Truth is powerful. And it prevails.

Posted on September 9, 2024 by Debra29

We have all been thrown down so low that nobody thought we’d ever get up again; but we have been long enough trodden now; we will come up again, and now I am here. Sojourner Truth

Inform

The Harris Waltz Policies

Axios ‘s presentation of Harris’ policies on the economy, health, immigration, energy and foreign policy.

Additionally, The New York Times adds onto her proposed actions on climate change, democracy, and racial justice.

Lastly, Politico explains where both Harris and Walz stand on 2024’s biggest policy issues including the economy, abortion and IVF, labor, the environment, taxes, agriculture and Israel and China. They indicate whether it would make a difference to swing voters, and/or would be a major target for Republicans.

The Battleground States

The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Most of the drama in this year’s presidential election will focus on a handful of states.

While each major U.S. political party has many states it counts on winning on November 5, a handful of states are too close to predict. These “swing states” have populations that are closely divided politically. In recent elections, outcomes have swung back and forth between Democratic and Republican wins. They are the “battleground states” that candidates target with frequent campaign visits, advertising and staffing.

The 2024 Battleground States are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Taking the pulse in these states will happen up until November. Undecided voters could make the difference.

Republican money is being poured into the three “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, which were all carried by Biden in 2020 and are seen as vital to the outcome of November’s election.

Special attention is being paid to Pennsylvania, which has 19 electoral college votes, and where a new CNN poll shows Trump and Harris tied at 47% each. Resources have also been transferred to southern and south-western Sun belt states – namely North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona – where Trump previously had healthy leads over Biden that have been whittled away since Harris replaced the US president at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Helping Democrats Regain Control of The House of Representatives

Upended by the summer shake-up that replaced President Joe Biden with Harris atop the Democratic ticket, the down-ballot campaigns enter this fall stretch at a virtual toss-up, a high-wire uncertainty where every single seat won or lost could make the difference in party control.

Democrats need to flip just four seats to take back control of the House while Republicans hope to expand their majority and make it easier to get priorities over the finish line. Resources are pouring into the few truly competitive congressional races expected to help determine the balance of power in Washington next year.

Alaska‘s sole Congressional Seat
Incumbent Democrat Mary Peltola versus Republicans Nick Begich and Trump endorsed Nancy Dahlstrom in ranked choice general election *

Arizona’s 1st Congressional District
Democrat Amish Shah versus Trump endorsed Incumbent Republican David Schweikert *

California’s 13th Congressional District
Democrat Adam Gray versus Incumbent Republican John Duarte who backs Trump *

Maine’s 2nd Congressional District
Democratic incumbent Jared Golden versus Trump endorsed Republican Austin Theriault *

New Jersey‘s 7th Congressional District
Democrat Sue Altman versus Incumbent Republican Thomas Kean Jr. who backs Trump*

New York‘s 4th Congressional District
Democrat Laura Gillen versus Trump endorsed Incumbent Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito *

Ohio‘s 9th Congressional District
Incumbent Democrat Marcy Kaptur versus Trump endorsed Republican Derek Merrin #

Pennsylvania‘s 8th Congressional District
Democrat Matt Cartwright versus Trump endorsed Republican Rob Bresnahan *

Washington‘s 3rd Congressional District
Incumbent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez versus Trump endorsed Republican Joe Kent *

Additionally, explore who is running a tight, toss up race in your own state by using the Cook’s Political Report linked below.

Helping Democrats Keep Control of The Senate

Senate Democrats face a grueling and narrow path to maintain their slim 51-49 majority this fall, as they prepare to defend 23 seats across the United States, many of them in purple and red states.

With Sen. Joe Manchin III (I-W.Va.) retiring, Republicans are all but guaranteed to pick up at least one seat in that ruby red state, putting even more pressure on Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) to defy political gravity once again in their red states and win reelection.

Only 11 Republican-held seats are up for election in November. If Republicans win those races as expected and flip just one state, the Senate will be tied 50-50 with deciding votes made by the new vice president. If they flip two seats, Republicans will win back Senate control no matter who is in the White House.

Long gone are the days of supermajorities in the House and Senate, replaced by a new era of razor-thin margins that leave little margin for errors in political campaigns, or actual governing.

Arizona
Democrat U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego versus Trump endorsed Republican Kari Lake #

Maryland
Democrat Angela Alsobrooks versus Republican Larry Hogan +

Montana
Incumbent Democrat Senator Jon Tester versus Trump endorsed Republican Tim Sheehy *

Michigan
Democrat U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin versus Trump endorsed Republican Mike Rogers *

Nevada
Incumbent Democrat Senator Jacky Rosen versus Trump endorsed Republican Sam Brown #

Ohio
Incumbent Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown versus Trump endorsed Republican Bernie Moreno *

Pennsylvania
Incumbent Democrat Senator Bob Casey versus Trump endorsed Republican Dave McCormick #

Wisconsin
Incumbent Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin versus Trump endorsed Republican Eric Hovde #

*Toss Up
# Leans Democrat
+ Likely Democrat
~ Leans Republican

All ratings of Toss Up or Leans Democrat or Republican are from Cooks Political Report 2024 House Races as of September 6, 2024 or Cooks Political Report Senate Race Ratings August August 15, 2024

Respond

Donate to any and all campaigns above. $5 to each campaign is more than enough. Act Blue is a portal for the Democratic Party. There are a multitude of local fundraising drives that usually involve meeting the candidate in person or by Zoom.

Volunteer in a local campaign or a campaign in another state. This includes, but not limited to, registration drives, canvassing, phone banking, text banking, post card and letter writing

Join National Networks whose focus is on getting out the vote:
League of Women Voters
Rock The Vote

The following organizations let you decide who to communicate with: battleground state voters, a particular campaign, specific congressional races, etc. You, yourself, can organize post card and letter writing “parties”. They’re a good way to work together and network at the same time.
Vote Forward
Postcard to Voters
Postcards to Swing States

Join National Networks whose focus is on electing local politicians:
Indivisible
Move On

Next Post:

The voters that will decide the 2024 Election, and the status of all races post debate.


Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Truth is powerful. And it prevails.

Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides..*

Posted on August 17, 2024 by Debra29

We are living in troubling times. We’ve watched as our Democracy and its freedoms have unraveled as a result of careful funding, planning, and execution by organized, extreme conservative forces. Town by town, state by state, and, now, on the national stage.

Inform

Project 2025

This is a right wing policy blueprint and personnel project prepared for the next Republican president. It’s a collaborative effort across the conservative ecosystem led by the Heritage Foundation.The website also notes that the project is backed by over 100 conservative organizations, many led by close allies of Trump, including

The Heritage Foundation

Turning Point USA

The Center for Renewing America

The Claremont Institute and here

The Family Policy Alliance

The Family Research Council

Moms for Liberty

America First Legal

Two years into Trump’s presidency, The Heritage Foundation touted that he had instituted 64% of its policy recommendations, ranging from leaving the Paris Climate Accords, increasing military spending, and increasing off-shore drilling and developing federal lands.

