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Category Archives: Taking Back The House ’14

This section will be devoted to highlighting vulnerable incumbent Republican politicians and their stances on critical issues. Also, will be used as a way to tout potential candidates.

Why I’m Running For Congress: Vic Meyers (CO-04)

23 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by joed5k in Taking Back The House '14

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2014, Cory Gardner, Elections, politics, Vic Meyers


Here is something exciting that I’ve been working on for the past few months.  As we are about to conclude our famous Taking Back The House series, I thought it would be interesting to keep it going in another way.  I was looking for candidates we have spotlighted to write a brief op-ed for us so they can tell us why they chose to run for Congress and what they can bring in.

Our first installment is by Vic Meyers, who is running against Cory Gardner in Colorado’s 4th congressional district.  Vic’s district will likely not be spotlighted in our series but I got to know Vic a bit over the past few months.  Vic is not your everyday politician, because frankly, he isn’t one.  instead he’s an everyman who is trying to represent his constituents and not special interests.  To donate to Vic Meyers’s campaign, click here.  To check out his campaign site, click here.  To view his Facebook page, click here and to follow him on Twitter, click here.    

Without further ado, please take it away Vic.

I was born in Colorado but I had the great fortune of attending kindergarten in Jamestown, New York.  Some of the lessons I learned there about who started our country and why are still with me today.  I turned nine years old in our country’s bi-centennial year and remember the red-white-and-blue celebration that culminated with the election of the new president.  I was sitting in front of the T.V. when Walter Cronkite (I think it was him) was telling me about how only in America can a peanut farmer from Georgia be chosen by the people to be their new leader.  He remarked about how other countries did not have changes in government without great turmoil and sometimes bloodshed.

It was these two periods of my life that put into me the seed of desire to serve my country.  It’s why I enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school.  It’s why the idea of representative government as described best by Abraham Lincoln, of by and for the people, isn’t just a slogan to me.  I view it as the greatest legacy ever given since the first time mankind developed an organized society.  It’s a legacy that is worth fighting for and one that we must all do our part to protect.

As I watch the spiraling decline of our Congress and their inability to recognize the damage they are doing to our legacy, I am compelled to act.  We all complain and I can complain as well as anybody.  But I’m not satisfied with just complaining.  I’m the kind of person who has to do something more than complain when I believe it’s within my power to do so.  That’s why I decided to run for Congress in Colorado’s 4th district.  My current Congressman is the epitome of what’s wrong in our national government.  If he ever understood the origins of our government, if he ever read Thomas Paine or the Federalist Papers then he has forgotten what he learned.  He represents the Tea Party, a group that is representative of only a small fraction of the people in our district.  Defeating him is one of the many things I can do, my part, to protect our legacy.

My district is very large and very rural.  The average income is around $50K/yr.  Agriculture is a key industry and our small towns are struggling to survive.  That is why I’ve chosen to run on protecting Social Security against Chained CPI and other attacks, Immigration Reform and Infrastructure Investment.  There are over 80,000 people in my district that rely on their Social Security income.  Fighting to protect it is a perfect example of representing the needs of the people.  The same goes for immigration reform.  While my opponent sings the Tea Party tune, the dairies and farms in our district struggle to bring their products from the field to the market because they depend upon immigrant labor.  They need immigration reform.  So do the families of the immigrants who work for them.

As the roads and bridges of America crumble for lack of attention, the 4th CD is not exempt.  By investing in infrastructure today we save money over the long run and finally get the recovery to reach beyond Wall Street and onto Main Street by creating living-wage jobs.  While we’re at it, we can build new infrastructure to support wind and solar energy production.  This will create more jobs, local revenues and positive effects against climate change.

I’m a working class husband, father and grandfather.  I’m not a wealthy man and I’m not well connected in the political world.  I enlisted after high school and was recalled to active duty for Operation Desert Storm.  After the war I finished college, earning a B.S. in Mathematics.  My first job after college was in software, working for a defense contractor.  Not liking that job, I took a job with the Colorado Dept. of Corrections where I’m now a case manager with sixteen years in the department.  I have life experience that is much more like the average citizen of my district than that of my opponent.

Voter registration and past elections suggest that I cannot win this election.  The wealth and power of King George also suggested that our country could never be founded.  I have great obstacles in front of me.  The most obvious one is money.  I’ve traveled to all parts of the district and I’m building a grass-roots effort.  If my message is true of purpose, I believe it is, and if the people of my district are as fed up with Congress as I am, I believe they are, then this is not an unwinnable race.  It wasn’t that long ago that a Democrat represented this district and the last one that ran underperformed.  It’s much more winnable than conventional wisdom suggests.

Because somebody like me isn’t supposed to be able to win a race like this, the benefits of winning will reverberate across the nation.  Imagine the message that will be sent when the 4th CD voters stand up and declare that they will no longer be manipulated by gerrymandering.  Imagine the message to Senators and Representatives of both parties when they realize that we still have an America where, after enough frustration, there is no such thing as a “safe” seat.

I’m not so arrogant as to believe that I alone am the lone savior of our forefathers’ legacy.  I am hopeful enough to believe that there are enough people left in this country who value this legacy as much as I do.  While I’ll be working my tail off over the next year to get enough people to believe in me it all starts with getting people to believe WITH me.  I need people to believe WITH me that our country is still the same one where a peanut farmer became president.  I need them to believe WITH me that if Bill Clinton and Barack Obama can start life where they did and become president, then I can become a U.S. Representative.  I need them to believe WITH me that we have a legacy worth fighting for and we all have something we can do to fight for it.  I’m doing what I can.  What are you doing?

