AR-Sen: Halter Gains, Within Single Digits In New Poll

Research 2000 finds the trend line in favor of Bill Halter in the Arkansas Senate race, with Halter gaining to within a single-digit deficit with Blanche Lincoln, 43-35. An earlier poll by the same outfit had Lincoln in front by 13 points, 44-31. Importantly, Lincoln stands well below the 50% threshold needed to move on to the general election. If no candidate gets 50% in the primary, the race moves to a runoff between the top two candidates. DC Morrison, a Zell Miller-like conservative, is in the primary and will probably take enough votes to force a runoff.

Markos Moulitsas, whose Daily Kos commissioned the poll, notes that Halter still polls better than Lincoln in all general election matchups against the Republican candidates, including Rep. John Boozman, the likely favorite. Halter trails Boozman 47-42, while Lincoln trails 52-42.

The changes from two weeks ago were minor, but all of them trended the same way: Lincoln lost ground on every single Republican, Halter gained ground on ever single Republican, and even leads two of them. As a result, Halter is a significantly better general election candidate for the Democrats. In fact, Halter is statistically tied with every Republican, as even the Boozman matchup is within the margin of error.

The likely GOP nominee is still Rep. Boozman, and Halter has already cut into that deficit; while Lincoln trails Boozman by 10, with zero chance to make up that deficit as a well-known and disliked incumbent, Halter still has plenty of room to make up ground. And against the 10-year DC incumbent congressman, Halter can run a populist, anti-DC campaign, the kind that will be getting the most traction this November.

Halter’s favorability ratings are the best in the field. His campaign touted the poll to supporters and the press.

Lincoln’s Ag Committee bill on derivatives hits the spotlight just as her primary campaign heats up. So far, the implications of that has been to move the bill to the left. But we shall see the outcome of that approach on the Senate floor. And this keeps her away from campaigning in Arkansas in what is becoming a tight primary.

Source

The New Math In Florida

Apr 29 2010, 9:22 AM ET

The way to the heart of a Florida voter is through the stomach. Bread and butter issues like taxes and the economy tend to work well. A three-way race scrambles the conventional dynamics in ways that even a molecular gastronomist would appreciate.

Do Democrat Kendrick Meek and Republican Marco Rubio try to run up their base percentages, trying to keep Crist from building a coalition, or do they try to appeal to the broad middle -- even though the middle doesn't generally turn out in midterm elections.

Put yourself in the mind of Marco Rubio. You want to paint Crist and Meek as two peas in an Obama pod. But Obama isn't unpopular in Florida. So Meek takes the challenge: you bet I'm an Obama Democrat, he says. If Meek gets 80 to 85% of the Democratic vote, that's about 40% of the electorate -- a floor of about 30-32% of the overall vote.

The independent vote will be fairly small -- half of it is worth about 10 points of the statewide vote. As Steve Schale, Obama's campaign manager in Florida put it, "Even on its best day in November, NPA and minor party voters will probably only make up 18% of the electorate, so even if Crist gets 50% of the vote, he only nets 9 points of total statewide vote."

At the same time, if Meek swings too far to the left, he collects very few independents, and can't build on his base. If Rubio swings too far to the right, he gets stuck in the low thirties. Crist could win by pulling 15-20% of Democrats and Republicans from Meek and Rubio and 75% of independents.

So -- the math has changed the political strategy. Meek and Rubio will be working to keep as many moderate independent leaners in their coalition as possible while keeping their bases enthusiastic. Crist will build on his geographic strength: St. Pete/Tampa, his popularity with African Americans and Jewish voters, the possibility that Puerto Rican-Americans don't cotton to Rubio, and can begin to peel away voters.

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Rubio, Meek camps prep messages

By ALEXANDER BURNS | 4/28/10 11:58 AM EDT

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will announce in St. Petersburg Thursday afternoon whether he'll run for Senate as an independent. His campaign said Wednesday that the governor, currently a Republican, would hold a 5 p.m. "qualifying event" in a downtown park.

If Crist were to run as an unaffiliated candidate, he'd instantly become the biggest X factor in the race, playing a role without any recent precedent. But making the Senate campaign a three-way race would also lower the threshold for victory and give Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek plenty of reason to keep focusing on their core strengths.

Rubio adviser Todd Harris told POLITICO the candidate's message would "stay exactly the same as it has been" under those circumstances. "We have spent the last year running against an opponent who can't be trusted to go to Washington and stand up to the Obama agenda. If it turns out we have to run against two candidates who fall into that category then so be it," Harris said. "Of the three, Marco will still be the only candidate who isn?t trying to get into the Senate in order to rubber stamp the Obama agenda."

A Meek strategist predicted the congressman's name ID would shoot up and his poll numbers would rise, as Democrats began to engage with the de facto start of a general election campaign. Amid all the drama on the right-of-center side of the race, Meek would be able to make the argument that while Rubio "subscribes to a rigid philosophical agenda" and Crist cares most about "his own personal ambition," Meek's been working to represent Florida's interests in Washington, the strategist suggested.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36480.html#ixzz0mUqYcfau

Meek opposes Arizona immigration law

Senate candidate and former Florida trooper Kendrick Meek opposed the controversial new Arizona immigration law on Monday, calling it “neither fair nor practical.”

Kendrick Meek

“It encourages police to question people who have done nothing wrong, and it does a disservice to people in this country who are employed, paying their taxes and are good citizens of their communities,” said Meek, a Democratic congressman from Miami.

Meek, who once served on the Florida Highway Patrol, said such a law will hamper attempts by police to find witnesses willing to speak about crimes.

The Arizona law requires local police to question those suspected of violating federal immigration laws, and it requires legal immigrants to carry identification.

President Obama has called the Arizona law “misguided.” Individual groups plan to challenge the constitutionality of the law before it takes effect.

Source

Bill Halter Endorsement

Washington, DC - 21^st Century Democrats today endorsed Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter for the United States Senate. Bill Halter has a long history supporting progressive issues that have helped the people of Arkansas. Most importantly, Bill Halter is a progressive we can count on to work for everyday Americans, and not back special interests.

Bill Halter knows what is truly important: raising the minimum wage so workers can afford to take care of their families, supporting the creation of clean energy technologies to help our environment and jumpstart our economy and supporting the rights of workers to organize. Bill Halter also brings significant experience in fiscal accountability and is a strong advocate for financial reform. Under President Clinton, Bill Halter helped rein in fiscal waste when, during his six years with the Office of Management and Budget, he helped turn the government's budget deficit of $290 billion into a surplus of $125 billion.

Every election cycle, 21^st Century Democrats looks for candidates who show great promise of future leadership, and who aren't afraid to take on big corporate interests. The organization is known for building a farm team of progressive populist leadership in the Democratic Party. Earlier supported candidates have included Russ Feingold, Paul Wellstone, and Barack Obama - long before they came became national figures.