Other Project 25 policies include less federal intervention in education and more support for school choice; work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults on food stamps; and a secure border with increased enforcement of immigration laws, mass deportations and construction of a border wall.

The agenda calls for the Food and Drug Administration to reverse its 24-year-old approval of the widely used abortion pill mifepristone. It also recommends the Justice Department enforce the Comstock Act against providers and distributors of abortion pills. It proposes to eliminate a long list of terms from all laws and federal regulations, including “sexual orientation”, “gender equality”, “abortion” and “reproductive rights”.

Project 2025 aims to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools and government departments as part of what it describes as a wider crackdown on “woke” ideology. in addition to calling for the abolishing the Department of Education, aims to boost school choice and parental control over education and criticises what the party calls the “inappropriate political indoctrination of our children”.

It proposes that the entire federal bureaucracy, including independent agencies such as the Department of Justice, be placed under direct presidential control – a controversial idea known as “unitary executive theory”.

The document proposes slashing federal money for research and investment in renewable energy, and calls for the next president to “stop the war on oil and natural gas”.

Christian Conservatives

Christian Conservatives march ahead for God, for country, and for Trump . Only eight years ago, during the 2016 presidential campaign, many conservative Christians supported Mr. Trump pragmatically, for his promises to nominate conservative Supreme Court justices who would end abortion rights. He earned favor for his promise that Christians would have power in America.And they did. Even after his loss in 2020, a segment of Christians on the far right became emboldened, calling for the end of the separation of church and state. At the same time, the rituals of Christian worship became embedded in Republican rallies

The National Assault on Reproductive Rights

State legislative activity in the first half of 2024 included attacks on reproductive care for young people, restrictions on contraceptive access and criminalization of pregnancy outcomes. The harms caused by these attacks are compounded by the total abortion bans enforced in 14 states and the early gestational bans enforced in seven states that would have been unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade. Such harms fall particularly hard on those with lower incomes.

Now conservative attacks on birth control could threaten access. Far-right conservatives are sowing misinformation that inaccurately characterizes IUDs, emergency contraception, even birth-control pills as causing abortions. Lawmakers in many states focused on curtailing youth access to sexual and reproductive health care. These types of laws affect youth regardless of income status, but youth with the fewest resources will be the most affected. Requiring parental consent for contraceptive and STI care is another way lawmakers limit youth access to reproductive health care. In a recent decision, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling from 2022 that blocked clinics in Texas receiving federal Title X funding from providing prescription contraceptives to minors without parental consent. In addition, an Idaho law that was signed into law in March requires minors to get parental consent to access health care such as STI treatment.

A Threat to In Vitro Fertilization

U.S. Senator Patty Murray and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth outlined how Republican attacks on IVF are serious, real, and on the rise across America.

19 states have either broad personhood provisions in their law, language on personhood or defining “unborn children” in their criminal code or case law expanding the definition of child under state law to include fetuses, according to a report from Pregnancy Justice. The Texas Republican Party’s platform committee narrowly rejected a proposal classifying embryos created through IVF as “human being(s)” and calling for a state law to designate their destruction as a “homicide.”

In the House and Senate, hundreds of Republicans have signed on to legislation, the Life at Conception Act, that could threaten the use of IVF for pregnancy, a process in which unused embryos or those with abnormalities can be discarded. The Heritage Foundation has launched a concerted effort to “regulate”—thereby restricting access and advancing personhood principles and measures—IVF. The Southern Baptist Convention moved to adopt a resolution opposing in vitro fertilization.

More than a dozen other U.S. states have laws in place that could be interpreted as bestowing personhood rights on an embryo, even if it has not yet resulted in a pregnancy. And yet, in June, Republican senators—including Trump’s current running mate, J.D. Vance—voted against a bill that would have established a federal right to IVF care.

The Campaign Against Transgender Rights

About 1.3 million adults and 300,000 children in the United States identify as transgender. Today, the effort to restrict transgender rights has supplanted same-sex marriage as an animating issue for social conservatives at a pace that has stunned political leaders across the spectrum. It has reinvigorated a network of conservative groups, increased fund-raising and set the agenda in school boards and state legislatures. At least 20 states, all controlled by Republicans, have enacted laws that reach well beyond the initial debates over access to bathrooms and into medical treatments, participation in sports and policies on discussing gender in schools. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republicans attacked transgender rights on RNC opening night.

The Education Department last month unveiled a final set of sweeping changes to Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in schools and education programs that receive government funding, after more than a year of delays. The new regulations, slated to take effect Aug. 1, also cover discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Fifteen Republican-controlled states sued the department last week in four federal lawsuits that argue the new regulations are “plainly illegal” and undermine protections meant for cisgender students.

Recently, the Supreme Court, for now, blocked expanded protections for transgender students in several Republican states that mounted challenges. All nine members of the court said that parts of the new rules — including the protections for transgender students — should not go effect until the legal challenges are resolved.

The Plan to Attack and Block Elections and Results

Election officials are facing a deluge of disinformation. They are staring down new conspiracy theories, political pressure and threats. The new generation of elections officials must multitask as defenders against disinformation and its consequences. On any given day, they are debunking claims that masses of dead people are contaminating the voting pool or that mail-in balloting is susceptible to fraud. They have faced harassment campaigns targeted at their female family members, received intimidating letters laced with fentanyl and been subjected to fake threats of bombings and break-ins.

In response to these threats, state legislatures have taken action to protect them and make elections more resilient. So far, 20 states have passed urgently needed reforms to protect election officials since January 2022. At least 21 states introduced additional protective bills since 2022.

Trump allies test a new strategy for blocking election results. In five battleground states, county-level officials have tried to block the certification of vote tallies — which election experts worry is a test run for trying to thwart a Democratic victory. Trump has instructed the Republican National Committee, now led by his daughter-in-law and a close ally, to prioritize building out a team of poll watchers and lawyers to monitor the vote and litigate potential post-election challenges.

Some of The Billionaires and Millionaires Supporting all MAGA Objectives

The Aug. 2 dinner at the Bridgehampton, N.Y., home of Howard Lutnick, the Cantor Fitzgerald chief executive, was a high-powered affair. Among the roughly 130 people who dined under an air-conditioned tent were some of Donald Trump’s wealthiest supporters, including the billionaire hedge-fund financier Bill Ackman, who sat next to the former president, and Omeed Malik, the president of another fund, 1789 Capital. Elon Musk committing around $45 Million a Month to a new Pro-Trump Super PAC Other backers of America PAC include Palantir Technologies co-founder Joe Lonsdale and the Winklevoss twins.