 

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Tom Latham Retires: Another Taking Back The House 2014 Special Post

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by joed5k in Taking Back The House '14

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

House, Iowa, politics, Staci Appel, Tom Latham


Follow us on Twitter @PolliticsToday for more insight, commentary and updates concerning this blog or “LIKE” us on Facebook.  To get alerts on our newest articles, sign up for our alert system.  Seriously, do those things; we could use more followers and support! 

We have made continuous updates to our Taking Back The House series and I have created a master database of all the races we have highlighted and links to all the prospective Democratic candidates.  We continue to edit it as news on races emerge and we hope you follow it.  For the master list, please click here.
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Remember how a few hours ago, I made a post about Frank Wolf retiring with the disclaimer that I had zero intentions of writing a post today.  Yeah, well take freakin’ two.

Tom Latham of Iowa’s 3rd congressional district has decided to retire as well and will not be running for re-election in 2014.  This came about two hours after Democrat Jim Matheson announced he wouldn’t be running in Utah (a seat that will likely overwhelmingly go Republican) and really; today is a great day if you are someone like me.

Anyway, Latham represents another winnable district; one that is probably even more winnable than the one Wolf is vacating.  This is astounding news really and kind of unexpected even though Latham already shocked political observers earlier in the year by demurring a run for Senate.

Latham is well-noted for having a close relationship with Speaker John Boehner and the Speaker of the House probably isn’t too keen on one of his chief allies not being around anymore.  In fact this sparks speculation on the future of the Speaker who seems more likely on the way out as well in some form or another.

But enough about Boehner, let’s look at the district Latham is vacating in the same way we looked at Wolf’s.

District Facts:

  • Contains the state capitol of Des Moines and Council Bluffs; which should help Democrats in 2014.
  • Latham was forced into a race against Democratic Rep. Leonard Boswell due to redistricting but beat him by nine points.
  • Latham’s victory was all the more impressive due to the fact that President Obama carried the district by a 51-47 margin over Mitt Romney in 2012.

Our Candidate(s):

  • As of now, the main Democrat in this race is Staci Appel, a former state senator who while a good candidate might earn some challengers now that Latham is out.

Why We Can Win This:

  • Well, this is a pretty decent dream come true for the DCCC as now we might have a seat that can negate the likely loss of the Matheson one.  This district is pretty favorable for Democrats and it could very well begin as a lean D option depending on how the year goes.
  • Roll Call touts several potential Republican candidates which includes former state party chair Matt Strawn and state senator Brad Zaun who lost to Boswell by four points in 2010.
  • This is a good thing for Democrats, I can’t stress that enough but while Appel does seem to be a decent progressive; this district might need another candidate.  Appel is credible, but did lost by eighteen points in 2010.

Links You Oughta Check Out:

  • Staci Appel’s Facebook page
  • Staci Appel’s Twitter account
  • Staci Appel’s campaign site
  • DONATE TO STACI APPEL’S CAMPAIGN

 

Frank Wolf Retires: Taking Back The House

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by joed5k in Taking Back The House '14

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Artur Davis, Barbara Comstock, Frank Wolf, House, Jill Holtzman Vogel, John Foust, politics, Virginia


Follow us on Twitter @PolliticsToday for more insight, commentary and updates concerning this blog or “LIKE” us on Facebook.  To get alerts on our newest articles, sign up for our alert system.  Seriously, do those things; we could use more followers and support! 

We have made continuous updates to our Taking Back The House series and I have created a master database of all the races we have highlighted and links to all the prospective Democratic candidates.  We continue to edit it as news on races emerge and we hope you follow it.  For the master list, please click here.
___________________________________________________

Well, I wasn’t planning on releasing a new Taking Back The House chapter today but certain extenuating circumstances meant that I had to take the plunge.

Those circumstances?  The announcement that longtime Republican Rep. Frank Wolf would retire and not run for another term in Virginia’s 10th congressional district.  Since Wolf is no longer in the race, I think its best that we sort of shift from our standard format of Taking Back The House to reflect the importance of this open race and why we can do it.

District Facts:

  • Virginia’s 10th district resides in the northern part of the state and includes Manassas.
  • Frank Wolf has represented this district, which has become very purple and competitive over the years, since 1980.  His personal popularity made him a harder to beat candidate even though the demographics weren’t exactly FULLY in his favor.
  • This district went for Barack Obama in 2008 though Mitt Romney won it in 2012 by a 50-49 margin.

Our Candidate:

  • Rest assured the Democrats have a pretty good candidate in Fairfax County supervisor John Foust though with Wolf’s announcement, I wouldn’t be shocked if some ambitious Democrats look at the race.  Foust though must have had some inside information though and he would’ve been Wolf’s most credible challenger in quite some time.

Why We Can Win This:

  • Well, this is not a slam dunk district and in fact will be a dogfight.  However, this has to be one of the main congressional races to watch in 2014 because if the Democrats have ANY shot at winning the House in 2014; this seat has to be won.  Its highly important and critical to future electoral success.
  • Another thing to watch for is who the Republicans nominate with some speculation resting on former Democratic Rep. Artur Davis who switched parties and states (served in Alabama) with the possible intent of another run for office.  Not sure how a carpetbagger/party flipper will go over in this district though.
  • The main candidates for the Republican Party to watch out for are Barbara Comstock, a former Wolf aide and state Delegate, and state Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel.

Links You Oughta Check Out:

  • John Foust’s Facebook page
  • John Foust’s Twitter account
  • John Foust’s campaign site

DONATE TO JOHN FOUST’S CAMPAIGN

Taking Back The House 2014: Mike Fitzpatrick

04 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by joed5k in Taking Back The House '14

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2014, House, Kevin Strouse, Michael Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania, politics, Shaughnessy Naughton


Follow us on Twitter @PolliticsToday for more insight, commentary and updates concerning this blog or “LIKE” us on Facebook.  To get alerts on our newest articles, sign up for our alert system.  Seriously, do those things; we could use more followers and support! 