"We are proud to stand with Bill Halter as he takes on corporate waste and fraud," said Jim Schiebel, Chairman of 21^st Century Democrats. "Now is the time to support candidates like Bill who will support American workers rights to a living wage and the ability to organize."

21st Century Democrats is a Washington, D.C. based grassroots-oriented political action committee that endorses and helps elect progressive Democrats by building a grassroots organization dedicated to electing progressive leaders. In the last 10 years alone, the organization has helped over 165 candidates in 31 states win election; has employed and trained 475 field organizers and 500 canvassers; and has trained 4,400. By focusing its attention on building aggressive and quantifiable field campaigns, 21st Century Democrats has won the majority of its races for 10 straight years.

Click here to learn more about Bill Halter

Click here to learn more about the other candidates 21st Century Democrats have endorsed

Letters from readers: Meek focused on issues

KENDRICK MEEK

Focused on issues

The profile on Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek was a breath of fresh air.

Coverage on Gov. Charlie Crist and former House Speaker Marco Rubio's petty, personal disputes has reached a saturation point.

Finally we read about Kendrick Meek, a candidate focused on issues, not political philosophy or personality. In Northeast Florida, we are often overlooked by political candidates or campaigns, but that is about to change.

Meek voted for the Recovery Act, which impacted more than 112,000 jobs for teachers, firemen, police officers and others in Florida.

He also voted for the Jobs for Main Street Act, which included help for small businesses, infrastructure construction, an extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits, and a child tax credit.

He will continue to work to ensure that all Floridians get the help they need. He wants you to know that creating jobs for Floridians is his top priority.

GINA WESTON

Jacksonville

Meek Welcomes 3-Way Senate Race

Political Experts Say Gov. Crist Run As Independent

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Congressman Kendrick Meek believes Gov. Charlie Crist's expected party switch may benefit his campaign.

Political experts said they expect Crist will run for Senate as an independent, rather than a Republican.

Crist is currently lagging behind his party rival, former House Speaker Marco Rubio, by more than 20 percent in some political polls. Other surveys show Crist doing better if he runs as an independent.

Crist's run as an independent may be bad news for Rubio, but the Democratic hopeful, Meek, said a three-way race could only help his chances with voters.

"I think a lot of people are turned off about discourse going on in the primary," Meek said. "(If) the governor makes a decision he is going to run as an independent, automatically I become a factor in this race."

Meek said Crist's expected change will help to bolster his exposure in the campaign.

"There will no longer be debates with just the two of them. I will be invited as another major candidate in the race," said Meek.

Crist has until next Friday to make a final decision on whether to run as an independent.

Bill Halter's New Ad: Jobs

AR-Sen: Lincoln still under 50 percent

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 4/12-14. Likely voters. MoE 4% (3/22-24 results)

Democratic primary MoE 5%

Blanche Lincoln (D) 45 (44)
Bill Halter (D) 33 (31)
Other 6 (0)
Undecided 16 (25)

Favorable/Unfavorable/No opinion among Democrats

Lincoln 65/31/4 (62/34/6)
Halter 69/11/23 (68/10/27)

That +1 gain for Halter in the horserace is well within the poll's margin of error, and presents nothing more than float. The favorabilities are actually quite the story -- the Lincoln campaign has been relentlessly negative on Halter, yet none of that mud (all of it ridiculous and false) has tainted Halter. He's shrugged off all attacks with nary a problem.

On the other side, Lincoln has faced a barrage of negative ads from Halter allies in labor, yet those have done little to damage Lincoln. In fact, she's up a net +6 in her favorabilities. Apparently, Arkansas Democrats aren't paying too much attention to the negativity.

On the other hand, we've seen "other" shoot up from nothing two weeks ago, to six percent this week. That "other" is D.C. Morrison, who scored 10 percent in a poll for Arkansas business publication Talk Business. Morrison is a no-name conservadem spending no money in the race. But in a race turning nasty, he's starting to pick up support by virtue of not being the other two candidates.

Morrison may end up being a player in this race -- Arkansas requires 50+1 percent to win. If no candidate gets an outright majority, there will be a runoff three weeks later. Right now, Lincoln is still far from 50 percent, and while Halter may not have gained significant ground the last two weeks, the underlying fundamentals are still in his favor -- undecideds almost always break against the incumbent.

Halter's big challenge -- how can he raise Lincoln's unfavorabilities without tainting his own? Going negative is a two-edged sword, and thus far, Halter has avoided slinging the mud himself, leaving that up to his allies.

In the general:

Blanche Lincoln (D) 43 (42)
John Boozman (R) 50 (49)

Bill Halter (D) 41 (40)
John Boozman (R) 48 (48)

Blanche Lincoln (D) 42 (43)
Kim Hendren (R) 49 (48)

Bill Halter (D) 43 (44)
Kim Hendren (R) 46 (45)

Blanche Lincoln (D) 41 (41)
Gilbert Baker (R) 48 (49)

Bill Halter (D) 43 (44)
Gilbert Baker (R) 45 (46)

Blanche Lincoln (D) 43 (44)
Curtis Coleman (R) 46 (47)

Bill Halter (D) 44 (45)
Curtis Coleman (R) 43 (44)

Blanche Lincoln (D) 43 (43)
Tom Cox (R) 46 (47)

Bill Halter (D) 44 (45)
Tom Cox (R) 43 (43)

Not much change, just tiny float within the margin of error. But look at the favorabilities:

Favorable/Unfavorable/No opinion among all voters

Lincoln (D) 43/53/4 (42/52/6)
Halter (D) 47/30/23 (46/27/27)
Boozman (R) 45/31/24 (44/30/26)

Lincoln is still a failed politician, hated by her state. Independents rate her at 41/57/2. Halter has a 46/30/24 favorability rating among independents. Boozman, the most likely Republican nominee, is at 45/29/26 with the indies.

Lincoln doesn't stand a chance in the general with numbers like that. Halter remains the most popular politician in this race, more so than the probably Republican nominee, and is essentially tied among independents with Boozman.

If we want to win this thing in November, our best chance is still with Halter.

Former Florida Sen. Dan Webster challenges Alan Grayson

April 22, 2010|By David Damron, Orlando Sentinel

With 200-plus supporters on a grass field next to his church Thursday, former state Sen. Dan Webster said he is running against Democratic U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.

He brought with him two key Republican endorsements who could help overcome such a late entry into a crowded primary field: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and past presidential hopeful-turned Fox News Channel host Mike Huckabee.

Six months ago, Webster would have been a clear front-runner to take on Orlando's fiery Democrat in Congress. Most GOP candidates now in the primary hunt would have stayed on the sidelines. But he opted not to get in. Webster said his family was not united behind him running then. Now they are.