Respond

Become informed. Open the links of the eight conservative groups listed above and peruse their agendas. Then read what Project 2025 is all about. It’s not just jargon. Once you have read this post you can see how their goals have translated into action in all of the national news stories. Understand what’s at stake in this election, as organized and wealthy groups are attempting to dismantle the underpinnings of our Democracy.

“We will not go back” is more than a campaign phrase. The conservative movement in this country can fracture whatever gains we’ve made over the decades. It’s up to each of us to prevent that from happening, in whatever way we can,

Join organized groups in your state and volunteer whatever way you can. Some are:

Indivisible

Vote Forward

League of Women Voters

When We All Vote

Planned Parenthood

Human Rights Campaign

Resolve (IVF advocacy group)

Next Post(s): The Harris-Waltz Platform, the Swing States of 2024, and the Crucial Congressional Races

* King Lear

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides..*

Integrity

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Debra29

“How well we survive this time of creative destruction, it really is, depends on each of us, on each of us fighting our individual battles of integrity, for integrity.

Maria Rossa*

Thank you for your strength, perseverance and integrity. Your battles made all the difference.

Inform

I published the final results of the 2022 Midterm Races we have been following over the last seven months in the updated prior post of We Are Here.

Democrats held onto control of the Senate (50 to 49 as of 11/28) while Republicans narrowly won the House (220 to 213 as of 11/28). In the House, the Republican ranks grew more extreme and slightly more diverse, while Democrats added several young liberals to their caucus.

This ended two years of unified Democratic control in Washington. Many believe that in the first major election post-Roe, Democrats tied abortion rights to everyday economics and tapped into fears about the rise of right-wing Republicans. Young voters helped Democrats, but experts differ on just how much. Others blamed Trump for dragging down his party’s candidates.

Democrats had a strong election in the states. This is important because the winners could have significant implications for the next presidential election, as close to 20 gubernatorial candidates backed false claims of election fraud in 2020. Researchers who study disinformation said most efforts to stoke doubt about results had failed to spread widely.

One of the greatest upsets of the election happened in New York where a “red wave” did materialize. Democrats lost almost every single closely contested congressional seat in the state. Kathy Hochul, the incumbent governor, was elected by just six points. Inflation, crime, and redistricting tinted a blue state red.

It still might be too soon to know what effect the 2022 midterm elections will have on 2024. Some “takeaways” include a belief that Trump is more vulnerable, the difficulty the Leader of the House will have in legislating, the importance of Democrats holding the Senate, creating spectacles in the House and new Democratic leadership. Another analysis includes DeSantis’s landslide — and what it portends for 2024, the latest on abortion rights, independent voters favored Democrats 49 percent to 47 percent, and voters shunned election-denier secretary of state candidates. Stanford scholars found the midterm elections surprising and explained why.

Respond

We are one week away from December 6 runoff election for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia. Incumbent Democrat Incumbent Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock could always use your support.

Stay involved at your local level by attending school board, library and other civic meetings. Let your voice be heard. Stay in communication with your representatives on all levels. They need to hear from their constituents regardless of whether you voted for them or not. Continue to be involved in issues that are important you including gun reform, reproductive rights, social spending including child care, expanded pre-K, paid leave, and health care. Let your representatives know your thoughts on legislation affecting climate change, inflation, criminal justice reform, job training, small businesses, and affordable housing. This is your Democracy.

*2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Rossa is an investigative journalist who distinguished herself as a fearless defender of freedom of expression and has exposed the abuse of power, use of violence and increasing authoritarianism of the regime of former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. She sees authoritarian governments and weaponized social media as dual threats to democracy.

” If you want to rip the heart out of a democracy, you go after the facts. That’s what modern authoritarians do. You lie. All the time. Then you say it’s your opponents and the journalists who lie.”

Posted in 2022 Midterm Elections, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Integrity

We Are Here

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Debra29

“We’re not here to curse the darkness, but to light a candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future.

John F. Kennedy

We are here in the final weeks of the contest for control of Congress. After months showing the Democrats running very well for a midterm year, the polls now offer pretty strong evidence that the party can’t overcome political gravity — at least not entirely. Democrats are being dragged back to earth. Now, the question is whether Democrats can survive the landing — especially in the Senate, but also in a large chunk of Democratic-leaning House districts.

After Labor Day, polls suggested Republican gains in key Senate races where Democrats had shown important summer strength. President Biden’s approval rating stopped increasing. Then the favorable news environment that seemed to give Democrats an opportunity just vanished, perhaps in no small part because of bad inflation news and a falling stock market. In the end, both parties are focusing on independent and undecided voters who will carry the election.

The most recent polls indicate that the midterm races are being shaped by larger, surprising forces beyond the traditional red and blue divide. These forces that reflect the country’s ethnic, economic and educational realignment. In other words, economic issues such as jobs, taxes and the cost of living have are prioritized more over societal issues like abortion, guns or democracy. Across four swing districts, voters with a college degree were 11 to 15 percentage points more likely to prioritize social issues than those who did not graduate from college.

Attacks on Democracy

Threats against Democracy have darkened the election process. Domestic disinformation campaigns and homegrown threats to poll workers are emerging as bigger concerns before the Nov. 8 midterm elections. The Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies are cracking down on the escalation of violent threats against election workers . In addition election workers in battleground states face a surge of cyberattacks. Lastly the New York City Police Department is warning that amid a “complex” threat environment, both racially motivated and anti-government extremists could target poll workers, political rallies, political officials and voting sites. The bulletin urges that this assessment requires “elevated vigilance as the US midterm elections begin.”

A majority of GOP nominees deny or question the 2020 election results. Experts say their dominance in the party poses a threat to the country’s democratic principles and jeopardizes the integrity of future votes. Election deniers will hold enormous sway over the choice of the nation’s next speaker, who in turn could preside over the House in a future contested presidential election. The winners of all the races — those for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, Senate and House — will hold some measure of power overseeing American elections.

Respond

What you can do

Get Out The Vote – Many Democrats don’t vote in midterm elections.
League of Women Voters
Rock The Vote
Vote Forward
Postcard to Voters
Postcards to Swing States

Join Grassroots Movements
Indivisible
Move On

Volunteer in a local campaign or a campaign in another state. This includes, but not limited to, , canvassing, phone banking, text banking, post card and letter writing. Donate as little as $5 or as much as you can.

The Senate Races (updated Nov 28)

Each campaign offers opportunities for support. Ratings of Toss Up or Leans Democrat or Republican are from Cooks Political Report, and University of Virginia’s Sabatos Crystal Ball.

Toss Up Races Either party has a good chance of winning. 
Georgia – Support Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Runoff Tuesday Dec 6
Nevada – Support Democrat Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Senator Cortez Masto won
Arizona – Support Democrat Senator Mark Kelly  (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Senator Mark Kelly won
Pennsylvania – Support Democrat John Fetterman (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat John Fetterman won

Leans Republican These are considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage.