We have made continuous updates to our Taking Back The House series and I have created a master database of all the races we have highlighted and links to all the prospective Democratic candidates.  We continue to edit it as news on races emerge and we hope you follow it.  For the master list, please click here.

_______________________________________________

We’re BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKKKKK.

Yes, its time to dust off our Taking Back The House series as I prepare for graduation and the country prepares for 2013 to turn to 2014.  I know we have been a bit inactive over the past few months, but its time for the official relaunch of Pollitics Today.  Before we get into our latest Republican target; here’s another little plea.

Please share our website when you can.  It would mean a tremendous amount to me if you would either follow the Twitter account, like the Facebook page or just be a routine reader/commenter.  I feel like we can build something special here.

But enough with the pity, you guys are here for one reason.  To find out another potential pickup opportunity for the Democrats in November 2014.

File:Mike_Fitzpatrick,_Official_Portrait,_112th_Congress

 

Mike Fitzpatrick has been representing the 8th district in Pennsylvania since 2010 though its actually his second go-around in Congress.  Fitzpatrick previously held this seat from 2005 to 2007, being ousted by Patrick Murphy in 2006, before winning the seat back in 2010.

Legislation & Notable Votes:

  • Introduced bill that would defund the NSA if it violated surveillance laws
  • Co-sponsored bill introduced by Todd Akin that would “redefine” rape
  • Voted for the Paul Ryan “defund Medicare” budget
  • Vowed to continue to vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act

Headlines:

  • Notably failed to show up for his swearing-in ceremony in 2010, instead tried to do it at another location (i.e. a reception with constituents) that landed him with ethics complaints.
  • Was named one of the first targets by the House Majority PAC in early January
  • His 2004 opponent, Ginny Schrader, was the recipient of a 2004 mailer by the NRCC that dubbed her the “Hate America” candidate.  Fitzpatrick never apologized to Schrader.
  • Is apparently limiting himself to four terms

Electoral History:

2004:  Michael Fitzpatrick (R): 55.3%, Ginny Schrader (D):  43.3%
2006:  Fitzpatrick (R):  49.7%, Patrick Murphy (D): 50.3%
2010:  Fitzpatrick (R):  53.5%, Murphy (D): 46.5%
2012:  Fitzpatrick (R):  56.6%, Kathryn Boockvar (D): 43.4%

PVI:
R+1

Potential Prospects:

There are two Democrats in the race to take on Mike Fitzpatrick and both seem to be decent candidates.  The establishment-backed/DCCC option appears to be Kevin Strouse.  Strouse is an Iraq War veteran and has been very active, slamming Fitzpatrick in an op-ed for job losses due to the sequester.  He definitely has an engaging profile and currently has about $325,000 on hand.

The other candidate in the field is Shaughnessy Naughton, a scientist and small business owner.  Naughton has received an endorsement from EMILY’s List and a local Ironworkers Union which could help her get some traction.

Why We Can Do This:

Make no mistake about it, this won’t be an easy one as Fitzpatrick (sans 2006) has seemingly outperformed the district though, with the exception of Murphy, seems to be facing his toughest competition yet.  Fitzpatrick seems to be a solid fundraiser as well so he won’t go quietly.

But there is a boon, Fitzpatrick has an apparent self-imposed term limit which will expire  in 2016.  Lame ducking yourself might not be the most grand strategy ever.  Also, Fitzpatrick seems to be vulnerable against a “Generic Democrat” but we will have to see how they attack Strouse or Naughton.

Links You Oughta Check Out:

  • Kevin Strouse’s Twitter
  • Kevin Strouse’s Facebook
  • Kevin Strouse’s Official Campaign Site
  • Shaughnessy Naughton’s Twitter
  • Shaughnessy Naughton’s Facebook
  • Shaugnessy Naughton’s Official Campaign Site

DONATE TO KEVIN STROUSE’S CAMPAIGN
DONATE TO SHAUGHNESSY NAUGHTON’S CAMPAIGN

Tips For Democrats On Taking Back The House

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by joed5k in Articles, Taking Back The House '14

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Congress, Democrats, House, politics, Republicans


Follow us on Twitter @PolliticsToday for more insight, commentary and updates concerning this blog or “LIKE” us on Facebook.  To get alerts on our newest articles, sign up for our alert system.  Seriously, do those things; we could use more followers and support! 

I knew I was onto something when I started my Taking Back The House series in the beginning of the calendar year.  While we have been able to carve out a small niche for those who are excited about elections, we weren’t able to muster that much excitement.

However, I had faith in one thing.  It was the basic belief that the Republican Party would do anything to sabotage its electoral prospects for future cycles.  Thanks to the rabid obsession of right-wing practices by the “non-establishment” Republicans, the country now sees the party for what it truly is.  A party hijacked by extremists, ideologues, faux-reformers and Ted Cruz.

If I, a confessed Democrat loyalist, had to pick one gripe with the Democrats its that they don’t do enough.  The party that should house liberals under its tent plays a fairly conservative game.  They compromise easily, they try hard (and usually succeed) to quell contested primaries and really; they don’t reach far.

But that strategy might pay off as the Republican Party radicalizes to be ya know, the party that temporarily shut down a part of our government.

I’m not one that quite can buy the potential that Democrats can take back the House of Representatives.  There’s still a whole year of Republican scare tactics and while they clearly seemed to have lost the public; they always have a way of rebounding fairly quickly.  You’ll now see them trying to re-shift the focus to the ongoing saga that is the website that is the focal point of the Affordable Care Act.

