Posted on 11/21/2006 1:11:53 PM PST by LdSentinal
State Rep. Will Kendrick is switching to the Republican Party, diminishing the Democrats' biggest pickup of seats in the state House in two decades.
Kendrick, of Carrabelle, along the Gulf Coast southwest of Tallahassee, has always been conservative and frequently voted with Republicans. For generations, the Panhandle was dominated by Democrats, even though many were staunchly conservative and voted more often with the GOP.
Kendrick said Monday he simply had philosophical differences with the Democratic Party and noted that Gov.-Elect Charlie Crist, a Republican, carried most of his district in the November elections.
Kendrick also said he could be more effective as part of the majority party in his final two years in the House. He can't run again because of term limits.
While Democrats picked up seven seats in the Nov. 7 election, Republicans still had a 78-42 majority. Kendrick's switch makes the breakdown 79-41 in favor of the GOP.
The House Democratic Leader, Rep. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, said Kendrick's move amounted to "rank opportunism," and other Democrats criticized him for waiting until after the election to change, meaning voters who sent a Democrat to Tallahassee will end up with a Republican representative.
Kendrick is a banker and was a Franklin County school board member before his election to the Legislature.
I tend to abhor when RINO apostates screw us following an election by switching parties, though I'd have to say it was a poor show on this man's part. If he was reelected unopposed, that might be a different story, but he should've switched before the elections, not right after.
Does any body have the actual counts for the House and Senate?
Just checked, he was unopposed in both the primary and general.
He already votes with Republicans on the key issues as it is.
Wish we could get 2 senators in the U.S. senate to switch. It would be fun to watch the rats go nuts.
We win, they lose. That's what matters most. Get over it.
If going by the ACU is any indication, it would be worth persuading the Dems who scored above a 45 to switch, and that would include the following:
Sen. Ben Nelson (NE) - 60
Reps. Bud Cramer (AL) - 54
Marion Berry (AR) - 52
Mike Ross (AR) - 52
Sanford Bishop (GA) - 45
Jim Marshall (GA) - 46
Charlie Melancon (LA) - 61
Collin Peterson (MN) - 56
Gene Taylor (MS) - 60
Ike Skelton (MO) -lifetime 49
Mike McIntyre (NC) - 48
Dan Boren (OK) - 64
Lincoln Davis (TN) - 64
John Tanner (TN) - 50
Henry Cuellar (TX) - 52
Alan Mollohan (WV) - 52 (then again, maybe not)
-->Allen Boyd (FL) at 42 just falls out of the range.
It's worth noting that if all the above, except Boyd, switched, we'd have a 50-seat plurality in the Senate and a 218-217 (1 seat) House majority.
Why can't California be more like Florida?
Sigh.
This is state legislature, not Congress.
No chance we could get rid of Boxer? Then the Governator could put in McClintock. 50-50, works for me!
Given how hard Arnold worked to sabotage McClintock's run for Lieutenant Governor, I wouldn't count on that happening.
I'm curious about that too.
OOPS!
Sen. Ben Nelson (NE) - WE SHOULD DEFINITELY TRY TO GET HIM TO SWITCH. HAD PRESIDENT BUSH NOT NAMED THE NE GOVERNOR AS SEC OF AGRICULTURE, I THINK NELSON WOULD HAVE SWITCHED IN 2005 TO AVOID A BRUISING REELECTION FIGHT.
Reps.
Bud Cramer (AL) - HIS VOTING RECORD IS ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT I THINK HE WOULD BE ALRIGHT IF HE SWITCHED; WE CERTAINLY WON'T BEAT HIM ABSENT VERY AGGRESSIVE REDISTRICTING.
Marion Berry (AR) - SOLID SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE WHO IS UNBEATABLE AS A DEMOCRAT; I'D LOVE FOR HIM TO SWITCH.
Mike Ross (AR) - NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS BERRY, BUT I'D TAKE HIM.
Sanford Bishop (GA) - BISHOP HAS ACTUALLY BECOME LESS CONSERVATIVE SINCE HE GOT A LESS REPUBLICAN DISTRICT IN 2002, BUT IT WOULD BE A HUGE COUP IF WE CAN GET A BLACK DEMOCRAT TO SWITCH---HE'D HOLD THE DISTRICT, TOO.
Jim Marshall (GA) - MARSHALL IS 100% PRO-LIFE, BUT IS OTHERWISE LESS CONSERVATIVE THAN BISHOP (WHO WAFFLES ON ABORTION). MARSHALL'S DISTRICT GAVE PRESIDENT BUSH AROUND 60% IN 2004, SO I'D RATHER HAVE A MAC COLLINS TAKE HIM OUT IN 2008 (HE NEARLY DID SO THIS YEAR DESPITE THE DEM WAVE).
Charlie Melancon (LA) - SOLID SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE, HE'LL BE VERY TOUGH TO BEAT IN THAT DISTRICT, SO I WISH HE'D SWITCH.