North Carolina – Support Democrat Cheri Beasley
Final Results: Republican Ted Bud won.
Ohio – Support Democrat Tim Ryan 
Final Results: Republican J. D. Vance won.
Wisconsin – Support Democrat Mandela Barnes 
Final Results: Republican Ron Johnson won.

Leans Democrat These are considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage.
 
New Hampshire – Support Democrat Senator Maggie Hassan
Final Results: Democrat Senator Maggie Hassan won.
Colorado – Support Democrat Senator Michael Bennet (considered Likely Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Senator Michael Bennet won.

Likely Republican 

Florida – Support Democrat Val B Demmings
Final Results:  Republican Senator Marco Rubio won.

The House Races (updated Nov 28)

Each campaign offers opportunities for support. Ratings of Toss Up or Leans Democrat or Republican are from Cooks Political Report, and University of Virginia’s Sabatos Crystal Ball. 

23 Toss Up Races Either party has a good chance of winning  

California 22 Support Democrat Rudy Salas (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.
California 27 Support Democrat Christy Smith (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.
Colorado 8 Support Democrat Yadira Caraveo (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Yadira Caraveo won.
Illinois 17 Support Democrat Eric Sorensen (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Eric Sorensen won.
Maine 2 Support Democrat Representative Jared Golden  (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Jared Golden won.
Michigan 7 Support Democrat Representative Elissa Slotkin  (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Elissa Slotkin won.
Minnesota 2 Support Democrat Representative Angie Craig (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Angie Craig won.
Nebraska 2 Support Democrat Tony Vargas (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.
Nevada 1 Support Democrat Representative Dina Titus  (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Dina Titus won.
Nevada 3 Support Democrat Representative Susie Lee (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Susie Lee won.
New Hampshire 1 Support Democrat Representative Chris Pappas (Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Chris Pappas won.
New Mexico 2 Support Democrat Gabriel Vasquez (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Gabriel Vasquez won.
New York 19 Support Democrat Josh Riley (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.
New York 22 Support Democrat Francis Conole (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.
North Carolina 13 Support Democrat Wiley Nickel (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Wiley Nickel won.
Ohio 1 Support Democrat Greg Landsman (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Greg Landsman won.
Ohio 13 Support Democrat Emilia Strong Sykes (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Emilia Strong Sykes won.
Pennsylvania 7 Support Democrat Representative Susan Wild ( Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Susan Wild won.
Pennsylvania 8 Support Democrat Representative Matt Cartwright ( Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Matt Cartwright won.
Pennsylvania 17 Support Democrat Chris Deluzio (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Chris Delusion won.
Texas 28 Support Democrat Representative Henry Cuellar  (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Henry Cuellar won.
Virginia 2 Support Democrat Representative Elaine Luria (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.
Virginia 7 Support Democrat Representative Abigail Spanberger ( Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Abigail Spanberger won.
Washington 8 Support Democrat Representative Kim Schrier ( Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Kim Schrier won.

4 Lean Republican These are considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage. 

California 45 Support Democrat Jay Chen 
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.
Iowa 3 Support Democrat Representative CindyAxne
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.
New Jersey 7 Support Democrat Representative Tom Malinowski PLEASE SUPPORT
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.
Oregon 5 Support Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.

4 Lean Democrat

Kansas 3 Support Democrat Representative Sharice Davids 
Final Results: Democrat Representative Sharice Davids won.
Michigan 8 Support Democrat Representative Dan Kildee  
Final Results: Democrat Representative Dan Kildee won.
Nevada 4 Support Democrat Representative Steven Horsford 
Final Results: Democrat Representative Steven Horsford won.
New Hampshire 2 Support Democrat Representative Annie Kuster ( Likely Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Representative Annie Kuster won.

1 Likely Republican

New York 2 Support Democrat Jackie Gordon Exceptional endorsements, including Planned Parenthood and my family members who reside in this district.
Final Results: The Republican candidate won.

The Governor Races (updated Nov 28)

Governors in battleground states are at the frontline in a fight over American Democracy. Each campaign offers opportunities for support.Ratings of Toss Up or Leans Democrat or Republican are from Cooks Political Report, and University of Virginia’s Sabatos Crystal Ball.. 

Toss Up Races

Arizona Support Democrat Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Katie Hobbs won.
Kansas Support Democrat Governor Laura Kelly (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Laura Kelly won.
Nevada Support Democrat Governor Steve Sisolak (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Republican Joe Lombardo won.
Oregon Support Democrat Tina Kotek (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Tina Kotek won.
Wisconsin Support Democrat Governor Tony Evers (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Democrat Governor Tony Evers won.

Leans Republican

Georgia Support Democrat Stacy Adams (considered Likely Republican by Sabatos)
Final Results: Republican Governor Brian Kemp won.

Leans Democrat

Michigan Support Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Final Results: Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer won.

Likely Democrat
Pennsylvania Support Democrat Josh Shapiro
Final Results: Democrat Josh Shapiro won.

Likely Republican

Florida Support Democrat Representative Charlie Crist
Final Results: Republican Governor Ron DeSantis won.
Texas Support Democrat Beto O’Rourke
Final Results: Republican Governor Gregg Abbott won.

Vote

Absentee Ballot Deadlines and Ballot Tracker by State

Absentee Ballots in New York State.
Absentee Ballots in New Jersey.

Early Voting Start and End Dates by State

Early voting in New York State
Early voting in New Jersey

Voting on Election Day, November 8, 2022

The League of Women Voters provides you with information by State

Election Day Voting in New York State
Election Day Voting in New Jersey

Next Post: Integrity

Posted in Congress, State Elections, The House Race, The Senate Race, Uncategorized, Voter Suppression, Voting | Tagged | Comments Off on We Are Here

Upholding The Common Good

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Debra29

A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good.

Barbara Jordan

Inform

We are now a month away from the United States Midterm Elections on November 8 2022. Will Biden have a Democratic-controlled Congress for the remainder of his first term? Or will Republicans pick up one or both chambers of Congress, which will empower them to block Biden’s agenda?

Republicans need to flip just five Democratic seats to retake the House majority. Plus House Republicans may have already secured their majority through redistricting. Every 10 years, states must redraw their congressional and state legislative districts based on new census data. It’s supposed to reflect population changes, but many state politicians use the opportunity to affirm their party’s grip on power in state legislative and congressional districts.

Democrats’ majority in the Senate is even more precarious than in the House — at least on paper. Republicans need to win just one Democratic seat to take back control of the Senate for at least the next two years. But some of the most competitive Senate races are in states that voted for Biden in 2020, and Republican voters nominated arguably some of the most extreme candidates in recent memory.