But I’m not quitting.  In fact, our odds are increasing on at least making significant headway to recapturing the House of Representatives.  But you need to join.  You need to become active and its high time that you join the cause because we can’t do this alone.  Apathy or feigned passion will get the party nowhere as we need to capitalize on the unforced errors that the GOP seems to be prone to making.

So here are some tips that we can do to ensure that we have a shot at making some damage.

1)-Learn the Names

  • Most important thing to do right now is begin the process of shifting the word “Generic Democrat” to actual names.  All these polls that show the Democrats beating identified Republicans look great!  But they don’t mean much other than show that certain Reps. are not popular.

    But that doesn’t mean they are losing right now.  Instead, they are losing to the idea of someone that doesn’t exist.  A flawless, uncontroversial, unnamed Democrat.  By the time the election cycle will kick into full gear, we will get to see biographical ads and attack ads launched in quick succession.  It’s going to take some manpower to fight back in some of these elections that will take place in Republican-favored territory.

    So right now, here’s a simple exercise.  Familiar yourself with the names of Gwen Graham, Ann Callis, Jerry Cannon, Andrew Romanoff, Pete Aguilar, Pete Festersen, Kevin Strousse, Shaughnessy Norton, Erin Bilbray, Sean Eldridge, Michael Eggman, Domenic Recchia, Martha Robertson amongst others.  We already gave you links to some of these candidates Facebook and Twitter accounts so start simple and “follow” or “like” them.

2.  Try To Stay As Local As Possible

  • No races are really local anymore but a common problem we face is when the “national” party gets involved.  If you are from Florida, in a gerrymandered district that really seems to be uncompetitive; look at the closest local race.  Help out a neighboring state even.  But try to stay as local as possible so we can show the opposing party that we want our states back.

3.  Volunteer

  • This is the biggest one and might be the hardest.  A lot of these political operations, while they have some national help when it comes to organizing and fundraising, could always use an extra person to spread the word.  Buy campaign gear to increase dollars, phonebank, participate in Get Out To Vote campaigns, show up at local rallies and convince a few like-minded friends to join you.

    Democrats need to unite together.  In campaigns like this, some critical races will generate more attention than others.  Always stay active and we will help you out when it comes to those who look to be underrepresented!

4.  Don’t Expect Perfection

  • There are a few candidates we have that seem fairly progressive and will be a boon to our national party.  There will likely be a few senatorial or gubernatorial prospects in the mix as well.

    However for the few bright spots that will emerge, there will be some duds.  There will be ones who don’t fundraise well, who make a few critical gaffes or even some that appear to be a bit too “conservative” for your liking.  But do not give up, the only way we’ll get a “blue tide” is by keeping the tent large and then we can start looking at primaries or something similar in the future.

5.  Defense Will Happen As Well

  • Its fun to think that all the Democrats need to do is pick up seats but the truth remains that there will need to be some defense played as well.  Republicans will be looking to increase their majority or trying to negate any gains that the Democrats make by ousting names such as Jim Matheson, John Barrow, Ron Barber or Raul Ruiz.

    Always keep an eye what’s going on in your backyard.

6.  Help Us Out!

  • We will be helping you along the way, but sign up for alert system or like us on Facebook/follow us on Twitter at the links at the very top of this article.  Help us help you as we will be offering constant updates as election day 2014 rolls near!

Taking Back The House Updates: Could The GOP Actually Lose The House?

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by joed5k in Polls, Taking Back The House '14

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Andrew Romanoff, Ann Callis, GOP, Government Shutdown, Gwen Graham, Jerry Cannon, Michael Eggman, Pete Aguilar, politics, Polls, Republican Party


Follow us on Twitter @PolliticsToday for more insight, commentary and updates concerning this blog or “LIKE” us on Facebook.  To get alerts on our newest articles, sign up for our alert system.  Seriously, do those things; we could use more followers and support! 

By now you probably have heard the buzz that has spread a bit around Facebook as of late.  According to Public Policy Polling, 17 Republicans are trailing “generic Democrat” opponents and if that holds true to form; the Democrats have a shot at taking the House back.  Circumstantial evidence such as the GOP’s rabid unpopularity in the midst of the continuing government shutdown saga has been cited as a reason why its not that farfetched of an idea.

But before we look into the likelihood of Speaker Pelosi, let’s look at how our targeted races are faring according to the poll.  The margins we are using are the ones that follow the question of “Would you be less likely or more likely to support Congressman X if you knew he voted to support shutting down major activities of the federal government as a way to stop the health care law from being put into place, or does it not make a difference?”.

  • Gary Miller trails Generic Democrat by a 12 point margin
  • Jeff Denham trails G.D. by 4 points
  • Mike Coffman is down by 10 points
  • Rodney Davis trails by 5 points
  • Steve Southerland trails by 9 points
  • David Valadao is up by 2 points
  • Dan Benishek trails by 22 (!) points
  • Tim Walberg trails by 9 points
  • Kerry Bentivolio trails by 15 points
  • Joe Heck is up by 3 points
  • Mike Grimm is down by 1 point
  • Chris Gibson is down by 6 points
  • Tom Reed is down by 6 points

Now this looks all fine and dandy as of now and downright promising.  In fact, upon first look at these numbers I couldn’t help but smile and think “hey, is this possible?  It has to be too good to be true”.

In all honesty, this is somewhat showing of a few things.  Benishek and Bentivolio are in fairly safe Republican districts but the former has underwhelmed in his brief electoral career and the latter is more than likely to be beaten in a primary by a better funded and less “colorful” generic Republican.  Still, I find it rather odd to see Benishek down by such a ridiculous amount already.