So he's playing catch-up to three early pace setters: attorney Todd Long, who lost a 2008 primary for the same District 8 seat; Winter Park businessman Bruce O'Donoghue, who has GOP-establishment support that would have been Webster's; and state Rep. Kurt Kelly, R-Ocala.

The endorsements help put him at or near the top of that field, which also includes a number of lesser-known Tea Party candidates.

Why? Bush is still popular with rank-and-file Republicans in Central Florida, and no endorsement in this race arguably matters more than his. Huckabee gives Webster a national TV stage to raise donations quickly.

That's something Grayson is adept at. He sits atop about a $1.5 million campaign war chest.

But Webster's late entry means he's lost top-tier allies who could have helped him, namely former Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings and former U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, two Republicans who appear firmly loyal to O'Donoghue.

"Webster has not talked to me," Martinez wrote in an email to the Orlando Sentinel, "but I support Bruce and that is unchanged and I believe he will win this race."

In his opening campaign remarks, Webster hit on basic GOP themes, such as lower taxes and more personal freedoms, but it took him no time to pay respect to the Tea Party movement's activists, who dominate conservative political circles.

"I didn't plan to get into politics," Webster said 15 seconds into his speech," which is why I greatly respect the Tea Party movement."

Webster said he would reverse "runaway spending" in Congress, stop the "bailouts, buyouts and payoffs, all in the name of helping the economy," and "reverse the downward spiral of the United States."

"The Congress is too proud, they're too pious, they're too petty, they're too partisan," Webster said. "And they lack a set of principles."

"Calling a redistribution of wealth plan a healthcare plan does not make it a healthcare plan," Webster said.

"You know what, it's our country, not theirs," Webster said. "So let's take it back."

Webster is going to be a target in the primary on a number of fronts, from his spending record as a state lawmaker to his unwillingness to help roll back a toll hike when he recently led a review of the region's expressway agency. His 28-year stint in Tallahassee already has marked him a "career politician" by opponents.

"Everybody that is not a career politician wants to be, and everybody that is, is," Webster said. "But I think I'm going to show them my record and prove to them I'm not a career politician, but a career statesman."

DSCC Maxes Out To Boxer, Feingold

By Greg Giroux

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee last month gave the maximum direct contribution to the re-election campaigns of Sens. Barbara Boxer (Calif.) and Russ Feingold (Wis.)

According to the DSCC's March campaign finance report, it gave $42,600 to Boxer and Feingold, who are seeking their fourth terms.

That is the maximum a national party committee can give directly to a Senate candidate, though it's only a fraction of what the DSCC is permitted to spend in coordinated expenditures that can be made in concert with candidates' campaigns -- or on independent expenditures that cannot. But the DSCC's twin payment is a sign the committee is fully committed to re-electing them.

Boxer, who is getting serious fundraising help from President Obama, will face the winner of a Republican primary that includes former Rep. Tom Campbell, state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.

Feingold is less politically vulnerable than Boxer now that he won't be facing former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who announced last week -- after the DSCC contributed to Feingold -- that he would not challenge the senator. Two lesser-known Republicans are challenging Feingold at the moment.

Source

21st Century Democrats Endorses Kendrick Meek for U.S. Senate

Washington, DC – 21st Century Democrats today endorsed Representative Kendrick Meek for the United States Senate. Kendrick knows what it means to work hard. Raised by a single mother, Congresswoman Carrie Meek, and his two older sisters, he worked his way through college on a football scholarship and the tips he made carrying luggage as an airport skycap. When he graduated, he continued to put in long hours to keep Florida communities safe as Florida Highway Patrolman.

As a legislator, he has always fought for reforms that make a difference for Florida families. In 2002, he stood up to Florida's political establishment and successfully led a campaign to limit Florida class sizes. He fought against excessive bank overdraft fees and spearheaded efforts to reign in Wall Street banks that caused this financial crisis. With record numbers of Floridians out of work, Kendrick is working tirelessly to bring good paying jobs to the state. Instead of playing political games and engaging in abstract ideological battles, he is fighting for jobs and to rejuvenate Florida's economy.

Every election cycle, 21st Century Democrats looks for candidates who show great promise of future leadership, and who aren't afraid to take on big corporate interests. The organization is known for building a farm team of progressive populist leadership in the Democratic Party. Earlier supporters have included Russ Feingold, Paul Wellstone, and Barack Obama - long before they came became national figures.

“We’re very excited to endorse Representative Meek in his campaign for the United States Senate,” said Jim Schiebel, Chairman of 21st Century Democrats. “His commitment to grassroots, progressive advocacy is evident in his historic achievement in securing his placement on Florida’s ballot by petition. We know that he will continue his dedication to community and progressive ideals when he is elected to the United States Senate.”

21st Century Democrats is a Washington, D.C. based grassroots-oriented political action committee that endorses and helps elect progressive Democrats by building a grassroots organization dedicated to electing progressive leaders. In the last 10 years alone, the organization has helped over 165 candidates in 31 states win election; has employed and trained 475 field organizers and 500 canvassers; and has trained 4,400.By focusing its attention on building aggressive and quantifiable field campaigns, 21st Century Democrats has won the majority of its races for 10 straight years.

Don't Be Shy About Meek's Chances

Mark Blumenthal picks up on something I've been wondering: when Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL) is paired against likely Republican nominee Marco Rubio in a two-way race for the Florida Senate seat -- assuming Charlie Crist doesn't run as an independent -- Meek comes within six points, on average, of the Republican. This, when barely a quarter of Florida voters say they know anything about him. His upside potential is large enough, given the right conditions, to run very competitively.

Source




These polls were taken before the scandal broke regarding Republican challenger Marco Rubio's potential involvement in an FBI investigation.

Cash pours into Bachmann race

Donor from Atlanta: "Everything's national now. It affects all of us. The battle goes on across the nation."

By KEVIN DIAZ and ERIC ROPER, Star Tribune staff writers

WASHINGTON - The race to unseat conservative icon Michele Bachmann in Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District is increasingly a national affair.

Reliably provocative, a constant presence on cable TV news, Bachmann's polarizing national profile has energized supporters and opponents alike, turning what would otherwise be an easy romp in Minnesota's most solidly Republican district into a contest being watched around the country.

A Star Tribune analysis shows that 63 percent of the Minnesota Republican's major donations in the last three months come from outside the state. Meanwhile, DFL challenger Tarryl Clark, a state senator from St. Cloud, saw nearly 30 percent of her major donations come from outside Minnesota.

Bachmann, positioning herself in fundraising letters as a "top target" of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, raised more than $800,000 in the last three months alone, leaving her with $1.5 million in the bank.