Collin Peterson (MN) - THIS GUY HAS NO BUSINESS REMAINING A DEMOCRAT. WHEN WE RETAKE THE HOUSE IN 2008, HOPEFULLY HE'LL FINALLY TAKE THE PLUNGE.
Gene Taylor (MS) - 100% CONSERVATIVE ON SOCIAL ISSUES, AND PRETTY MUCH UNBEATABLE IN A 70% BUSH DISTRICT, I'D OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT GETTING HIM TO SWITCH.
Ike Skelton (MO) - SKELTON IS VERY CONSERATIVE ON SOCIAL ISSUES AND IS TRADITIONALLY PRO-MILITARY, BUT HAS BECOME A BIT OF A MURTHA ON IRAQ. I WOULD NO LONGER SUPPORT A SWITCH BY SKELTON, SINCE IF HE SERVED AS A GOP SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AT ARMED SERVICES WE MAY NOT LIKE WHAT COMES OUT OF THAT SUB-COMMITTEE. WE'LL DEFINITELY GET HIS SEAT WHEN HE RETIRES, THOUGH.
Mike McIntyre (NC) - ONE OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE, HIS ACU SCORE DOESN'T DO HIM JUSTICE. HE HAS NO BUSINESS REMAINING A DEMOCRAT. SWITCH ALREADY!
Dan Boren (OK) - SOLID SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE FROM THE LEAST REPUBLICAN PART OF OK, I THINK HE'D MAKE A FINE REPUBLICAN.
Lincoln Davis (TN) - THE MOST CONSERVATIVE OF THE TN DEMOCRAT CONGRESSMEN, HE'D FIT RIGHT IN AT THE GOP CAUCUS.
John Tanner (TN) - NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS DAVIS, BUT HIS DISTRICT IS NOT AS REPUBLICAN, EITHER, SO I'D TAKE HIM.
Henry Cuellar (TX) - CUELLAR MAY BE MY FAVORITE HOUSE DEMOCRAT. HOWEVER, HE REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY DEMOCRAT COUNTIES IN THE NATION, AND I THINK I'D RATHER OF HE JUST STAY A DEMOCRAT AND VOTE WITH US ON IMPORTANT STUFF. THEN AGAIN, HIS DISTRICT AS A WHOLE VOTED FOR PRESIDENT BUSH IN 2004, SO HE WOULD PROBABLY GET REELECTED EVEN IF HE SWITCHED, AND IT MAY RESULT IN MORE LAREDANS VOTING REPUBLICAN, SO I WOULD SEE A SWITCH BY CUELLAR AS RISKY YET EXCITING.
Alan Mollohan (WV) - IF NOT FOR HIS ETHICAL PROBLEMS, THIS GUY WOULD MAKE A GOOD REPUBLICAN. I HOPE WE BEAT HIM IN 2008 IN THE MOST REPUBLICAN DISTRICT IN WV.
ALLEN BOYD IS TOO LIBERAL TO BE A GOOD SWITCH CANDIDATE; WE SHOULD BEAT HIM WITH A SOLID PANAMA CITY CANDIDATE (MAYBE THAT BENSE GUY THAT FREEPERS WANTED TO RUN FOR THE SENATE) OR ELSE IN 2012 REDISTRICTING.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ADDITONAL HOUSE DEMOCRATS WHO ARE CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH THAT THEY COULD SWITCH TO THE GOP AND GET REELECTED, INCLUDING TIM HOLDEN (PA) AND BART GORDON (TN). JACK MURTHA WOULD HAVE (BARELY) MADE MY LIST HAD I DRAWN IT 2 YEARS AGO, BUT HE HAS VEERED TOO FAR LEFT AND BECOME INTOLERABLE. ANOTHER GUY I WOULD PERHAPS CONSIDER IS SOLOMON ORTIZ OF TX, WHO IS 100% PRO-LIFE AND REPRESENTS A HEAVILY HISPANIC DISTRICT THAT GAVE BUSH 55% IN 2004 BUT WOULD NEVER ELECT A REPUBLICAN NOT NAMED ORTIZ TO THE HOUSE. AND, OF COURSE, THERE ARE SEVERAL NEWLY ELECTED HOUSE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY PROVE TO BE CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH TO BE POTENTIAL SWITCHERS, SUCH AS BRAD ELLSWORTH (IN), HEATH SHULER (TN) AND MAYBE THAT DONNELLEY GUY (IN).
"He already votes with Republicans on the key issues as it is."
Not nearly enough! I have to call his office and email him all the time to voice my angst. Most of the time it is b/c of what he didn't do.
I hope we get a good Republican to run against him. What about you, Capt. Norm?
Allen Bense would be a good choice too.
Yes, Bense would have a good chance of beating Boyd in a presidential election year.
Too bad the GOP redistricters chickened out of drawing a FL-02 that was unwinnable for Boyd---like Scarborough/Miller or Crenshaw could have possibly been imperiled!
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