Also, this poll is not “skewed” but is dependent on messaging.  When the poll asks the question it did to get those results, its implying that voters will only hear the Democratic Party’s message and the Republicans will not be able to counter.  We have to assume that the Republicans will go back to their playbook of “do you REALLY want Speaker Pelosi again?” and complain about creeping socialism, Sharia, Kardashian, etc. to make Americans fearful of a Democratic-ruled House.

This is also not the best poll as it only says “Generic Democrat” meaning someone who hasn’t offended anyone and only exists in the voter’s minds.  The poll didn’t mention challengers such as Pete Aguilar, Andrew Romanoff, Gwen Graham, Ann Callis, Michael Eggman or Jerry Cannon but candidates who exist without a name.  That will change, for some it’ll be better and for some it’ll get worse.

Now this isn’t meant to dismay you, as I did Taking Back The House for a reason but if you really want to make some inroads in some of these districts here’s what you can do.

1.  Follow/Like These Candidates

  • Go back to our database and check out the candidates.  Follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook.  The only way we can make these Generic Democrats stand on their own is by rallying around them.  If you are in their district/state really consider volunteering for their campaign and donating.  The more people in Florida that can donate to Gwen Graham, the better.  If you don’t know who Gwen Graham is you have to start doing your part.

2.  Contribute

  • Money wins politics.  That’s a sad fact.  As I stated earlier, I’d rather people who were in the same state or district pick a candidate and donate money or time to them.  Anything from phone banking to helping the “get out to vote” crowd or even just retweeting a few tweets can make a difference.

3.  Be Aware

  • Not all candidates are perfect and some might not fit your ideology but if your main goal is to ensure President Obama has a Democratic House for his final two years as President, you must be aware of what it’s going to take.

Taking Back The House 2014: Tom Reed

14 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by joed5k in Taking Back The House '14

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Martha Robertson, New York, politics, Tom Reed


Follow us on Twitter @PolliticsToday for more insight, commentary and updates concerning this blog or “LIKE” us on Facebook.  To get alerts on our newest articles, sign up for our alert system.  Seriously, do those things; we could use more followers and support! 

We have made continuous updates to our Taking Back The House series and I have created a master database of all the races we have highlighted and links to all the prospective Democratic candidates.  We continue to edit it as news on races emerge and we hope you follow it.  For the master list, please click here.
_________________________________

In honor of this beautiful day in New Jersey, I decided its time to dust off the keyboard, move away from New Jersey politics and deliver a new edition of Taking Back The House!  When we were last with you, we were looking at Lee Terry and a bevy of potential opponents in Nebraska.

This time we decided to go into more Democratic territory and head over to the 23rd congressional district of New York and check out Rep. Tom Reed and his electoral prospects.  As always, we will look at why we believe Reed could be toppled sooner rather than later and who is challenging him.

So with all of that out of the way, let’s meet Rep. Tom Reed.

TomReedNewOfficialTom Reed was elected in the wave of 2010, succeeding the memorable and highly bizarre Eric Massa.  Massa would resign as opposed to running against Reed, which was probably a good thing as Eric Massa needed to get as far away from the spotlight as possible, and Reed had no problems marching to victory.  Before being a Congressman, Reed was the Mayor of Corning, New York and served one two-year term there.  He was also a Division III All-American swimmer and that’s about all that’s interesting about Mr. Reed.

Legislation & Notable Votes

  • Voted FOR the fiscal cliff compromise
  • Wanted to install a national ticking debt clock on the House floor
  • Votes often to repeal the Affordable Care Act
  • Supporter of the Ryan budget

Headlines:

  • Well this was weird.  Apparently some Congressmen decided to skinny dip on a visit to Israel, Reed didn’t (but was in attendance) and this isn’t really a big deal but it’s just….weird.
  • Was in a little bit of a controversy, that barely was a blip on the radar, as apparently a supporter of his said some very questionable quips about his Asian-American opponent, Nate Shinagawa last year.

Electoral History:

2010:  Reed (R): 56%, Matt Zeller (D): 44%
2012:  Reed (R): 51.9%, Nate Shinagawa (D): 48.1%

PVI:
R+3

Potential Prospects:

Unfortunately Shinagawa announced earlier in the year that he would not be seeking a rematch against Reed, which is a shame because he ran a helluva campaign all things considered.

However, fortunately for Democrats, they seem to have a fairly credible candidate in Martha Robertson who is Chair of the Tompkins County Legislature.  Robertson seems to be very well-connected to Shinagawa who has been promoting her on his Facebook page (unity is always a good thing and by all indications, Shinagawa knows this district) and she has been endorsed by EMILY’s List.  She does appear to be a very solid candidate in this slightly red district and is worthy of some excitement.

Why We Can Win This:

Well the Democrats squandered a good opportunity to swing this seat in 2012 but I don’t believe its out of the ballpark yet.  Shinagawa ran a great campaign and only raised a bit over $800,000 while Reed brought in over $2 million.  Democrats can do a pretty solid job here though it remains to be seen how well they can do without President Obama on top of the ballot.

Nonetheless, Andrew Cuomo will top the ticket in 2014 and that isn’t an awful thing but I wonder how he is perceived in this district.

But if Reed can slightly underperform even when he was outraising his opponent, it does cause question for concern and Martha Robertson seems to be promising.

Links You Oughta Check Out:

  • Martha Robertson’s Facebook Page
  • Martha Robertson’s Twitter Page
  • Martha Robertson’s Official Campaign Site
  • DONATE TO MARTHA ROBERTSON’S CAMPAIGN

 

Taking Back The House 2014: Lee Terry

30 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by joed5k in Taking Back The House '14

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bill Krist, House, Lee Terry, Nebraska, Pete Festersen, politics, Steve Lathrop


For an explanation of this feature, please click here.