I recently read a disturbing article about Spain’s fascist regime. “Up to the early 1930s, Spain had been among Europe’s most progressive countries, allowing for married couples to divorce and women to seek abortions. Under Franco, those rights were swiftly rescinded. Contraception was outlawed, adultery was criminalized and women lost the right to vote. Newspapers were censored, and many books were banned.” Does any of this sound familiar?

There have been assaults on school boards and libraries. Extreme candidates are running for local, state and national positions. We have had attacks on election officials and have seen efforts to infiltrate and cast doubt on the 2022 midterm results. False and cynical claims of voter fraud threaten our democracy as much as Trump himself. The US Supreme Court’s decision to remove constitutional protections on access to abortions will have significant effects on women and their families. Research shows that the reproductive, social and economic lives of those who are poor, young and/or black are likely to be most damaged. Most abortions are now banned in at least 13 states. In addition, many in the anti abortion movement have a new target: hormonal birth control. They claim that hormonal contraceptives like IUDs and the pill can actually cause abortions.

Christian nationalism, a belief that the United States was founded as a white, Christian nation and that there is no separation between church and state, is gaining steam on the right. Prominent Republican politicians have made the themes critical to their message to voters in the run up to the 2022 midterm elections. These similar nationalist movements in Europe has impacted Italy, France, Sweden and other western democracies.

Midterm Election

Tuesday November 8, 2022

Registration: The deadline to register to vote varies by state.

Registration by state.

Register to Vote in New York State.

Register to Vote in New Jersey.

Absentee Ballot Deadlines and Ballot Tracker by State

Absentee Ballots in New York State.

Absentee Ballots in New Jersey.

Early Voting Start and End Dates by State

Early voting in New York State

Early voting in New Jersey

Respond

Donate to the Senate and House races that could determine who controls Congress.

Donate to governor races as we grapple with state laws that control our own bodies, gun reform, elections, health care and education.

Volunteer in local campaigns by canvassing, phone banking, text banking, letter and postcard writing.

Join national networks in getting out the vote and/or registration drives.

Contact your local election office and become a poll worker. This job was never as important as today.

Become involved. On any day, in any way. Let your voice be heard agains those who are choosing to dismantle this democracy and its freedoms brick by brick. Let’s share in the responsibility of upholding the common good.

Next post: We are Here



Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Upholding The Common Good

Every Moment

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Debra29

Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist,
every minute a chance to change the world

Dolores Huerta
Farm Workers Labor Leader.Civil Rights Activist

We are less than two months away from the Midterm Elections. Every moment gives us a chance to affect its outcome.

Inform

After Roe’s end, women surged in signing up to vote in some states. In the first few months of this year, more than half of Kansans who registered to vote were men. In the week after the court’s decision, more than 70 percent of newly registered voters in Kansas were women, An unusually high level of new female registrants persisted all the way until the Kansas primary that month, when a strong Democratic turnout helped defeat a referendum that would have effectively ended abortion rights in the state. Registration drives work.

President Biden signed The Inflation Reduction Act, an expansive health, climate and tax law. It passed the House and Senate entirely along party lines, as Democrats employed a legislative process to bypass a Republican filibuster. It includes nearly $370 billion for climate and energy priorities, provisions allowing the health secretary to negotiate the cost of the prices of certain drugs covered under Medicare and sets a cap on out-of-pocket Medicare costs of $2,000 a year. Also included is a 3-year Affordable Care Act subsidies extension, $5 billion in drought funding, a 15% minimum tax on corporations making $1 billion or more and a a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks. This is in addition to winning bipartisan victories on funding for infrastructure — including roads, bridges, water systems and high-speed internet — and an industrial policy bill meant to counter China. Will Biden’s recent wins give Democrats a boost heading into the midterms? It remains to be seen, but it does give Democrats a chance to explain how their legislation improved the lives of their constituents.

In the end, inflation and abortion emerge as top issues in the midterm elections. Independents, who are so key in swing districts and purple states, are saying, yes, they are most concerned about inflation, but abortion rights are also a motivating issue. That makes for a tricky line for both parties to walk in how they try to appeal to the group.

The Supreme Court decision and redistricting has had an enormous impact on a local race. The New Jersey Democrats sacrificed Representative Tom Malinowski by re- drawing his 7th Congressional District to be more friendly to Republicans in order to shore up other potentially vulnerable Democratic incumbents. The result is a highly competitive race.

Recently, Congressman Malinowski has taken the abortion issue front and center in his bid for a third term in Congress. His Republican opponent, Tom Kean, Jr. voted against the codification of Roe v. Wade and voted for defunding Planned Parenthood. In addition to his pro-choice position, Malinowski has been an effective representative in supporting legislation for affordable health care, fair taxes, jobs, small businesses, gun reform, and protecting the environment. Tom Malinowski needs your support in any way possible. Your support in competitive races is crucial.

Republicans are favored to win back control of the House. Historically speaking, the party not in the White House does better in midterm elections. Things have improved for Democrats following the Supreme Court decision and an expected move by some Republican lawmakers to pursue a national-level abortion ban. The questions now are whether that shift will last, and can polls can be trusted.

Respond

Donate/Fundraising Recommendations
Donate a small amount ($5) to many campaigns or a larger amount to a few campaigns. If funds are limited, donate to Toss Up Races (with the exception of CongressmanTom Malinowski who also needs your support). Choose to support within your own state or expand to adjoining states. Support the candidates in the states your friends and relatives live in.
Act Blue is a portal for most campaigns and is an easier way to donate. Fundraising drives usually involve meeting the candidate in person or by Zoom.
Volunteer in a local campaign or a campaign in another state. This includes, but not limited to, registration drives, canvassing, phone banking, text banking, post card and letter writing
Join National Networks whose focus is on getting out the vote:
League of Women Voters
Rock The Vote
Vote Forward
Postcard to Voters
Postcards to Swing States
Join National Networks whose focus is on electing local politicians:
Indivisible
Move On

Support These Senate Races (updated October 27)

Each campaign offers opportunities for support. Ratings of Toss Up or Leans Democrat or Republican are from Cooks Political Report, and University of Virginia’s Sabatos Crystal Ball.
More information can be found on my earlier post We Shall Fight

Toss Up Races Either party has a good chance of winning. 
Georgia – Support Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock
Nevada – Support Democrat Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
Arizona – Support Democrat Senator Mark Kelly  (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Pennsylvania – Support Democrat John Fetterman (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Wisconsin – Support Democrat Mandela Barnes (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)


Leans Republican These are considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage.
North Carolina – Support Democrat Cheri Beasley
Ohio – Support Democrat Tim Ryan 

Leans Democrat These are considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage. 
New Hampshire – Support Democrat Senator Maggie Hassan
Colorado – Support Democrat Senator Michael Bennet (considered Likely Democrat by Sabatos)