Meanwhile, Clark has raised $1.1 million, more than any other non-incumbent House candidate in Minnesota at this stage in the race.

Both have gotten help from far away.

"The support needs to go to where people are in trouble," said Gary Rosengreen, a retired businessman in Atlanta who gave $250 to Bachmann. Because Georgia is fairly safe Republican territory, Rosengreen said, he tries to help candidates for federal office in other states who reflect his conservative views.

"Everything's national now," Rosengreen said. "It affects all of us. The battle goes on across the nation."

The other Sixth District challenger, DFLer Maureen Reed, had about 10 percent of her major donations from out of state and has lent her campaign money to keep it going.

Thomas Brown, an 84-year-old retired farmer from western Nebraska, donated to Clark's campaign after receiving a letter from a liberal organization -- he doesn't remember which. A financial supporter of Al Franken, Brown said Bachmann's cable television appearances motivated him to give.

"In my estimation, Michele Bachmann, she's crazy," Brown said. "Plum crazy."

A stranglehold on the Sixth

But even as Bachmann has become a piñata for liberal detractors from the Huffington Post to "The Daily Show," the telegenic conservative appears to have a solid lock on the district, a sickle-shaped swath of outer suburbia running about 100 miles from St. Cloud to Stillwater.

While opinions about Bachmann divide strongly along party lines, 53 percent of her constituents approve of the job she is doing, versus 41 percent who disapprove. That's according to an independent survey done in December by Public Policy Polling, a national Democratic polling firm.

"Michele Bachmann's constituents don't seem to mind her penchant for controversial comments," said Dean Debnam, Public Policy's president. "Given how poorly national Democrats rate in the district, [her constituents] probably agree with a lot of them."

Now more than ever, the case against Bachmann is based on the Democrats' view of her as an ardent culture warrior, more interested in a national platform for her conservative views than her district's high rates of unemployment and foreclosure.

Exhibit A is Bachmann's defiant stand against earmark spending, even for highway and transit projects in her district that she supports. Exhibit B is a stream of television appearances and missed votes, an outgrowth of her celebrity.

Her pop star image notwithstanding, Republicans see Bachmann's suburban populism as tailor-made for a central Minnesota district where diversity is marked by the denominations of its churches and the age of its suburbs.

"That congressional district is a perfect fit for her voting record, her speaking style, and the issues that she talks about," said Michael Brodkorb, deputy chair of the Minnesota GOP Party and a native of Forest Lake, a Sixth District bedroom community with a strong working-class streak.

'Money wasted'

By any strict political calculation, the Sixth District should be red-meat Republican. It has a higher GOP voting index than the congressional districts represented by U.S. Reps. John Kline and Erik Paulsen, relatively safe Minnesota Republicans who are far less likely to face tough challenges in November.

To some observers, the Democrats' laser focus on Bachmann is more about passion than logic.

"It's money wasted," said Aubrey Immelman, a former Republican candidate and professor at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict. "But if you're an activist Democrat, this is where the fight is."

What gives Democrats some hope this year is that Bachmann won reelection in 2008 with just 46 percent of the vote -- well under the critical 50 percent mark -- and far less than the 53 percent for John McCain, who was at the top of the GOP ticket.

Political analysts note two extenuating circumstances. First, Bachmann was in a three-way race with an Independence Party candidate who pulled 10 percent of the vote. Second, she withstood a withering barrage of criticism after going on MSNBC's "Hardball" show a few weeks before the election and opining that Obama had "anti-American views."

After downplaying the uproar at first, Bachmann now embraces her earlier comment, riding the Tea Party wave and saying "Now I look like Nostradamus," the 16th century French seer.

The "Hardball" furor was a fundraising bonanza for her 2008 DFL opponent, Elwyn Tinklenberg, who finished with 43 percent -- just three percentage points behind Bachmann.

But the incident also elevated Bachmann's nationwide profile and fundraising base, which hit a new peak this month when Bachmann linked arms with kindred spirit Sarah Palin at the Minneapolis Convention Center for a mega-rally that drew an estimated 10,000.

"She actually secured her base with her 'Hardball' appearance, and she's only grown in strength since," said Immelman, who supported 2006 DFL candidate Patty Wetterling but who now plans to put his own name on the ballot again as either a Republican or an independent. "The crazier she becomes, the more popular she becomes, and the more of a celebrity."

But Bachmann's supporters, who see her as crazy like a fox, also understand that her celebrity can be a double-edged sword.

"Because she's out there in the media so much, there's more opportunity to get into a negative spotlight," said Adam Ulbricht, a member of the College Republicans at St. Cloud State University.

'The Ventura effect'

As much as Bachmann likes to press Democrats' buttons with her apocalyptic rhetoric about "gangster government," economic "socialism" and health care "death panels," the liberal backlash against her appears to fortify her position in the district.

Whether true or false, Bachmann's rhetoric resonates in small towns and far-flung suburbs, where many voters are alienated from the Washington establishment and take pride in their crusty independence.

John Wodele, a former spokesman for Tinklenberg and ex-Gov. Jesse Ventura, calls it "the Ventura effect."

"A majority of the people that are voting are driving down the road in their cars, listening to the radio, and smiling at how Congresswoman Bachmann stirs things up. They like that," Wodele said.

He notes that Ventura's blunt, outspoken style did well in Anoka and other voter-rich parts of the district in the late '90s, making it fertile ground for Bachmann's personality.

The great unknown is how much of that populist streak might get siphoned off by another third-party challenge, given a crowded field that includes Bob Anderson, the Independence Party candidate who got 10 percent of the vote in 2008.

In a close election, Bachmann's fate could still be decided by an Anderson or some other relatively unknown candidate who either splits the anti-Bachmann vote, or merely divides those who simply won't vote for a Democrat.

"That's the X-factor," said Kay Wolsborn, a political scientist at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict. "It's not a race that can be ignored as a done deal."

Kevin Diaz is a correspondent in the Star Tribune Washington Bureau.

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Kendrick Meek answers the call

Source

By Kristen Swilley

Staff Editor

Published: Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Updated: Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Special to the Famuan

Amid daunting financial times and job market instability, Florida college students put down their books and picked up their phones Tuesday evening seeking answers from U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek.

The 1984 Florida A&M graduate and congressman representing the 17th district of Florida held a statewide conference call discussing the future of student loan policies, job creation for upcoming graduates and other issues facing young people.

“Here in Washington, we have invested in state universities in order to help students in their continued education experience so that they don’t find themselves carrying student loans and high interest rates into their later years,” Meek said. “As students, you often leave with more debt than what you’re bringing in.”

Along with battling potential financial burdens, one of the key issues that Meek is fighting for is permanent change to the Pell grants designed to ease students stress and workload.