Follow us on Twitter @PolliticsToday for more insight, commentary and updates concerning this blog or “LIKE” us on Facebook.  To get alerts on our newest articles, sign up for our alert system.  Seriously, do those things; we could use more followers and support! 

We have made continuous updates to our Taking Back The House series and I have created a master database of all the races we have highlighted and links to all the prospective Democratic candidates.  We continue to edit it as news on races emerge and we hope you follow it.  For the master list, please click here.
_________________________________

As the end of July is tomorrow, I thought the best way to celebrate the beginning of August was to issue a new chapter of our Taking Back The House series.  Plus with the Phillies’s season unraveling before my eyes, I need the distraction.

Before we look at our next incumbent Republican that we believe we can flip, I would like to offer a little disclaimer.  We are a very small website, in fact there is no “we” and it’s just “me” who does everything.  I would love it if you could help share our posts and maybe even like our page on Facebook or Twitter.  Just click the links at the top of the post and you’ll find the redirects.  A bunch of services on Twitter and a bunch of people on Facebook always talk about how we need to get the House back in 2014 but very few people do anything about it.  We would love it if you could spread the word of Pollitics Today!

But enough with the advertising, I know why you are here.  You want to meet our next Republican who we can force into retirement.  We were last in Michigan in which I gave you an introduction on Tim Walberg but now, let’s go to Nebraska and meet Lee Terry of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.

File:Lee_Terry

Lee Terry has been serving in the 2nd Congressional District of Nebraska since he was elected in 1998.  Since that time he has been a pretty reliable Republican but as the years have passed, his margin of victory has slowly shrank.  There’s a reason we are highlighting him but let’s take a look at the voting record of Rep. Terry and why we feel like there’s a chance that we can make his seat blue.

Legislation & Voting Record:

  • Originally was a cosponsor for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)
  • Voted in favor of CISPA
  • Voted against the fiscal cliff compromise
  • Given a 0% by NARAL indicating an anti-choice record
  • Voted yes on making the PATRIOT Act permanent
  • Voted no on qualifying targeted violence against LGBT people a hate crime

Headlines:

  • Found himself in the news for withdrawing his sponsorship of SOPA
  • Placed on the NRCC’s “Patriot Program” designed to protect vulnerable Republicans
  • Cursed at a guy who jaywalked in D.C.; yeah seriously.

Electoral History:

(Will only cover the last couple elections)

2006:  Lee Terry (R): 54.7%, Jim Esch (D): 45.3%
2008:  Terry (R): 51.9%, Esch (D): 48.1%
2010:  Terry (R): 60.8%, Tom White (D): 39.2%
2012:  Terry (R): 50.8%, John Ewing (D): 49.2%

PVI:
R+4

Potential Prospects:

Ewing seems pretty uneasy about launching a rematch in 2014, and might wait out until 2016 in which he’ll have a better shot.

Other potential challengers though include state senator Steve Lathrop who is mulling a gubernatorial run, Republican Bob Krist (who is apparently willing to switch parties to run in the primary) and also Omaha City councilman Pete Festersen.  Festersen seems to be one of the best bets though as it is noted by DailyKos Elections that he has been in contact with the DCCC.

Why We Can Do This:

Well this seat is a bit more of a stretch than some of the other ones we have highlighted but I expect the DSCC to look more into this race than they did in 2012 as the highly underfunded Ewing nearly took down Terry.  The 2nd congressional district gave an electoral vote to President Obama in 2008 and though he didn’t contest the district in 2012, he still pulled in a good amount due to Omaha’s blue hue.

But we can do this if we really drive up the numbers in Omaha thanks to a well-funded campaigner and it gets even more interesting if Terry makes a jump to run in the Senate race that has a vacancy now that Mike Johanns retired.  Its at least worthy of keeping your eye on.

Links You Oughta Check Out:

  • Steve Lathrop’s Twitter
  • Steve Lathrop’s Official Site
  • Pete Festersen’s Official Site
  • Pete Festersen’s Facebook Page
  • Pete Festersen’s Twitter

Taking Back The House 2014: Tim Walberg

22 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by joed5k in Taking Back The House '14

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

House, Michigan, Pam Byrnes, politics, Tim Walberg


For an explanation of this feature, please click here.

Follow us on Twitter @PolliticsToday for more insight, commentary and updates concerning this blog or “LIKE” us on Facebook.  To get alerts on our newest articles, sign up for our alert system.  Seriously, do those things; we could use more followers and support! 

We have made continuous updates to our Taking Back The House series and I have created a master database of all the races we have highlighted and links to all the prospective Democratic candidates.  We continue to edit it as news on races emerge and we hope you follow it.  For the master list, please click here.
____________________________________

Hello everybody, I hope everyone is doing better as over here in the Northeast the weather has calmed down a tad.  Instead of it being boiling, we are just casually stewing now!

But you know what’s still heating up, that is correct; our Taking Back The House series! In light of a surge of Facebook likes (we have had over 100+ since Thursday) and an explosion of new readers, I figured that this would be the best prize for our new audience.

Nonetheless, as we add more and more districts to our series (note, you can expect 5-to-10 more), we are starting to get into some slightly Republican areas.  I have a spreadsheet of races to keep tabs on and oddly enough today’s chapter is a race that I have slightly overlooked as of late.  It took the entrance of a Democratic challenger for me to realize that our odds in this race might be better than our odds in some of our previously covered ones.