Likely Republican
Florida – Support Democrat Val B Demmings (moved from Leans Republican )

Support These House Races (updated October 27)

Each campaign offers opportunities for support. Ratings of Toss Up or Leans Democrat or Republican are from Cooks Political Report, and University of Virginia’s Sabatos Crystal Ball.
More information can be found on my earlier post We Shall Fight

24 Toss Up Races Either party has a good chance of winning  

California 22 Support Democrat Rudy Salas
California 27 Support Democrat Christy Smith (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Colorado 8 Support Democrat Yadira Caraveo 
Illinois 17 Support Democrat Eric Sorensen
Maine 2 Support Democrat Representative Jared Golden 
Michigan 7 Support Democrat Representative Elissa Slotkin
Minnesota 2 Support Democrat Representative Angie Craig
Nebraska 2 Support Democrat Tony Vargas (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Nevada 1 Support Democrat Representative Dina Titus  (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Nevada 3 Support Democrat Representative Susie Lee
New Hampshire 1 Support Democrat Representative Chris Pappas (Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
New Mexico 2 Support Democrat Gabriel Vasquez (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
New York 19 Support Democrat Josh Riley
New York 22 Support Democrat Francis Conole (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
North Carolina 13 Support Democrat Wiley Nickel (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Ohio 1 Support Democrat Greg Landsman
Ohio 13 Support Democrat Emilia Strong Sykes
Oregon 5 Support  Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
Pennsylvania 7 Support Democrat Representative Susan Wild
Pennsylvania 8 Support Democrat Representative Matt Cartwright
Pennsylvania 17 Support Democrat Chris Deluzio
Virginia 2 Support Democrat Representative Elaine Luria
Virginia 7 Support Democrat Representative Abigail Spanberger ( Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
Washington 8 Support Democrat Representative Kim Schrier (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)

3 Lean Republican These are considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage. 

California 45 Support Democrat Jay Chen
Iowa 3 Support Democrat Representative CindyAxne
New Jersey 7 Support Democrat Representative Tom Malinowski PLEASE SUPPORT

5 Lean Democrat

Kansas 3 Support Democrat Representative Sharice Davids (considered Toss Up by Sabatos)
Michigan 8 Support Democrat Representative Dan Kildee (considered Toss Up by Sabatos)
Nevada 4 Support Democrat Representative Steven Horsford
New Hampshire 2 Support Democrat Representative Annie Kuster ( Likely Democrat by Sabatos)
Texas 28 Support Democrat Representative Henry Cuellar (considered Toss Up by Sabatos)


Support These Governor Races (updated October 27)

Governors in battleground states are at the frontline in a fight over American Democracy. Each campaign offers opportunities for support. Ratings of Toss Up or Leans Democrat
or Republican are from University of Virginia’s Sabato Crystal Ball.
More information can be found on my earlier post The Power of Statehouse Elections

Toss Up Races
Arizona Support Democrat Secretary of State Katie Hobbs
Kansas Support Democrat Governor Laura Kelly
Nevada Support Democrat Governor Steve Sisolak
Oregon Support Democrat Tina Kotek
Wisconsin Support Democrat Governor Tony Evers

Leans Republican
Georgia Support Democrat Stacy Adams

Likely Democrat
Michigan Support Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Pennsylvania Support Democrat Josh Shapiro

Likely Republican
Florida Support Democrat Representative Charlie Crist
Texas Support Democrat Beto O’Rourke

Next Post: Upholding The Common Good

Posted in 2022 Midterm Elections, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Every Moment

Stronger Than The Bullet

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Debra29

The ballot is stronger than the bullet.

Abraham Lincoln

Party primaries are now the most consequential elections in American politics, especially when one party controls both the governor’s office and the legislative chamber (a trifecta) . This is true whether it is the Republican Party in Texas or the Democratic Party in New York. Primary results tell us what is happening within each political party. What fractions within each party dominate at the poll? Who are voters drawn to? Neither Republican nor Democratic candidates for Congress are seen by most voters as having the right priorities, according to a recent poll. Where do your Congressional candidates stand on the issues that matter to you?

Never have state elections been more important than today. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will create two Americas when it comes to abortion access — the mostly red states where abortion is illegal in most circumstances, and the mostly blue states where it is mostly available with restrictions. But this sudden cleaving in the United States will go far beyond abortion access, affecting healthcare, the criminal legal system and politics, at all levels, in the coming years. What are the ideas, policies and focus of your state senate candidates?

As political scientist Larry Sabato states, every election is determined by the people who show up. It remains to be seen if abortion rights, reproductive freedom and privacy will drive voters to the polls in the primaries and the general election. Get involved at all levels for GOTV campaigns.

The New York Congressional and State Senate Primary
August 23, 2022

Deadlines 

Friday, July 29 2022 
Voter Registration Deadline
Monday, August 8 2022
Absentee Ballot Request deadline
Saturday August 13 – Sunday August 21 2022
Early Voting

Registration, Absentee Ballots, Early Voting and Election Sites

New York City Register To Vote
New York City Absentee Ballot,
New York City Early Voting
New York City Election Day Voting Sites

Nassau County Board of Elections (for all information)

Suffolk County Board of Elections (for all information)

New York State’s Second Primary August 23

As stated in an earlier post, a court released final maps after Democratic drawn congressional and state maps were tossed by the states highest court. My Congressional District number changed , and my present State Senator is not running again in my State Senate District. Use this link to confirm  what your Congressional, State Senate and State Assembly districts are now.

Congressional Races

New York State has 26 Congressional Districts. Find out who is running in your Congressional District


City & State New York has done an extensive analysis of who is running for Congress throughout New York State . We have some of the country’s hottest primaries, including an open seat on Wall Street, a career veteran showdown in Central Park and three open seats on Long Island. At the same time, two Aug. 23 special elections, in the Hudson Valley and Western New York, could serve as a preview for November.

State Senate Races

New York has 63 re-drawn State Senate Districts. Find out who is running in your State Senate District. Another source lists the status of incumbents and confirmed candidates.

 There are several competitive State Senate races taking place for New York State Senate. Several incumbents are facing tough primary challenges while others have had to adjust to newly drawn district lines encompassing neighborhoods they did not previously represent. Some sitting senators even had to decide whether to shift their residence to continue running in familiar territory or face the unpredictability of their new districts. These races include those in New York City, Nassau and Suffolk County, in addition to upstate counties.

Decision Making Time

I encourage each voter to gather information on the candidates in their district as I did below for my candidates. Explore their social media pages, in addition to public media coverage. Ask questions at public meetings and fund raising events. Research what’s in the news, candidate websites, past history, endorsements, and listen to primary debates to help you decide who would best represent you in the upcoming August 23 Primary.

