If Republican Tim Burns can win the special election to replace Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), we may be talking about it as a repudiation of the healthcare bill.
It turns out the bill is tremendously unpopular in the district. That is, according to a sneak peek of a poll that is set to be released tomorrow by Public Policy Polling (D):
Some Democrats may not be thrilled Mark Critz is emphasizing his
opposition to the health care bill as he seeks to replace John Murtha in
the House, but after polling the district it's hard to see that as
anything but necessary for survival. Only 28% of voters in the district
express support for it with 59% opposed. Even Democrats there support
it by just a 43/39 margin.
Obama's overall approval rating in
the district is 33%, with 57% of voters disapproving of him. It's hard
to imagine any Democrat winning an open seat this year where the
President is that unpopular but it's still a close race. We'll have the
full numbers out tomorrow.
The Republican candidate running to replace the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) has a website called votemurthaout.com, even though Murtha died more than two months ago.
The only content on the site is GOP nominee Tim Burns's statement on Murtha's death. Some of the links don’t work, but the button for campaign contributions does.
It also links directly to Burns’s Twitter account, which updates regularly on the site. Ballot Box asked Burns's campaign why they didn't remove the site or have the link redirect people to his main campaign site: timburnsforcongress.com.
"The site has not been updated recently and has only remained live with Tim Burns’ statement about the unfortunate passing of Congressman Murtha and highlighting Mr. Murtha’s dedication to public service," Burns campaign spokesman Kent Gates said. "Therefore, there is no need for it to be re-directed to the main site which is focused on the current Special Election for the remainder of the term.”
Burns was running against Murtha before the longtime lawmaker died on Feb. 8. Now Burns is running against a former aide to the congressman in the May 18 special election.
Fears that two Democratic candidates running in Hawaii's special election would splinter the vote look to be coming true.
A new Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll found Democratic candidates, former Rep. Ed Case and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, in a virtual tie -- 29 percent to 28 percent respectively.
The Republican candidate, Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou, isn't doing much better. He received 32 percent in the poll, which was conducted April 11-14.
The May 22nd election pits the three candidates against one another and is winner take-all. Perhaps even more troubling, the poll shows only 7 percent of voters are undecided -- giving the candidates few new supporters to win.
Former Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) is running for governor.
The Democrat in the special election to replace Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) won the fundraising battle in the first quarter, but both men came out with almost the same amount of money after the GOP candidate self-funded $150,000.
Federal Election Commission reports show former Murtha aide Mark Critz (D) raise $376,000 before March 31. He spent $46,000 and banked $330,000.
The GOP nominee, businessman Tim Burns, raised $226,000 and self-funded $150,000 to give him the same in total receipts. Burns spent $58,000 and, by virtue of being in the race before Murtha's death, had slightly more in the bank -- $387,000.
Freshman Rep. Harry Teague (D-N.M.) had a modest first quarter in terms of fundraising but still leads his GOP challenger in cash on hand. Teague raised $132,900 in the last three months and now has $927,300 banked for his match up with former Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.).
Pearce announced Wednesday the he raised $277,447 in the first quarter -- he has $708,000 cash on hand.
Pearce left his 2nd district seat to launch an unsuccessful Senate bid in 2008.
Former NFL star Jon Runyan (R) didn't put up the kind of first quarter numbers that are expected of a top-tier challenger. Runyan, a long-time Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman, raised $150,720 since he launched his campaign last month. But $100,000 of the haul was his own money.
Runyan now has $137,559 cash on hand, according to PolitickerNJ.com.
His campaign attributed the poor showing to Runyan's late entry into the race to unseat Rep. John Adler (D-N.J.).
"We've raised nearly another $30,000 in the last two weeks since the deadline for the first quarter, with a slew of events coming up," said Runyan spokesman Chris Russell. "We feel good."
Attorney Ben Quayle (R) has raised more than $550,000 since announcing his bid for Arizona's 3rd district House seat. Quayle, the son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, brought in some $90,000 a week since he launched his campaign six weeks ago.
"I am grateful for the overwhelming support for my candidacy," Quayle said in a statement. "People agree that it is time to send the next generation to Washington."
Quayle is one of several Republicans running for the seat being vacated by Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.), who is retiring at the end of his current term.
Paradise Valley Vernon Parker, another contender for the GOP nod, announced last week that he'd raised $230,000 in the first quarter.
Tennessee House candidate Stephen Fincher is leading the GOP primary field by 23 points, according to a poll released Wednesday by his campaign.
The survey by the Tarrance Group, which polled 401 likely Republican primary voters in the state's 8th district April 5-6, shows the farmer and gospel singer got 40percent of the vote. Meanwhile, the poll has Ron Kirkland getting 17percent of the vote, George Flinn with 7percent and all other candidates within the margin of error. A third of the primary electorate is undecided.
Fincher is the National Republican Congressional Committee's favored candidate.
Tennessee's 8th district is an open seat race. Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) announced last December he wouldn't seek a 12th term. The district is considered a toss up.
Businessman Bill Flores won the GOP primary runoff to face Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) Tuesday night, and Edwards came out swinging Wednesday morning, attacking his new opponent on his lack of a voting record.
“This race will focus on two key facts: First, I am a champion for our veterans and military families and have worked effectively on a bipartisan basis for jobs and economic development for our district," Edwards said in a video. "Second, Mr. Flores has been recruited by Washington, D.C. insiders to try to buy our district’s congressional seat with millions of dollars he has made as a Houston oil executive, even though he has never once voted in a general election in our district — not even once.”
Flores initially said that he voted for his runoff opponent, Rob Curnock, in 2008. Later, he admitted that he didn't actually vote in the race.
Flores spokesman Matt Mackowiak responds: "Career politician Chet Edwards didn't even wait 12 hours to begin desperately attacking, cynically suggesting that a person's vote can be bought. After over 20 years in politics, Chet chooses to attack Bill Flores rather than state his vision or defend his own record."
National Republicans got their man in the race to face Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas), with businessman Bill Flores winning a primary runoff over 2008 nominee Rob Curnock on Tuesday.
Flores led comfortably, 63-37 with 85 percent of precincts reporting,
according to the Texas Secretary of State. The race has been called for
Flores.
In the other race the GOP has its eyes on in the Lone Star State,
attorney Quico Canseco defeated former CIA officer Will Hurd. Canseco, who lost the 2008 primary, led 56-44 with 76
percent of precincts reporting and will face Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas).
The Edwards seat represents the better pickup opportunity for the GOP, which has high hopes for Flores's candidacy and sees the heavily conservative district as a ripe pickup. Neither candidate in Rodriguez's district has put together big money for the GOP's effort to win back the seat, which it lost in 2006.
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