Our last chapter involved Michigan Rep. Dan Benishek and you know what, let’s stay in the state and take a look at Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan’s 7th Congressional District!

url-9Rep. Tim Walberg has served Michigan since 2010 (go figure, right?) but unlike some of the other tea-flavored elected officials; he served a single term from 2006 to 2008 until being ousted by Mark Schauer.  So again, Walberg is now a pretty heavily targeted Rep. and we’ll see what we can do to oust him.  Before entering D.C., Walberg served for fifteen years in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Let’s meet Rep. Tim Walberg, shall we?

Legislation & Notable Votes:

  • Voted “yes” on banning federal health coverage for abortion.
  • Co-sponsored legislation to ban federal funding for Planned Parenthood
  • Supports constitutional amendment defining marriage as one man, one woman.
  • Voted “yes” on extending the Patriot Act
  • Voted against reauthorizing Violence Against Women Act
  • Big on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, has introduced legislation on it

Headlines

  • Been caught lying about his votes
  • Caught himself under some controversy as he called Iraq as “under control” as Chicago or Detroit.
  • Said “I really don’t know” if President Obama is Muslim or was born in the U.S.

Electoral History:

2006: Walberg (R): 49.6%, Sharon Marie Renier (D): 46%, Robert Hutchinson (L): 1.5%
2008: Walberg (R): 46.5%, Mark Schauer (D): 48.8%, Lynn Meadows (G): 3%
2010: Walberg (R): 50.2%, Schauer (D): 45.4%, Scott Eugene Aughney (UST): 1.6%
2012: Walberg (R): 53.3%, Kurt R. Haskell (D): 43%, Ken Proctor (L): 2.5%

PVI:
R+3

Potential Prospects:

The Democrats have their candidate in former state Rep. Pam Byrnes.  She served for six years in the State House and was only forced out due to term limits.  She has an a good profile for the district and local bloggers seem enthusiastic over her candidacy including Eclectablog who calls her a “moderate progressive”.

Why We Can Do This:

First off, don’t let Walberg’s margin of victory fool you; he beat a candidate that didn’t do a great job at raising money as Walberg outspent Haskell by around $700,000.

Byrnes seems to be the perfect candidate for this area and in fact, I am really excited about her run as well.  In fact, I would bump this up as the seat with the most potential to be turned blue in the state given Walberg’s Tea Party-esque profile and Byrnes experience in the area.

Links You Oughta Check Out:

  • The Official Twitter account of Pam Byrnes
  • The Official Facebook page of Pam Byrnes
  • The official campaign site of Pam Byrnes

DONATE TO PAM BYRNES’S CAMPAIGN 

 

How Are The Taking Back The House Districts Doing?

17 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by joed5k in Taking Back The House '14

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Andrew Romanoff, Ann Callis, Chris Gibson, Dan Benishek, Domenic Recchia, Eloise Reyes, Erika Harold, Erin Bilbray, Gary Miller, Gwen Graham, House, Jeff Denham, Jerry Cannon, Joe Baca, Joe Heck, Kerry Bentivolio, Michael Eggman, Michael Grimm, Mike Coffman, Pete Aguilar, politics, Rodney Davis, Sean Eldridge, Steve Southerland


For an explanation of this feature, please click here.  For our Taking Back The House database, please click here.

Follow us on Twitter @PolliticsToday for more insight, commentary and updates concerning this blog or “LIKE” us on Facebook.  Seriously, do those things; we could use more followers and support!

Yesterday was actually kind of a big deal if you care about Taking Back The House in 2014.  No, there wasn’t any major moves so to speak and we did not gain a new challenger in a seat that could be flipped blue.  However, we got to check out the early pulses of our races as quarterly fundraising totals were released for all races yesterday.  The DailyKos has a nice table for all of you, so check out this link.

Anyway, lets focus first on races we have previously highlighted and see how things are going.

Minnesota’s Sixth District – Michele Bachmann (incumbent)

  • This was our first diary in the series but with the announcement of Bachmann’s “retirement”, this race has been scrubbed from our series.  

Colorado’s Sixth District – Mike Coffman (incumbent)

  • Mike Coffman (R): $530,000 raised, $102,000 spent, $855,000 cash on hand.
  • Andrew Romanoff (D): $506,000 raised, $80,000 spent, $918,000 cash on hand.

This is looking like one of the best races in the country right about now.  Coffman has flirted with birtherism in the past and this district has a slight Democratic lean.  Romanoff, who challenged Michael Bennet in a Senate primary in 2010 (in which he was endorsed by Bill Clinton, while President Obama went for Bennet), was formerly the Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives.  This is one of the top pickup opportunities for the Democrats in 2014 as Romanoff is a pretty big name.  

  • DONATE TO ANDREW ROMANOFF’S CAMPAIGN

Illinois’s 13th District – Rodney Davis (incumbent)

  • Rodney Davis (R): $455,000 raised, $86,000 spent, $703,000 cash on hand.
  • Erika Harold (R): $78,000 raised, $16,000 spent, $62,000 cash on hand.
  • Ann Callis (D):  $226,000 raised, $15,000 spent, $211,000 cash on hand.

Rodney Davis is a first-term Congressman who will have a primary opponent in former Miss America Erika Harold.  Harold appears to be launching a challenge to Davis’s right but it is unknown how serious of a charge she can make.  Callis was the DCCC-recruited candidate who essentially cleared the field.  She’s a former judge and it seems like her campaign has gotten off to a tepid start.  Still, she’s got plenty of time and odds are that Davis will have to spend SOME money against Harold.  Plenty of time left.  Consider dropping a few dollars to Callis’s campaign.

