special election: ShortFormBlog

01:34 • 11 months ago

Congrats to former Gabrielle Giffords aide Ron Barber, who won his former boss' old Congressional seat in an election to finish out her term. But it wasn't an easy battle.

Both the GOP and the Democrats used the race to hone and test their political arguments for the November elections, when everything from the White House on down will be on the ballot.

Republicans, sensing a chance to capture the former congresswoman’s seat, sought to make the contest a referendum on President Barack Obama and his handling of the economy. They argued that Democrat Ron Barber, a former Giffords aide asked by the lawmaker to pursue the seat, would fall in line behind the White House.

Democrats, in turn, played to the senior vote by contending that Republican Jesse Kelly would not protect Medicare and Social Security.

Both candidates promised to run again in the fall.

10:37 • 11 months ago

Tags: gabrielle giffords mark kelly ron barber jesse kelly arizona special election elections giffords special election 6 • Permalink

Some of those people used to be her supporters. But now Ron has his own team that’s energized to make sure he gets across the finish line on Tuesday, and Gabby is very excited about that.

Gabrielle Giffords’ husband, Mark Kelly • Discussing her meeting with volunteers for her former district office director, Ron Barber, on Sunday. Barber faces a tough election battle to fill Giffords’ former seat tonight. Giffords’ opponent in 2010, former Marine Jesse Kelly, lost by a mere 4,000 votes, and he’s facing Barber. By pure numbers, the Republican may have an easier time reaching victory — there are 26,000 more Republicans registered in the district (in and around Tucson, Arizona), than Democrats. But Barber has the support of Giffords, and that might make all the difference.

10:19 • 1 year ago

Tags: christopher lee congress house upsets ian murphy Kathy Hochul medicare new york paul ryan special election upsets 22 • Permalink

I saw the ads. I saw burning people’s Medicare cards. If you can scare seniors into thinking that their current benefits are being affected, that’s going to have an effect. And that is exactly what took place here. So yes, yes, it’s demagoguery, it’s scaring seniors.

Rep. Paul Ryan • Blaming Democrat Kathy Hochul’s win in New York’s 26th House District on scare tactics, rather than the New York Times’ line (“a referendum on the Paul Ryan Medicare plan”). Ryan also blamed Jack Davis, a third-party guy that siphoned votes from the GOP’s Jane Corwin: “When a Democrat runs as a third party, tea party candidate and spends a couple million dollars, it’s going to have an effect,” he says. A few things here: Remember how the guy in this district — a Republican, mind you — resigned, leading to the special election? You don’t think that could’ve had an effect on things? That’s a question for both Ryan and the NYT. Also, to Ryan’s point about Davis: There were four candidates in this election, and we’re sure Ian Murphy (while a minor candidate) siphoned some votes from Hochul as well. (Also, we’re sure this stunt of Murphy’s hurt Corwin’s election chances too.) Either way, Paul kind of has a personal stake — Jack Kemp, who gave Ryan his first job, long represented this district. source (via • follow)

23:17 • 1 year ago

Tags: christopher lee congress house upsets ian murphy Kathy Hochul medicare new york special election upsets 13 • Permalink

Upset: Dem Kathy Hochul wins GOP House seat in special election: The NYT portrayed her win in a conservative NY district as a statement on Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan. They didn’t mention Scott Walker prankster Ian Murphy’s 1 percent of the vote. source

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13:21 • 2 years ago

Jerry Brown’s tax pitch to Californians may pay off

Tags: california fiscal crisis governor jerry brown special election support tax increase 1 • Permalink

54% of California likely voters are okay with raising taxes source

» New polling from the California Public Policy Institute:A surprising and heartening result, in light of Governor Brown’s rhetoric about tough choices and shared sacrifice. Staring down a state in dire fiscal crisis, Brown has proposed broad, painful spending cuts, as well as a special election to seek voter approval on a package of new taxes and fees. Say what you will about the strategy, but Brown’s candor and honesty about his cuts have been impressive, and it seems voters may reward him with that rarest of the rare: a voter approved tax increase.

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