charlotte Pat McCrory seesaws into the lead over Democratic Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue 49% to 41%, according to this latest SurveyUSA election tracking poll conducted exclusively for WTVD-TV in Raleigh. This poll asked of 671 likely voters the following question (more details on poll collection at bottom): If the election for a North Carolina Governor were today, would you vote for (choices rotated) Republican Pat McCrory? Democrat Beverly Perdue? Or Libertarian Mike Munger? 49% Pat McCrory (R) 41% Beverly Perdue (D) 5%...

In an election for North Carolina Governor today, 09/09/08, 8 weeks to the vote, Republican Mayor of Charlotte Pat McCrory seesaws into the lead over Democratic Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue 49% to 41%, according to this latest SurveyUSA election tracking poll conducted exclusively for WTVD-TV in Raleigh. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll released four weeks ago, McCrory is up 5 points and is in the lead for the first time; Perdue is down 6 points and trails for the first time. Libertarian Mike Munger, a professor at Duke University, takes 5% of the vote today, unchanged from one month...

“Gov. Chris Gregoire has benifited from more than $650,000 in campaigncontributions from American Indian tribes.” “Gregoire killed a gambling compact potentially worth more than $140million a year to the state.” “It’s a payoff,” said University of Nevada-Las Vegas professor WilliamThompson, who has been studying tribal gambling since 1988. “Sheshouldn’t take any campaign money, nor should her political party, andit smells too quid pro quo for my liking.”

Democrat Barack Obama's once double-digit lead in Washington state is no more, according to this latest SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KING-TV Seattle and KATU-TV Portland Oregon. In an election today, 09/08/08, eight weeks till votes are counted, it's Obama 49%, McCain 45%. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll 4 weeks ago (before both candidates had named their running mates), Obama is down 2 points; McCain is up 1. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll 8 weeks ago, Obama is down 6; McCain is up 6. Obama led by 17 points in June, led by 16 points in July, led...

A new poll commissioned by KING 5 shows Republican John McCain gaining ground on Democrat Barack Obama in the state of Washington. The SurveyUSA poll found that in an election today, it's Obama 49 percent, McCain 45 percent. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll four weeks ago - before both candidates had named their running mates - Obama is down 2 points; McCain is up 1. And the McCain/Palin surge may be reflected in the race for governor as well. With eight weeks to go, Survey USA polled likely voters and found Obama’s double-digit lead in June has shrunk to...

Bad news for straying Democrats. Maybe even "dramatically" bad news. Gov. Jon Corzine says he's running for re-election next year and knows corruption will be an issue -- especially if U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie is his opponent. So he will try to get ahead on the issue, and that could mean some fellow Democrats might pay the cost. "I've already been criticized by my party for how aggressive our Attorney General's Office has been," said Corzine in an exclusive interview at the end of last week's Democratic National Convention in Denver. "But I want to give the people of New...

- Republican John Kasich has announced nothing yet, but conservative talk-show host Sean Hannity may have done it for him yesterday when he referred to the former Columbus-area congressman as "the next governor of the state of Ohio." At the Republican National Convention, Mr. Kasich sounded a lot like a candidate when he spoke to the Ohio delegation. He's been making the county GOP dinner rounds in Ohio, and he's created a political action committee called Recharge Ohio, whose most immediate aim is to keep the Ohio House in Republican hands on Nov. 4. He called Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland...

When Rudy Giuliani addresses the Republican National Convention as expected Wednesday night, it might be his last big moment in the political spotlight. It doesn't have to be. With New York State's gubernatorial race coming up in 2010, Giuliani has a rare chance to make up for his mistakes since leaving office. Instead of just making money, Giuliani can make a difference by helping to revive the GOP as a truly national party. More importantly, he has the chops and the experience to reform Albany and deliver New Yorkers the smarter, more responsive, more effective government they deserve. Before we...

And right now, Perdue and McCrory are in a statistical dead heat, according to a poll taken by SurveyUSA. The poll, released on Aug. 12, said Perdue was leading 47 percent to McCrory’s 43, but there is a 4 percent margin of error. The same poll said Libertarian candidate Mike Munger, a political science professor at Duke University, is polling at 5 percent, complicating the race for governor.

DENVER — Four years after leaving office, former Sen. Bob Graham looked every bit the political star Monday, surrounded by beaming Florida fans and well-wishers. But more striking was the action around him at the Florida delegation breakfast: U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston had her own throng of fans, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was fielding questions about another statewide run, and all over the hotel ballroom people speculated about Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink running for governor or U.S. Senate in two years. "Democrats went through a period in which the bench got very shallow. Now I think...

Raleigh, N.C. – John McCain has expanded his lead over Barack Obama in Missouri, according to the newest survey from Public Policy Polling. McCain’s advantage is 50-40, a seven point increase from PPP’s July poll, which showed him leading by just three points. Obama’s biggest issue is with white voters, who support McCain by a 56-35 margin. “There aren’t enough black voters in Missouri for Barack Obama to win it if he can’t make things more competitive among white voters,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “That’s going to be his challenge if he wants to have any...

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is shaping the inner circle of his campaign for governor, naming veteran Democratic strategist Garry South as a top adviser. Newsom, a Democrat who announced he was exploring a run for governor in 2010 last month, is also tapping veterans of the Obama and Clinton presidential campaigns for polling and day-to-day campaign operations. His longtime political adviser, San Francisco-based consultant Eric Jaye, will serve as campaign director. But the key new addition is South, who served as chief strategist for Gov. Gray Davis' two successful campaigns in 1998 and 2002. In 2006, South was the...

Survey USA seems to be getting back into the state polling game. Yesterday it was Virginia and earlier today was Kentucky. Now they have released a new poll from North Carolina that shows John McCain slipping slightly and sees his lead falling to 4%. PRESIDENT - NORTH CAROLINA (Survey USA) John McCain (R) 49% Barack Obama (D) 45% In the race for US Senate, Elizabeth holds a 5% lead over Democratic challenger Kay Hagan. US SENATE - NORTH CAROLINA (Survey USA) Elizabeth Dole (R-inc) 46% Kay Hagan (D) 41% And in the race for Governor, Democrat Bev Perdue holds a...

Off-duty police officers last week forcibly removed a Democratic Party cameraman from a news conference where the Seattle Police Officers' Guild was giving its endorsement to Republican Dino Rossi. Guild members threatened the young man with arrest and made an emergency call to 911, bringing uniformed officers to the scene. Cameraman Kelly Akers was warned about trespassing. "There's no fine, no penalty, no request for charges," said Seattle police Sgt. Sean Whitcomb. Rossi is running for governor against Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire. The incident Thursday was the roughest implementation yet of Rossi's long-standing policy not to allow Democratic Party workers...

I need ballot help from the Washington State Forum. Would any of you mind moving the discussion to this thread so that I can get a handle on the candidates? This impressive video is Randy Neatherlin running for Representative District No. 35 Position No. 2.