“Having to work in order to pay tuition taught me valuable lessons in perseverance and time management,” Meek said.

“However, no student should be forced to choose between an extra shift and taking a full course load just to make ends meet. I am proud to have supported historic expansions to the Pell grant program to limit these unfair decisions.”

Recent budget cuts and tuition hikes caused many students to raise concerns about their future. Meek said that he is a strong supporter of President Obama’s funding of higher education.

“Under Obama’s administration there have been major increases in funding for education. He passed nearly $2 billion in grants for community college and other institutions of higher education,” Meek said.

After students receive their degree and begin to enter the workforce many become victims of today’s weak job market. Meek addressed the importance of job creation and said that he is working on several project, to help create progress in this area.

“I voted for the Hire Act which appropriates $3.5 billion and creates 250,000 jobs a year. I also voted for a bill called Jobs for Main Street, which creates $75 billion in job investment,” Meek said. “I’ve been a strong voice for job creation throughout my term.”

Some students are looking to address this problem in alternative ways by finding employment in the environmental protection field.

A representative from the University of North Florida asked about the importance of green jobs in the economy and what Meek was doing to facilitate their progress.

“We facilitate an environment that will promote green jobs, Meek said. “By doing this, you make yourself independent and employ more people in your country.”

Meek said he continues to focus his efforts in making education more affordable for anyone.

“In Congress, I continue to focus on making the lives of Florida’s students simpler, making a college degree a reality for all those who work for it.”

Meek recently became the first candidate in Florida history to get on a statewide ballot by petition. His race has been overshadowed in part by the close race between Governor Charlie Crist and State House Speaker Marco Rubio who are battling for the GOP nomination.

A Dunne Deal

The Governor’s Race – a “Dunne” Deal

by Zach Drennen

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and to ask him about the campaign to replace retiring Governor Jim Douglas in 2010. Dean had the surprising thought that Susan Bartlett — the longtime chair of the state senate appropriations committee — might make the best governor, even though she appears to lack the campaign skills of her rivals. Dean conceded that all five Democratic candidates would do a great job as governor and lamented that none would likely win a clear majority in the hotly contested primary race.

The five Democratic contenders, who spoke at a forum this Sunday at Middlebury, had few differences between their stances on the major issues; all agreed on the need for more jobs, affordable healthcare and clean energy. As every candidate alluded to in the debate, the most important quality in the Democratic nominee is the ability to defeat Republican candidate Brian Dubie.

In a field teeming with technically qualified candidates, one stands out for his ability to connect with voters and for the clarity of his proposals: former state Senator Matt Dunne — who currently manages Google’s community affairs program — possesses the energy and the knowledge necessary to be both a great candidate and a great governor for this state.

Several weeks ago, Dunne spoke in depth with a group of the Middlebury College Democrats. We sat down with him for over an hour and received long, practical answers to questions about everything from education to agriculture policy. He spoke with intelligence and excitement about his plan to replace the crumbling Vermont Yankee nuclear plant with two carbon-neutral biomass plants and laid out a path to provide health care access to all Vermonters.

In a race dominated by candidates who have eagerly awaited Douglas’s retirement, Dunne stands out as a rising star — someone with vision, not just the next politician in line.

Vermont cannot afford to elect another Republican. In a state with an overwhelming Democratic majority, with the Senate’s only socialist member and where two-thirds of votes cast went to Barack Obama, it’s silly to even imagine a Republican contending in the gubernatorial race. And yet Governor Douglas’ retirement marks the end of four terms in office where he presented a firm roadblock to Vermont’s ability to move forward on many issues.

In 2006, Douglas vetoed an act preventing gender identity discrimination, only to be overruled the next year. In 2009, the governor vetoed a law allowing same-sex marriage and was courageously overridden by the legislature. He has vetoed campaign finance reform several times, a resolution to replace the un-democratic electoral college with a popular vote and a renewable energy bill because of a tax increase aiming to balance the budget.

Douglas leaves his office with a $150 million budget deficit and no coherent plan to replace the Vermont Yankee plant. A Republican governor in Vermont after Douglas’ retirement would continue to serve only as a foil to the public interest and a burden on the public checkbook.

As students in such a small, politically progressive state, we have the opportunity to make a difference, and we need to take advantage of that chance to produce a government that represents our values. Brian Dubie’s administration would not represent those values, or the values of the state of Vermont.

There are still many months until the Democratic primary, and even longer until the general election in November. Now is your chance to make a difference. Join me, Bill McKibben and the thousands of Vermonters who support Matt Dunne for Governor. In such a small state, your vote — and, more importantly, your voice — truly matters.

Martin Heinrich

Office Seeking: U.S. House, New Mexico-1^st District

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Voted for health care reform
• Championed energy independence, environmental causes and renewable sources of fuel
• Enthusiastic supporter of the Economic Stimulus Package
• Sought to increase transparency and competition in the healthcare industry

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: June 1, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Jon Barela

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like him: Martin Heinrich has placed an emphasis on renewable energy by sponsoring legislation that will increase the use of renewable energy sources. His background in natural science dovetails neatly with his legislative advocacy for wind, solar, and cleaner sources of fuel. A Congressman from a state where water and energy sources are often sparse, he understands the importance of conservation and ecological preservation.

Candidate Quote: "When world-class scientists and entrepreneurs put their minds together, anything is possible."

Candidate website: http://www.martinheinrich.com/

A native of Fallon, Nevada, Martin Heinrich graduated from the University of Missouri in 1995 with a Bachelor's degree in Science and Engineering, and later took graduate courses at the University of New Mexico. He served as Executive Director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation, a New Mexico non-profit organization dedicated to educating young people on natural science and the environment, and founded his own public affairs consulting firm.

Heinrich served on the Albuquerque City Council from 2003 to 2007, which included one term as City Council President in 2006. As a city councilman, he sought to reduce crime, raise the minimum wage, and create new jobs, and advocated the use of wind and solar power. In February 2006, he was appointed by Governor Bill Richardson to be the state's Natural Resources Trustee.

Race Type: Democratic Protect

Jim Himes

Office Seeking: U.S. House, Connecticut-4^th District

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Voted for healthcare reform
• Proposed a refundable higher education tax credit to help students afford college
• Has called on Congress to extend tax credits that promote wind and solar energy

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: August 10, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Dan Debicella, Rob Russo, Rob Merkle, Will Gregory, Rick Torres

General Election Date: November 2, 1010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like him: Jim Himes has been a strong supporter of health care reform as well as the economic stimulus package. His emphasis on green technologies, particularly in building and construction shows that both are friendly to the planet and heavily cost-efficient.

