Special state legislative and local elections thread volume 1 (A-Aardvark)

[JohnnyLongtorso]

It's weird to see multiple former Reps running for these seats. In Virginia, I can only think of one former State Rep who returned to the House of Delegates (Al Pollard).

Anyway, thanks for the detailed look at these races.

[Tender Branson]

Atlanta Mayor Poll by InsiderAdvantage:

Mary Norwood -- 41 percent
Kasim Reed -- 22 percent
Lisa Borders -- 17 percent
Jesse Spikes -- 2 percent

Other -- 2 percent
Undecided -- 16 percent

http://www.wsbtv.com/politics/21403359/detail.html

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Steve Beshear worked his voodoo again, and now there's another open Republican State Senate seat in Kentucky (the incumbent was appointed to a circuit court judgeship). It'll be decided on 12/8, the same day as an election to replace State Rep. Robin Webb who won the last state senate special election. The likely candidates are a Republican State Rep. and a former Democratic State Rep.

[Meeker]

Who knew Steve Beshear was such a hardball politico? I approve.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Alabama HD65 - D Mark Keahey was elected to the State Senate, candidates are D Elaine Beech and R Jerry Reed.

Beech held this one 53-47.

Georgia HD75 - Open D seat; candidates are D Ron Dodson and R Shawn James.

D won 60-40.

Georgia HD141 - Open D seat; candidates are D Darrell Black, Rs Angela Gheesling-McCommon and Casey Tucker, and I "Rusty" Kidd. This is probably the only one that will be interesting.

Runoff between "Rusty" Kidd and either Darrell Black or Angela yadda yadda.

Michigan SD19 - Mark Schauer's Senate seat, don't know why it took them a year to fill it, but the candidates are D State Rep. Martin Griffin and R ex-State Rep. Mike Nofs.

Dems didn't even try to hold this one; Nofs won with over 60%.

Missouri HD73 - Same as above but without a clever joke; D Steve Brown is out. Candidates are D Stacey Newman and R Daniel O'Sullivan.

Easy Dem hold, 61.5 - 38.5.

New Hampshire HD Merrimack-11 - Open D seat. Candidates are D Jim MacKay and R Lynne Blankenbeker. Funnily enough, both unsuccessfully ran as Republicans in 2008 (it's normally a 5-member district). MacKay used to be in the legislature, in fact.

Blankenbeker by 20 votes (858 - 838); recount probable.

South Carolina HD48 - Open R seat; candidates are D Kathy Cantrell and R Ralph Norman (who used to represent this district; you may remember from his 2006 run for John Spratt's seat).

Norman won 72-28.

Washington HD16 - Same with appointed D Laura Grant; her opponent is R Terry Nealey.

Grant is getting shellacked 57-43 currently.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

And with the landslide victory in Virginia, there will be two state senate special elections, probably in January:

Senate District 8 (part of Virginia Beach) - Republican Ken Stolle was elected Sheriff, and his district is GOP-leaning in the best of Democratic times. Kaine got 47% here in 2005, and it went 54-44 for McCain last year. Virginia Beach City Council member Rosemary Wilson and Stolle pal/ex-Amerigroup CEO Jeff McWaters are duking it out for the Republican nomination; it's unclear whether there will even be a Democrat running. There's a possible independent, some guy named Omar Pickron. I guess I could vote for him if the Democrats don't field anyone.

Senate District 37 (part of Fairfax County) - Republican Ken Cuccinelli was elected Attorney General. Generally a Dem-leaning seat, although obviously not tonight; it went 55-43 for Kaine and 55-44 Obama. Potential Democratic candidates include Dels. David Bulova and Dave Marsden (although perhaps not Marsden, given his narrow win tonight); Republicans might field Sully District Supervisor Michael Frey.

There's also the possibility of McDonnell appointing a Democrat in a vulnerable seat to his administration as a show of bipartisanship/easy seat pickup; Kaine did it in 2006.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

37th update - Looks like Marsden is the front-runner for the Democrats, while three Republicans (two generic business types and a former school board member) are running.

[Remember me as a time of day]

Next Tuesday, Alabama House district 56, formerly Dem (this is a runoff), and Rhode Island House district 10, also formerly D.

[Mr.Phips]

37th update - Looks like Marsden is the front-runner for the Democrats, while three Republicans (two generic business types and a former school board member) are running.

Democrats should be able to pick up the 37th.  Im sure they are hungry for a win after last Tuesday. 

[JohnnyLongtorso]

37th update - Looks like Marsden is the front-runner for the Democrats, while three Republicans (two generic business types and a former school board member) are running.

Democrats should be able to pick up the 37th.  Im sure they are hungry for a win after last Tuesday. 

Never underestimate the laziness of Democratic voters. They nearly lost the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chairmanship and Brian Moran's House of Delegates seat (and *did* lose Sharon Bulova's BoS seat) back in January.

[Mr.Phips]

37th update - Looks like Marsden is the front-runner for the Democrats, while three Republicans (two generic business types and a former school board member) are running.

Democrats should be able to pick up the 37th.  Im sure they are hungry for a win after last Tuesday. 

Never underestimate the laziness of Democratic voters. They nearly lost the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chairmanship and Brian Moran's House of Delegates seat (and *did* lose Sharon Bulova's BoS seat) back in January.

I dont think they will be lazy anymore after what happened on Tuesday. 

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Special for a House seat in Rhode Island. Dem hold... and the Republican came in third:

Scott Slater (D) - 661
Wilbur Jennings (I) - 232
Maurice Green (R) - 116

[Meeker]

But CARL said...

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Well, father Slater got 87% in 2008, so obviously Slater the Younger's 66% result is a horrible sign for the Democrats.

Maybe the Republicans in Rhode Island should just disband and join that new Moderate Party. They might have more electoral success.

[Luóbótè Bèiĕrdé]

661 votes? For a State Senate election?