My Congressional District 10 Candidates (Updated September 12)

Primary Results

Dan Goldman won with 25.8% of the votes He will be facing Republican Benine Hamdan on November 8


Luh-Line Niou was second with 23.7% of the votes
Mondaire Jones came in third with 18.2%

History of this race

There were 10 people running for this position. 

Nine candidates appeared before several Brooklyn political clubs answering questions about pressing issues in the district, their policy platforms, and more. Former Rep Elizabeth Holzman was not in attendance. Attorney Maud Maron was not invited by the political clubs. I’ve linked the candidates below to their campaign sites for more information about their experience and platforms. 

Rep. Mondaire Jones (who currently represents a Hudson Valley district but recently moved to Brooklyn to run in NY-10)
Former small business owner Brian Robinson
Former certified teacher Jimmy Jiang Li
Data Analyst Quanda Francis
Assemblymembers Yuh-Line Niou 
Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon 
City Council Member Carlina Rivera
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Goldman
Former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman
Attorney Maud Maron

Endorsements: Find out who’s backing who in the competitive open seat race to represent parts of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn in the House of Representatives.

Who is in the lead? As of August 8, two women with local bona fides but little national stature have surged toward the front of the pack, upending early conventional wisdom and scrambling the race. In recent public and internal polling for the Democratic primary, Carlina Rivera, a councilwoman from Manhattan, and Yuh-Line Niou, a Manhattan assemblywoman, are running neck-and-neck with the two well-resourced men considered heavyweights: Representative Mondaire Jones, a recent transplant to the district, and Daniel Goldman, the impeachment investigator, who has never held elective office.

Primary Debates Candidates Mondaire Jones, Carlina Rivera, Brian Robinson, Dan Goldman, Yuh-Line Niou, Liz Holtzman, Maud Maron, Jo Anne Simon, Quanda Francis, and Jimmy Li participated in PoliticsNY’s Democratic primary debate in the race to represent New York’s tenth congressional district. This offers a good opportunity to hear where the candidates stand on important issues.

NY1/WNYC 10th Congressional District Debate was aired on August 10. The top six candidates were able to articulate why they believe their experience and strengths would serve our district well.

“The pandemic put leaders to the test, and voters should take note of who stepped up.” POLITICO asked the top six NY-10’s Democratic primary candidates where they spent 2020 while Covid was shaking the lives of New Yorkers.

NY State Senate District 26 Candidates (updated September 12)

Primary Results

Andrew Gounardes won with 64.15% of the votes He will be facing Republican Brian Fox on November 8


David Yassky came in second with 32.6%

History of this race

Redistricting put two veteran politicians head to head in an uncertain primary race in this newly drawn 26th District. David Yassky had represented the 33rd City Council for seven years and it had included Greenpoint, Williamsburg, DUMBO, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope. Andrew Gounardes has represented the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Manhattan Beach and Marine Park.

State Senator Andrew Gounardes Here are his community leaders and organizations’ endorsements.

Former City Council Member David Yassky He received the endorsement of Independent Neighborhood Democrats. I’m unable to find a list of endorsements from community leaders and organizations on his website. Will update when I do. Yassky was called out for fake endorsements in July.

Both candidates have shared their vision, priorities, and plans in the Gotham Gazette, an online publication covering New York policy and politics.

A primary debate for the State Senate District 26 was sponsored by Politics NY. Each candidate was able to express their point of view on issues such as public safety, property taxation and affordability, education, jobs, health care affordability, water front challenges, and child care crisis.

Next Post: Every Moment

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Stronger Than The Bullet

We Shall Fight

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Debra29

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…
Winston Churchill

The 49 year crusade to overturn Roe v Wade was a movement that succeeded by mobilizing a determined minority of Americans. They transformed religious interpretations of prenatal life, embraced medical advancements that gave new understanding of the fetus and helped to build an academic legal movement in the Ivy League universities. A group of law students at Yale, Harvard and the University of Chicago began meeting under the auspices of the Federalist Society in 1982. They were united by the idea that American law had strayed too far from the original intent of the nation’s founders.Most importantly, they nurtured a generation of political and legal leaders who saw in the setbacks of the 1970s to 1990s a defining cause.

How overturning Roe could backfire for Republicans. The party was making headway with suburban women on crime, schools and inflation. Now the abortion debate is front and center. How will the midterm elections reflect how Americans feel about having their rights to abortion, contraception and same sex marriages taken away?

Kansas’s consequential vote on abortion rights

The nation’s first statewide vote on abortion rights, after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, has upended traditional wisdom about the politics of abortion. Advocates on both sides were looking for lessons as they prepare for similar votes on abortion rights measures this fall. In a Republican-leaning state that preferred President Donald Trump by 15 points in 2020, the outcome was landslide that few expected: Nearly 60% of voters chose to support abortion rights.

Among the states with ballot measures scheduled for November is Kentucky, where voters will consider a constitutional amendment similar to the one that failed in Kansas. Kentucky is more conservative than Kansas — it went for Trump by 26 points — but some dynamics are similar, with a small number of blue counties set in a sea of red.

RESPOND

Act with ACLU to Defend Abortion Access For All.
Center For Reproductive Rights – Seven things you can do right now for Abortion Rights
Become Involved with Planned Parenthood
National Network of Abortion Fund
The Brigid Alliance
Apiary for Practical Support
If, When, How, Lawyering For Reproductive Justice

What message will Americans send on Election Day 2022?

Midterm elections historically favor the party that is not in the White House. Will this devastating decision impacting a woman’s personal freedom and public health invigorate disaffected base voters? Will the moderate suburban swing voters help to keep the Democratic majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives? Will you surrender or will you fight?

Focus on these races. Donate (no amount is too small) Volunteer. Become involved.

The U.S. House of Representatives Races (updated October 7)

Republicans are favored to win back the majority in the lower chamber given both the national mood and historical precedent of a first-term president’s party losing seats in the midterm elections. 