Candidate Quote: "I'm proud to have helped craft and pass historic legislation to modernize the regulation of the American financial system. Financial reform will help restore consumer confidence, increase transparency, control dangerous Wall Street excesses, and eliminate the possibility that the American taxpayer will ever again have to bailout irresponsible private companies."

Candidate website: http://himesforcongress.com/

Jim Himes grew up as the child of a single working mom in a small town. As a member of Congress, Jim works hard to provide all American children the same opportunities he had to succeed. Born in Lima, Peru in 1966 to American parents, he spent his early childhood years in Peru and Columbia. As an American abroad, Jim was raised with an awareness of the unique position of the United States in the World.

Prior to his service in Congress, Jim ran the New York City branch of The Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing the unique challenges of urban poverty. His experience at Enterprise spurred his involvement in politics. He went on to serve as Commissioner of the Greenwich Housing Authority and an elected member of his town's finance board.

Race Type: Democratic Protect

Mary Jo Kilroy

Office Seeking: U.S. House, Ohio-15^th District

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Bravely voted for health care reform and stood up for American families and against insurance companies
• Supported passage of legislation that protects consumers from the abuses of credit card companies
• Voted for the economic stimulus Package.

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: May 4, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Steve Stivers, John Adams

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like her: Mary Jo Kilroy worked her way up the ladder to a career in public service methodically, paying her own way through college and then to law school in the process. As someone who suffers from multiple sclerosis she brings a very personal lens to healthcare reform. She voted for legislation that would have forced companies that accepted TARP money to be banned from awarding their executives bonuses.

Candidate website: http://kilroyforcongress.com/

Mary Jo Kilroy received her bachelor's degree in Political Science from Cleveland State University and then attained a J.D. from The Ohio State University. Prior to practicing law with her husband, Kilroy was a social worker, hospital technician, and tutor.

Her concern for public education led her to run and win a seat on the Columbus Board of Education. She then ran and won election to a seat on the Franklin Country (Ohio) Commission. A long established fixture in her district by the time she chose to run for Congress, Mary Joy Kilroy serves as an example of the virtue of hard work and its eventual success.

Race Type: Democratic Protect

Alan Grayson

Office Seeking: U.S. House, Florida-8^th District

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Supported health care reform

• Actively defended the Economic Stimulus Package as a necessary measure to revive the American economy by challenging the GOP's lies and misinformation

• Supported legislation limiting CEO pay and bonuses for companies that received bailout funds

• Supported the Lilly Ledbetter Act to equalize pay between men and women

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: August 21, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Patricia Sullivan, Dan Fanelli, Armando Gutierrez, Jr.

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: November 2, 2010

Why we like him: A true Populist, Alan Grayson has been one of the loudest, most persistent voices demanding substantive health care reform, among other worthy causes. Grayson's outspoken oratory may have made him the bane of the Right, but it has also scared off one substantive GOP challenger after another. When the prevailing political wisdom is for candidates to run to the center or to the right, Grayson sticks to his guns.

Candidate Quote: "I saw my colleagues on the far side of the aisle, the Republicans, waving pieces of paper during the State of the Union speech, and I was wondering what they were. I heard from one of my colleagues that this is what they called the Republican health care plan. I went over, after the speech was over, I picked up a copy that was lying down on the Republican side, and it turns out that the Republicans' health care plan was a blank piece of paper. And it's my duty and pride to be able to announce exactly what the Republicans plan to do for health care in America."

Candidate website: http://www.graysonforcongress.com/

Alan Grayson came from humble beginnings, as a native from Bronx, New York; he grew up in the tenements. He worked his way through Harvard University, graduating with high honors. Immediately following his undergraduate career, he enrolled in Harvard Law School where he again graduated with honors.

As an attorney he focused on contract law. In 1986 he helped to found the Alliance for Aging Research (AAR), serving as an officer of the organization for more than twenty years.

Congressman Grayson was also the first President of IDT Corporation, a publicly traded billion-dollar telecommunications company.

In the 2000s he worked as a plaintiffs' attorney specializing in whistleblower fraud cases aimed at Iraq war contractors.

Race Type: Democratic Challenge

Keith Ellison

Office Seeking: U.S. House, Minnesota-- 5^th District

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Voted for a public option in health care reform
• Supports real immigration reform, by supporting the STRIVE ACT in Congress
• Voted to reduce poverty by expanding and fully funding social service agencies designed to help the poor

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: September 14, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Lynne Torgerson, Barb Davis White

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like him: Keith Ellison is a model Progressive who represents our core concepts and beliefs. In particular, we like his outspoken support of the public option and his efforts to ensure that those in poverty are not taken advantage of and marginalized.

Candidate Quote: "No one should be cut out of the American dream: not immigrants, not people with disabilities, not gays, not poor people, not even a Muslim committed to serving his nation."

Candidate website: http://www.keithellison.org/index.php

Congressman Ellison was born into a high-achieving family in Detroit that had taken a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement. Accordingly, he stayed close to home and attended Wayne State University. After graduating with a B.A. in economics, he married his high school sweetheart and moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota Law School.

After graduating with a degree of Juris Doctor, he then worked as a litigator specializing in civil rights, employment, and criminal defense law. Following that, Ellison became executive director of the nonprofit Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis, an organization that specialized in the defense of indigent clients. Upon leaving the Legal Rights Center, Ellison entered private practice.

Race Type: Democratic Protect

John Sarbanes

Office Seeking: U.S. House, Maryland-3^rd District

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Provided needed knowledge of health care reform as an expert who spent years practicing healthcare law
• Proposed a bill that forgave student loan debt for those pursuing non-profit work or government employment
• Sponsored bill that provided grant money for K-12 programs willing to teach environmental education

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: September 14, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Kevin Carney, Ben Lawless

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like him: We appreciate his work on health care reform, particularly his ability to identify precisely what programs and functions need to be reformed and how such changes can be put into action. He has long been a supporter of immigration reform, believing that immigrants working in this country illegally deserve the right to be given a path to citizenship. Congressman Sarbanes has been a vocal supporter of the economic stimulus package as well.

Candidate Quote: "I still hear every day that the economy isn't working like it should for most Americans. We have to do whatever it takes to ensure the recovery reaches ordinary Americans who are out of work and looking for a job."

Candidate website: http://www.johnsarbanes.com/

John Sarbanes is the eldest son of long time Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes. After receiving a B.A. from Princeton in the field of International Affairs, he then pursued and achieved a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Congressman Sarbanes met his wife Dina while the both of them were enrolled at Harvard and the two of them are proud parents of three children.

