Fewer GOP House and Senate candidates have made the trek to the Republican National Convention here in Florida, and few Democratic candidates in competitive races are expected attend the Democratic National Convention next week either. While some of them want to avoid the headache of being tied to the unpopular national parties, there is a new excuse emerging-- the proliferation of trackers.
TAMPA, Fla. -- In the modern era of campaigns, candidates in competitive races can’t go anywhere without someone from the other party following them with a video camera-- and the party conventions are no different.
Fewer GOP House and Senate candidates have made the trek to the Republican National Convention here in Florida, and few Democratic candidates in competitive races are expected attend the Democratic National Convention next week either. While some of them want to avoid the headache of being tied to the unpopular national parties, there is a new excuse emerging-- the proliferation of trackers.
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TAMPA, Fla. -- Republicans are defending their majority, but that’s not stopping them from playing offense and from trying to pin Democrats down and forcing them to defend some of their own districts.
GOP operatives are very bullish on their chances in several districts where Democrats survived tough races in 2010. As congressional candidates take the convention stage on Tuesday afternoon, Republicans will be highlighting some of those unique challengers and their stories. TAMPA, Fla. – It was supposed to be Rep. Quico Canseco’s shining moment. As he addressed RNC delegates Tuesday afternoon, the freshman Republican broke into Spanish, telling a warm GOP crowd that with Romney, “we can do better.”
But as soon as he stepped off the stage, Canseco was greeted with some potentially grim news – a three-judge federal court panel struck down the GOP legislature’s map, declaring that it failed to meet Voting Rights Act standards, particularly in protecting Hispanic voters. Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) remains one of the most endangered incumbents in the country, but he also remains without a firm opponent, after Tuesday’s runoff failed to produce a clear winner.
With all precincts reporting in the 12th District GOP runoff, state Rep. Lee Anderson led businessman Rick Allen by just 154 votes, 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. According to Georgia state law, a candidate can request a recount within 48 hours of ballots being certified if the margin is less than 1 percent. According to the Savannah Morning News, Allen’s campaign says that remains an option. In the Wisconsin Senate race, it’s officially a Tommy vs. Tammy showdown.
A topsy-turvy GOP primary came to a close on Tuesday, with former governor Tommy Thompson clinching what once seemed like an unlikely comeback bid more than a decade after he left office. Thompson took 34 percent in the four-way race, with wealthy hedge fund manager Eric Hovde at 31 percent, former Rep. Mark Neumann at 23 percent and state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald with 12 percent. Primary voters went to the polls in four states on Tuesday, solidifying general election contests and selecting new members in safe seats.
At least one member of Congress was going down in Florida’s primaries on Tuesday -- but in a surprise twist, it ended up likely being two. Two more House incumbents lost on Tuesday, but it wasn’t a surprise since they faced fellow Members in primaries in Missouri and Michigan, and one of them had to lose.
In Michigan, Rep. Gary Peters prevailed over freshman Rep. Hansen Clarke in the Democratic primary in the 14th District, and is virtually guaranteed election this November in the safe Democratic seat in Detroit. Claire McCaskill (D) remains the Senate’s most endangered incumbent, but the Missouri Democrat’s prospects appear to have improved slightly on Tuesday after learning she’ll face Rep. Todd Akin (R) in the fall.
Akin’s come-from-behind win seemed unlikely only months ago, though Republicans never had a particularly strong field that remained highly fluid until the end. Wealthy businessman John Brunner was initially seen as the strongest candidate, and spent $8 million of his own money to narrowly lead the polls for much of the race. Former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman had hoped a last-minute appearance by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin could help her with the conservative base. It wasn’t rocky in Rocky Top for incumbents on Thursday evening, as three members easily brushed aside challenges in Tennessee’s primaries.
Freshman Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R), who won an open seat primary in 2010 by just 1,415 votes, had seen his grasp on his Chattanooga-based 3rd District put in danger thanks to his narrow win last cycle, coupled with over a quarter of new territory. Plus, he faced two impressive challengers that started off with more name ID than he had -- well-known dairy magnate Scottie Mayfield and 25 year-old Weston Wamp, the son of former Rep. Zach Wamp, who Fleischmann succeeded. The Peach State provided only minimal clarity on Tuesday, with no candidate reaching the 50 percent threshold to win outright in the two most closely-watched House races.
In the 12th District contest, state Rep. Lee Anderson (34 percent) and wealthy construction company owner Rick Allen (26 percent) advanced to the August 21 runoff to determine who faces endangered Rep. John Barrow (D), who saw his district stripped of its Savannah stronghold in redistricting, picking up an 11-point GOP tilt in the process, one of the most striking shifts in the country. |
Jessica TaylorNon-partisan political analyst Archives
January 2013
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