2010 Elections, Political News

The same day he stumped for Democrats in Connecticut, President Barack Obama formally endorsed state Rep. Bryan Lentz in Pennsylvania’s 7th district, which is among the most competitive races in the state and largely considered a bellwether for other swing districts across the country. Lentz is facing former U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan , a top Republican recruit in the suburban Philadelphia district. Meehan has outraised Lentz this cycle and reported a $300,000 cash-on-hand advantage at the end of June. “With so much still left to be done, and too many families struggling to get by, we need to keep America moving forward — which means I need you to support Bryan Lentz for Congress,” Obama said in a statement released by the campaign. “You can go door to door to ask folks to support Bryan. You can make calls to voters in your area, and make sure they get to the polls. And you can spread the word about the importance of voting for Bryan Lentz to your family, friends, and neighbors.” At this time, the endorsement was limited to the statement. The president has no specific plans to visit the district on Lentz’s behalf, although “we would absolutely welcome his continued support if the White House offered it,” according to Lentz spokesman Sean Coit. “I’m extremely honored by President Obama’s endorsement,” Lentz said in a statement. “After focusing my campaign on job creation and economic development, my first priority as a member of Congress will be to work with the President and other members of Congress to get our economy back on track.”

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Obama Backs Lentz in Pennsylvania Open Seat

Four consecutive polls, including a survey released recently by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, have shown Washington Sen. Patty Murray ahead of Republican Dino Rossi. All four also found the Washington Democrat taking at least 50 percent of the vote, a key metric for incumbents. The latest poll came from Rasmussen Reports , which found Murray ahead 51 percent to 46 percent. The survey of 750 likely voters was taken on Sept. 14 and had a 4-point margin of error. Previously, Elway Research, a Seattle-based firm, had Murray up 9 points. So did a recent CNN/Time poll. The poll done for the DSCC found Murray up 50 percent to 45 percent. While Murray is ahead, Rossi is certainly within striking distance with 46 days left in the campaign. Both national party committees have reserved at least $2 million in TV time in the state, signaling the competitiveness of the race. However, either could pull their money at any time if the race appears to be tilting heavily in one direction.

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Washington: Fourth Poll Shows Murray Ahead

The multiple ethics charges still hanging over Rep. Charles Rangel (D) didn’t bother voters in Tuesday’s primary, where he won the party’s nomination. Maybe that’s no surprise, but this is: Rangel’s Republican opponent says he doesn’t consider them an issue, either. Just about everyone believes Rangel is a lock to win yet another term in Congress representing this district that includes Harlem and Spanish Harlem, making it all the more curious why his rival won’t use the ethics issue against him. “He did it. But there are others that did worse,” former NFL player and Harlem pastor Michel Faulkner , a Republican, said in a Thursday interview with CQ-Roll Call. “They threw him under the bus. They threw Maxine Waters under the bus. The Democratic Party is showing its true colors. I think the Democratic Party is racist. I’ll say it.” Faulkner, who is African-American, vowed not to go negative against Rangel in his quest to unseat the 20-term incumbent. “If I was willing to run a negative campaign, I take this [race] running away,” he said. “But I’m not going to do that. He’s already got enough stuff out there on him.” The one issue Faulkner doesn’t shy away from, however, is the allegation that Rangel had multiple rent-controlled apartments: “That’s greed. People in my district say that’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.” We’ve put a call into the DCCC for their take on Faulkner’s position, but haven’t heard back yet. It’s an understatement to say that Faulkner is overmatched in the general election contest. He says he has less than $7,000 in his campaign account. But he has two fundraisers planned for the coming weeks, including one hosted by New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox. And Faulkner, a Washington, D.C. native and former vice president of urban ministry for Liberty University, says he’s in discussions with “national conservative icons to step up for the campaign.” He hinted that Newt Gingrich might be at the top of the list. “I reacquainted myself with Newt the past couple days,” Faulkner said. “I’d love to have him involved with the campaign.”

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Rangel’s GOP Rival Won’t Raise Ethics Charges

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Former eBay executive Meg Whitman is defending $119 million in contributions she has made to her campaign for California governor — a personal spending rate that has now surpassed that of any other political candidate in American history.

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Meg Whitman breaks US campaign spending records

Finally . Cornyn: Let there be no mistake: The National Republican Senatorial Committee – and I personally as the committee’s chairman – strongly stand by all of our Republican nominees, including Christine O’Donnell in Delaware. I reached out to Christine this morning, and as I have conveyed to all of our nominees, I offered her my personal congratulations and let her know that she has our support. This support includes a check for $42,000 – the maximum allowable donation that we have provided to all of our nominees – which the NRSC will send to her campaign today. Carl Cameron was careful to note this a.m. that it’s not the maximum of what the NRSC can do , however. I’m glad it was dealt with so quickly and interpret it as a goodwill gesture of unity and perhaps one of the first signs that the beltway realizes they can accomplish nothing without the people. An apology to voters would also rock as well. Filed under: Election 2010 , gop