Race Type: Democratic Protect

Russ Feingold

Office Seeking: U.S. Senate, Wisconsin

Position Held: Senator, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Demanded Campaign Finance Reform through the McCain/Feingold Act
• Spoke out against NAFTA and other free trade agreements
• Supported robust single-payer health care reform
• Pressed for substantive immigration reform by granting undocumented workers a path to attain citizenship

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: September 14, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Dave Westlake, Terrence Wall, Rob Taylor

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like him: Russ Feingold has a long history of being a reliable Progressive. His public statements as a politician closely mirror his private conduct. His integrity as a steward of the people's trust is unquestioned. Senator Feingold has proven that it is possible to reach across the aisle in drafting legislation without sacrificing a solidly Progressive agenda in the process.

Candidate Quote: "Over the last year, a common theme I have been hearing from Wisconsinites at my listening sessions is frustration with the growing government bureaucracy ... Unnecessary bureaucratic positions not only waste taxpayer dollars, but also make government less effective and less responsive to the people it represents."

Candidate website: http://www.russfeingold.org/

Feingold attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors. He went to Magdalen College at the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship in 1977, where he earned another Bachelor of Arts degree. Upon returning to the U.S., he attended Harvard Law School, receiving his J.D. with honors.

In 1982, he was elected to the Wisconsin Senate, where he served for ten years until his election to the United States Senate. In 1987, he joined the "Bowtie Brigade," a coalition of grassroots activists and local-level politicians who backed the presidential candidacy of bowtie-clad Senator Paul Simon of Illinois.

Race Type: Democratic Protect

Chellie Pingree

Office Seeking: U.S. House, Maine-1^st District

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Supported labor unions by voting to allow workers to sue their employers and to limit mandatory overtime
• Favored an increase in the minimum wage as well as universal health care coverage for all, the importation of prescription drugs, and the expansion of drug coverage for Medicare.
• Favored a decrease in defense spending while pushing to increase funding in education, the environment, medical research, and public health services
• Voted to decrease the tax burden on working families

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: June 8, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Dean Scontras

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like her: For the past sixteen years, Congresswoman Pingree has consistently received a score of over 90% from the AFL/CIO. She supports closing loopholes in the tax code that favor hedge funds while insisting that the wealthy contribute their fair share.

Candidate Quote: "Both of the parties' proposals fail to get at the heart of the problem, which is a complete lack of enforcement of the rules in Congress. Without credible enforcement, new rules are just more words."

Candidate website: http://www.pingreeforcongress.com/

Chellie Pingree arrived at a career in public service by an unusual route. After settling in Maine in her teens, she attended the University of Southern Maine, and graduated from the College of the Atlantic with a degree in Human Ecology. After college she held various farming and care-taking jobs until 1981, when she started North Island Yarn, a cottage industry of hand knitters with a retail store on North Haven. Her business expanded and became North Island Designs, employing as many as ten workers. North Island Yarn began marketing knitting kits and pattern books nationwide through 1,200 retail stores and 100,000 mail order catalogues. Through North Island Designs, Pingree authored and produced five knitting books between 1986 and 1992.

Race Type: Democratic Protect

Ted Strickland

Office Seeking: Governor, Ohio

Position Held: Governor, Ohio

Progressive Credentials:

• Passed a bill that will require 25% of energy sold in Ohio to come from renewable or advanced energy by 2025

• Passed a budget that will provide health insurance coverage to every child in Ohio

• Passed a budget with the largest expenditure for K-12 education since 1980

• Backed campaign finance reform banning soft money contributions and issue ads

• Pushed for increased funding and the establishment of programs designed to put the unemployed back to work.

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: May 4, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: John Kasich

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like him: Governor Strickland set in place an expansive stimulus package to create jobs and rebuilt communities hard hit by the recession. He worked his way up through effort and sacrifice and has not forgotten his roots. He has consistently made assisting those in need a high priority.

Candidate Quote: "I'm honored to have the support of 21st Century Democrats. Together we can ensure that we emerge from this global economic recession stronger than ever by working for new jobs, affordable higher education, and quality health care for all our citizens."

Candidate website: http://www.tedstrickland.com/

The son of a steelworker and the eighth of nine children, Ted Strickland was born in Lucasville, Ohio. Like many sons of Southeast Ohio, Ted never imagined that he'd be able to go to college until a high school teacher took him on a trip to the Asbury College and Theological Seminary in Kentucky. It was a visit that changed his life. Ted became the only child in his family to go on to college and has since earned two masters degrees and a PhD.

He has served as an ordained Methodist minister, a psychologist, a college professor, a member of Congress and as now governor of Ohio. Ted Strickland married the former Frances Smith and the couple soon settled in Southern Ohio.

Race Type: Democratic Protect

Upcoming Training Event

April 18^th Training: Gearing up for the 2010 Elections

Do you want progressive candidates to win? Are you interested in working on campaigns?

This event will be an all-day training session designed to educate those interested in serving on political campaigns and being involved in grassroots organizing. This is very much an introduction and explanation of the basics, so those with no prior knowledge of the particulars need not worry. You are the people we are hoping to reach!

21st Century Democrats has a long history of holding these sorts of events and everyone who attends will get a tremendous amount out of it. For those who would like to get an inside look about what goes into running a campaign from top to bottom, please consider attending. Political professionals from the DC area with years of experience will be leading the training.

When: April 18, 2010

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Where: American University

Ward Building

Room 114

Please RSVP at training@21stdems.org

or through Facebook at

http://tinyurl.com/ylqfaht

Ben Ray Luján

Office Seeking: U.S. House, New Mexico-3^rd District

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent

Progressive Credentials:

• Demanded a public option in health care reform
• Fought to expand health care to those with mental illness and substance abuse issues
• Worked to create req uirements that would have 20% of power produced by New Mexico's utilities originate from renewable energy

Primary Election Opponent: TBD

Primary Election Date: June 1, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Tom Mullins, Adam Kokesh

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like him: Ben Ray Lujan has been on the forefront of environmental causes and practical forms of alternative energy by setting regulation that would increase renewable energy production 20% in New Mexico. In addition, we appreciate his vocal demand for a public option.

Candidate Quote: "I'm disappointed that a Republican Senator has blocked important extensions that help people who are struggling the most during these difficult economic times. We have to stand up for the American people, not resort to partisan games."

Candidate website: http://www.benrlujan.com/

Ben R. Luján was born into a politically active family. For many years his father served as speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives. Congressman Luján attended the University of New Mexico and later received a degree from New Mexico Highlands University in business administration. He began his career as Deputy State Treasurer and the Director of Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer for the New Mexico Cultural Affairs Department. He later was elected to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.

While a member of Public Regulation Commission, he heavily pushed for renewable energy. He sought to partner with neighboring states to fight global warming and opt for more ecologically sound energy generation.