  • DONATE TO ANN CALLIS’S CAMPAIGN

California’s 31st District – Gary Miller (incumbent)

  • Gary Miller (R):  $232,000 raised, $309,000 spent, $575,000 cash on hand.
  • Pete Aguilar (D):  $302,000 raised, $29,000 spent, $290,000 cash on hand.
  • Eloise Reyes (D):  $104,000 raised, $10,000 spent, $194,000 cash on hand.
  • Joe Baca (D):  $38,000 raised, $16,000 spent, $27,000 cash on hand.

Thanks to California’s “top-two” system, Gary Miller somehow serves this blue district.  Miller has been in Congress for awhile but given his voting record and the blueness of the district; he is the Democrats TOP pickup opportunity of the cycle, bar none.  Aguilar is the DCCC-supported candidate and has cash left over from his 2012 campaign so he is off to a good start.  Attorney Eloise Reyes could make a play for the general and ex. Rep Joe Baca is not in good shape right now.  

  • DONATE TO PETE AGUILAR’S CAMPAIGN

New York’s 11th District – Michael Grimm (incumbent)

  • Michael Grimm (R):  $438,000 raised, $155,000 spent, $577,000 cash on hand.
  • Domenic Recchia (D):  $303,000 raised, $44,000 spent, $666,000 cash on hand.

Michael Grimm is in the midst of his second term in Congress and Democrats have their sights set on him with DCCC-supported candidate Domenic Recchia.  There has been some worry that Recchia isn’t ready for primetime but he has some money to him and isn’t doing a bad job of fundraising.  Grimm will have the early edge here, but this race will be decided on the ground.  Very curious how Recchia does.

  • DONATE TO DOMENIC RECCHIA’S CAMPAIGN

California’s 21st District – David Valadao (incumbent)

  • David Valadao (R):  $376,000 raised, $55,000 spent, $449,000 cash on hand.

This is a district that could be ripe for the picking but there’s no Democratic challenger in the field yet and no rumors of one coming up either. This is a seat that will likely be blue in 2016 but as of now, Valadao has to like where he is.  

Florida’s 2nd District – Steve Southerland (incumbent)

  • Steve Southerland (R):  $429,000 raised, $87,000 spent, $477,000 cash on hand.
  • Gwen Graham (D):  $377,000 raised, $73,000 spent, $304,000 cash on hand.

I like the chances here.  Southerland has no problems raising money and will likely roll in cash throughout the cycle but Gwen Graham, daughter of Florida political icon Bob, is one of the top Democratic recruits.  Graham had a good quarter and I expect that to only get better from here on out.  It will be a tough race but I’m excited for Graham to really run a great campaign.

  • DONATE TO GWEN GRAHAM’S CAMPAIGN

Michigan’s 11th District – Kerry Bentivolio (incumbent)

  • Kerry Bentivolio (R):  $65,000 raised, $23,000 spent, $38,000 cash on hand.

The Democrats need to run a candidate here, even though the demographics heavily favor Republicans, there is a pickup opportunity here as “accidental Congressman” Kerry Bentivolio is a pretty terrible fundraiser.  I expect him to get a credible challenge in a primary but if it gets too fractured, Bentivolio could be on his way to the general.  

New York’s 19th District – Chris Gibson (incumbent)

  • Chris Gibson (R):  $286,000 raised, $25,000 spent, $431,000 cash on hand.
  • Sean Eldridge (D):  $437,000 raised, $77,000 spent, $639,000 cash on hand.

I have a feeling this race could get very ugly.  Gibson is the least conservative House Republican and Eldridge is a very wealthy man who is married to one of the co-founders of Facebook.  Republicans have already accused Eldridge of being a “carpetbagger” which probably shows you that they have some fear that Eldridge could take the seat from them.  Eldridge gave his campaign $215,000 but he’s a pretty decently well-known name throughout the state.  Eldridge is also openly gay and was one of the biggest marriage equality activists in the state.

  • DONATE TO SEAN ELDRIDGE’S CAMPAIGN

California’s 10th District – Jeff Denham (incumbent)

  • Jeff Denham (R):  $506,000 raised, $66,000 spent, $835,000 cash on hand.
  • Michael Eggman (D):  $118,000 raised, $7,000 spent, $110,000 cash on hand.

Jeff Denham had a great quarter of fundraising but he also might be interested in making another run for Lieutenant Governor in 2014.  Eggman is a DCCC endorsed campaign but I wouldn’t worry too much on his low fundraising totals.  It appears he’s just getting his campaign started as he has recently started tweeting and he started a bit later in the cycle than other candidates.  

  • DONATE TO MICHAEL EGGMAN’S CAMPAIGN

Nevada’s 3rd District – Joe Heck (incumbent)

  • Joe Heck (R):  $385,000 raised, $61,000 spent, $659,000 cash on hand.
  • Erin Bilbray (D):  Just announced a bid, no totals yet.

Heck is going to be in for a big fight this year but luckily for him, he has some money to spend and had a solid quarter.  The Democrats recruited Erin Bilbray-Kohn to run and she has announced that she is running, but she announced too late in the cycle so she doesn’t have to file totals.  Bilbray is well-connected though so I can’t envision any problems of her raising dough.

  • DONATE TO ERIN BILBRAY’S CAMPAIGN

Michigan’s 1st District – Dan Benishek (incumbent)

  • Dan Benishek (R):  $200,000 raised, $75,000 spent, $260,000 cash on hand.

Benishek has not been the greatest campaigner in this reddish district (ancestrally Democrat, trending Republican) and Democrats are aiming for Jerry Cannon, a retired Army Major General, to run here and he could be a good candidate.  Still, Benishek will have the advantage but its a race to watch.

 

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