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NRSC Backs O’Donnell

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D) easily beat back a well-funded primary challenge from hedge fund attorney Reshma Saujani to secure the her party’s nomination to a 10th term this fall. Maloney led 81 percent 19 percent with just 35 percent reporting when the Associated Press called the race. While most everyone in her party was busy blaming Wall Street for the country’s economic troubles this year, Saujani ran on a pro-financial industry platform which helped her gain traction with many wealty voters who actually work in downtown Manhattan and live in the East Side-based 14th district. Saujani, a former fundraiser for Hillary Clinton, pulled in over $1.4 million for her campaign and forced the Congresswoman to spend $2 million in what became a nasty primary fight. Late in the campaign former President Bill Clinton stepped in to endorse the Congresswoman. Maloney should cruise to victory in November but she may want to keep an eye further down the road to 2012 because Saujani is already making noise about another Congressional run.

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N.Y.: Maloney Cruises to Victory Against Well-Funded Foe

State Sen. Andy Harris can finally focus his full attention on November after coasting to the GOP nomination in Maryland’s battleground 1st district Tuesday night. With nearly 60 percent reporting the Associated Press called the 1st district contest with Harris leading wealthy entrepreneur Rob Fisher by a two-to-one margin. Fisher spent more than $550,000 of his own money on his campaign and got a late boost in the form of an endorsement from former Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R), who Harris defeated in a nasty 2008 primary. But the relatively unknown Fisher never gained much traction against Harris, who is now headed to a rematch with Rep. Frank Kratovil (D). Kratovil, who won last cycle by less than 3,000 votes, is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents of the cycle. While the Harris camp can now officially move into general election mode, the campaign has long been looking ahead to the matchup against Kratovil. In fact, during the final week of the primary, Harris was busy previewing his first general election commercial, which is set to air Wednesday. The ad is a biographical piece that also talks about the threat of government overtaxing and overspending. The 1st district race is the only competitive contest on tap in the Old Line State this November. In other results in the state from Tuesday’s primaries, Democrats overwhelmingly nominated Sen. Barbara Mikulski to a sixth term. On the Republican side, Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Eric Wargotz was ahead in his primary but the GOP nominee will have an uphill climb as national Republicans are not targeting Mikulski this fall.

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Harris Easily Wins GOP Nod for Rematch With Kratovil

Providence Mayor David Cicilline survived a bloody four-way Democratic primary Tuesday and becomes the favorite in the race to replace retiring Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D). With 64 percent of districts reporting, Cicilline had 36 percent of the vote, compared to 22.5 percent for former state Democratic Party Chairman Bill Lynch, 22 percent for businessman Anthony Gemma and 19.5 percent for state Rep. David Segal. Gemma launched a series of attacks against Cicilline in recent days, calling on Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) to force Cicilline out of the race.

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R.I.: Cicilline Survives Primary in Race to Succeed Kennedy

In the race to replace retiring Rep. Bill Delahunt in southeastern Massachusetts’ crowded 10th district, state Rep. Jeff Perry defeated former state treasurer Joe Malone in Tuesday’s GOP primary. According to the Associated Press, Perry had 63 percent to 29 percent for Malone, with 58 percent of precincts reporting. Republicans are targeting the seat — in a region overwhelmingly carried by Sen. Scott P. Brown (R) in the January special election — as a possible pickup in the heavily Democratic Bay State. Expect the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — which has already reserved TV time in the Boston market — to come out swinging against Perry now that he is the nominee. In the general election, Perry will face off against Norfolk District Attorney William Keating, who defeated state Sen. Robert O’Leary 54 to 46 percent with 86 percent of precincts reporting in the Democratic primary, according to the Associated Press. Elsewhere, in the suburban Boston 9th district, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D) beat back an aggressive challenge from Mac D’Alessandro, who had the endorsement of the Boston Globe and was the beneficiary of roughly $250,000 in independent expenditures by his former employer, the Service Employees International Union. Lynch had 65 percent and D’Alessandro had 35 percent, with 44 percent of districts reporting. “Mac D’Alessando may have come up short in his campaign but his impressive result proves that when you stand up for your beliefs you will never stand alone,” SEIU Massachusetts State Council President Mike Grunko said in a statement.

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Lynch Wins Handily, Perry Nabs GOP Nod in Open Seat in Mass.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s television ad reservation adjustments have hit northeastern Pennsylvania, where Reps. Christopher Carney (D) and Paul Kanjorski (D) will see a little less air cover from the national party in the final weeks of the campaign than originally expected. The DCCC has withdrawn half a week’s worth of their original five-week reservation in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre media market that covers most of Carney’s 10th district and Kanjorski’s 11th district. It’s unclear if the draw down was meant for just one or both races. Democratic officials insist the reservation adjustment in Pennsylvania was done from a position of strength. “Considering [Carney and Kanjorski are] both running against significantly flawed Republican candidates, we’re confident that they’re well-positioned for November,” DCCC spokesman Shripal Shah said Tuesday.

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DCCC Shrinks Ad Reservation in Northeast Pennsylvania