Race Type: Democratic Protect

Kendrick Meek

Office Seeking: U.S. Senate, Florida

Position Held: U.S. Representative, Incumbent-17^th District

Progressive Credentials:

• Voted for health care reform
• Advocated for an increase in the minimum wage
• Voted to increase renewable energy and believes that sun, wind, biomass and other alternative energy sources are the key to reducing our dependence on foreign oil
• Voted for the economic stimulus package.

Primary Election Opponent: Kevin Burns, George Lovenguth, Tyrone Brown, "Trinidad Joe" Allen

Primary Election Date: August 21, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Charlie Crist, Marco Rubio, Bob Smith, Verne Buchanan, Bernie DeCastrom, Alexander Snitker, Piotr Blass, Dave Roberts, Lewis Jerome Armstrong, Bobby Bean, Todd Oifer

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like him: Kendrick Meeks is a new voice in the halls of power and represents the concerns of younger voters. We also appreciate his concern for the victims of the recession. He voted to extend unemployment and COBRA payments to assist those without a job and supported the Recovery Act, which created over 100,000 jobs for Floridians living in his district.

Candidate Quote: "I'm honored to be endorsed by the 21st Century Democrats. Turning Florida and the rest of the country around means creating good paying jobs and economic opportunity. Together, we can continue to fight for progress and reform that makes a difference to everyday families. "

Candidate website: http://www.kendrickmeek.com/

Kendrick Meek followed his mother into politics and cites her as a profound influence in his life. She was born the daughter of sharecroppers, yet worked her way up to serve five terms as Florida's first black legislator in the House since Reconstruction. A star football player,

Congressman Meek attended Florida A&M, receiving a B.S. in Criminal Justice.

While a student he established the Young Democrats club on campus, serving as its President. He began his professional career as a state trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol, eventually rising to the rank of Captain, making him the first African-American to achieve that distinction.

While on security detail, guarding the then-Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Florida, he expressed an interest in state government and was allowed access to meetings. Meek then ran for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives, where he served for two terms until running for and being elected to two terms in the Sunshine State's Senate.

Race Type: Democratic Challenge

Matt Dunne

Office Seeking: Governor, Vermont

Position Held: Private Sector

Progressive Credentials:

• Encouraged environmentally-friendly practices by holding polluters accountable and re-developing industrial land for commercial development

• Established hands-on outreach efforts to aid those in poverty through his leadership in VISTA

• Advocated a Vermont-based health care plan to cover all residents of the state

• Pushed for a fairer system of taxation to more equally share the burden

Primary Election Opponents: Deborah Markowitz, Susan Bartlett, Doug Racine, Peter Shumlin

Primary Election Date: September 14, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Brian Dubie, Trav Fryer, Dennis Steele

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like him: Matt Dunne has been a strong advocate for comprehensive health care reform including a public option and has spoken in support of clean, renewable energy jobs as a way of increasing employment. We also appreciate his efforts to improve the economy by supporting small businesses across Vermont.

Candidate Quote: "In the history of our nation, small states have often been the catalysts for great transformation, and Vermont has never been shy about leading the charge. We were the first state to abolish slavery, the first to bring civil rights to gays and lesbians, and the first to cover healthcare for all children. Today, Vermont can once again lead the nation by developing the first universal healthcare system, by providing high speed Internet access to every corner of the state, and by creating a template for government transparency that others will follow."

Candidate website: http://www.mattdunne.com/


First elected to Vermont's legislature by his community at the age of 22 after graduating from Brown University with a degree in Public Policy, Matt focused on progressive economic development issues and engaged entrepreneurs and undergraduates in identifying new ways to create jobs. At age 30, Matt was appointed by President Clinton to run and transform AmeriCorps*VISTA, a 6,000 employee public service program nearly the size of Vermont's state government. Returning home, Matt won a seat in the Vermont State Senate and served for two terms. More recently, Matt took his values and management experience to Google, where he built the company's first community affairs program and helped to develop local philanthropic and broadband initiatives.

Today, Matt brings his progressive values, experience, and spirit of innovation to his campaign for Governor. His goals include piloting the first truly universal healthcare system in the United States to cover all and cut costs, bringing broadband-speed internet to all Vermonters to create jobs, creating renewable energy opportunities to reduce pollution and increase economic opportunity, and investing in next generation sustainable agriculture. Matt is also committed to transforming Vermont state government into a model for government efficiency, citizen participation and transparency.

Matt lives with his wife Sarah Stewart Taylor and their two boys Judson and Abraham in Matt's childhood home in Hartland, Vermont.

Race Type: Democratic Challenge

Tarryl Clark

Office Seeking: U.S. House, Minnesota-6th District

Position Held: Minnesota State Senate-15th District

Progressive Credentials:

• Advanced affordable, high-quality health care for all by supporting health care legislation

• Worked with labor and industry to create green jobs

• Proposed legislation that pressed for land protection and renewable energy

• Proposed legislation that funded programs to foster early childhood education and literacy

Primary Election Opponent: Maureen Reed

Primary Election Date: August 10, 2010

Primary Election Results: TBD

General Election Opponents: Michele Bachmann

General Election Date: November 2, 2010

General Election Result: TBD

Why we like her: Tarryl Clark is a rising star within Progressive politics. Her bold challenge to the darling of the Tea Party crowd, Michele Bachmann, speaks for itself.

Tarryl has been a tireless champion for our values and on the issues that matter, from health care and education to jobs and the economy. Her desire to work hand in hand with labor to establish green jobs represents her ability to work across sectors to benefit our economy.

Candidate Quote: "Being a Democrat is about standing up for what's right and creating a world of opportunity for the generations that will follow us. I'm proud to have the support of our next generation of progressive leaders. Working together, on issues from creating good-paying jobs and restoring the economy to reforming healthcare and investing in education, we can ensure that our country's best days are still ahead."

Candidate website: http://tarrylclark.com/


Tarryl Clark is a State Senator representing the St. Cloud area in the Minnesota State Senate. She was elected to office in a surprise 2005 special election victory, winning a previously Republican Senate seat. She was re-elected in 2006 by double-digit margins. Her colleagues then elected her Assistant Majority Leader, the number two position in Senate leadership.

Before being elected to public office, Clark spent her career devoted to public service. She served as Executive Director of the Minnesota Community Action Partnership, working with communities statewide to implement efforts including Meals on Wheels and Head Start. She worked locally as Executive Director of Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity, helping families succeed through home ownership and growing the volunteer base from 0 to 400. At the YWCA and the Girl Scouts, she created teen mentorship programs and led teen pregnancy prevention efforts.

Clark attended Drake University and graduated with a B.A. in Sociology. She later earned a Master's Degree in Education from Arizona State University. Clark then graduated cum laude from the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota and is a licensed attorney. Clark and her husband Doug live in St. Cloud. They have two sons, Colin and Nathan.

Race Type: Democratic Challenge