The New York Times #, Washington Post@, Washington Examiner +, Politico* and The Hill% have identified these 33 Congressional House races as the most vulnerable and likely to flip. All ratings of Toss Up or Leans Democrat or Republican are from Cooks Political Report, and University of Virginia’s Sabatos Crystal Ball

28 Toss Up Races Either party has a good chance of winning These Democrats need your help

*+California 22 Support Democrat Rudy Salas
+California 27 Support Democrat Christy Smith
#+Colorado 8 Support Democrat Yadira Caraveo (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
+Illinois 17 Support Democrat Eric Sorensen
@+Kansas 3 Support Democrat Representative Sharice Davids
+Maine 2 Support Democrat Representative Jared Golden
 #+Michigan 7 Support Democrat Representative Elissa Slotkin
  #+Michigan 8 Support Democrat Representative Dan Kildee (considered Leans Democrat by Cook)
@Minnesota 2 Support Democrat Representative Angie Craig
*Nebraska 2 Support Democrat Tony Vargas (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
+Nevada 1 Support Democrat Representative Dina Titus (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)
%+Nevada 3 Support Democrat Representative Susie Lee
+Nevada 4 Support Democrat Representative Steven Horsford
+New Hampshire 1 Support Democrat Representative Chris Pappas
+New Hampshire 2 Support Democrat Representative Annie Kuster (listed Leans Democrat by Cook)
+New Mexico 2 Support Democrat Gabriel Vasquez
+New York 19 Support Democrat Josh Riley
New York 22 Support Democrat Francis Conole
#+North Carolina 13 Support Democrat Wiley Nickel (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
*+Ohio 1 Support Democrat Greg Landsman
#%+Ohio 13 Support Democrat Emilia Strong Sykes
%Oregon 5 Support  Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner
@Pennsylvania 7 Support Democrat Representative Susan Wild
Pennsylvania 8 Support Democrat Representative Matt Cartwright
%Pennsylvania 17 Support Democrat Chris Deluzio
#%Texas 28 Support Democrat Representative Henry Cuellar (considered Leans Democrat by Cook)
%+Virginia 2 Support Democrat Representative Elaine Luria
+Washington 8 Support Democrat Representative Kim Schrier (listed as Leans Democrat by Sabatos)

3 Lean Republican These are considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage. These Democrats need your help.

 #*+California 45 Support Democrat Jay Chen (considered Likely Republican by Sabatos)
+Iowa 3 Support Democrat Representative CindyAxne
@+New Jersey 7 Support Democrat Representative Tom Malinowski PLEASE SUPPORT

The Senate Races (updated October 7 )

Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to hold on to their ultra-narrow Senate majority this year in a midterm election cycle that has several of the party’s most vulnerable incumbents facing voters amid rising inflation and surging gas prices.

The New York Times #, Washington Post@, Politico* and The Hill% have identified these crucial races . ^A competitive Colorado Senate race evolved in August. These 10 Senate Races are the most vulnerable and likely to flip. All ratings of Toss Up or Leans Democrat or Republican are from Cooks Political Report, and University of Virginia’s Sabatos Crystal Ball

Focus on these races. Donate (no amount is too small) Volunteer. Become involved.

Toss Up Races Either party has a good chance of winning.
These Democrats need your help.

*@#% Georgia – Support Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock
*@#%Nevada – Support Democrat Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
*#%Wisconsin – Support Democrat Mandela Barnes (considered Leans Republican by Sabatos)
*#%Pennsylvania – Support Democrat John Fetterman (considered Likely Democrat by Sabatos)

Leans Republican These are considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage. These Democrats need your help.

#Florida – Support Democrat Val B Demmings (considered Likely Republican by Sabatos)
*#%North Carolina – Support Democrat Cheri Beasley
#Ohio – Support Democrat Tim Ryan

Leans Democrat These are considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage.

*#@%New Hampshire – Support Democrat Senator Maggie Hassan
^Colorado – Support Democrat Senator Michael Bennet
*@#%Arizona – Support Democrat Senator Mark Kelly (considered Leans Democrat by Sabatos)

Next Post : The New York August 23 Primary for newly drawn State Senate and Congressional Districts

Posted in 2022 Midterm Elections, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments Off on We Shall Fight

The Power of Statehouse Elections

Posted on May 25, 2022 by Debra29

Politics means trying to share power or striving to influence the distribution of power, either among states or among groups within a state.
Max Weber

Inform

As I stated back in 2018 post This Land Is Your Land, never underestimate the importance of state elections. A governor and state legislature make numerous policy decisions affecting health care, education, infrastructure and immigration. In addition, state legislation addresses Medicaid, job training, criminal justice reform, and family leave. Sexual harassment and assault policy, income inequality, and a woman’s right to choose falls under their jurisdiction. Lastly, marriage equality, discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and climate change legislation happens at the statehouse.

Then there is gun reform

The majority of U.S. states have passed laws preserving state authority over firearms policies—and preventing local communities from passing their own—but at the same time have refrained from enacting statewide gun-control policies. Gun violence is a substantial public health problem in the U.S., killing more than 38,000 people each year.

Last June 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law seven measures to expand gun rights, one of which allows people to legally carry handguns without licenses. In sharp contrast to Texas, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York signed stronger gun control measures into law. They are intended to strengthen the state’s gun laws and protect people from gun violence by prohibiting the sale of semiautomatic weapons to those under 21 and banning most body armor sales for civilians. The bills also expand the eligibility for an Extreme Risk Protection Order petition, a court order that prevents someone who has been deemed a danger to themselves or others from purchasing new guns and seizes firearms currently in their possession. This is part of an effort to strengthen New York’s pre-existing red flag laws, which are meant as deterrents to mass shootings and incidents of gun violence.

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a New York law limiting guns in public. The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, June 23, that Americans have a broad right to arm themselves in public, striking down a New York law that placed strict limits on carrying guns outside the home and setting off a scramble in other states that have similar restrictions.

The decision is expected to spur a wave of lawsuits seeking to loosen existing state and federal restrictions and will force five states — California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey, home to a quarter of all Americans — to rewrite their laws.

New York lawmakers convened a special session in Albany on June 30 to pass measures that would prohibit concealed weapons in many public places deemed “sensitive”. The ban would apply to places like colleges, hospitals, subways, parks and stadiums.may be an early test of how far a state can go to limit the spread of handguns without violating the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Gun Reform At The Federal Level

On June 23, the Senate passed a bipartisan gun bill with 15 Republicans, including the minority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky after a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, left at least 19 children and two adults dead, 10 days after another massacre killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo.

It would enhance background checks for prospective gun buyers ages 18 to 21, requiring for the first time that juvenile records, including mental health records beginning at age 16, be vetted for potentially disqualifying material. The bill would provide incentives for states to pass “red flag” laws that allow guns to be temporarily confiscated from people deemed by a judge to be too dangerous to possess them. And it would tighten a federal ban on domestic abusers buying firearms, and strengthen laws against straw purchasing and trafficking of guns. It also includes hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for mental health programs and to beef up security in schools.

The House passed a wide-ranging package of gun control legislation called the “Protecting Our Kids Act,” . The legislation that passed in the House includes a series of individual bills aimed at preventing gun violence. The measure would raise the legal age to buy certain semiautomatic centerfire rifles from 18 to 21 years old, establish new federal offenses for gun trafficking and for selling large-capacity magazines, and allow local governments to compensate individuals who surrender such magazines through a buyback program. It would create a tax incentive for retail sales of safe storage devices and criminal penalties for breaking new requirements regulating firearm storage on residential premises. The measure would also take steps to strengthen existing federal regulations on bump stocks and ghost guns. The measure is not expected to pass the Senate.

The Red Wave
How Republicans at the State Level
helped to overturn Roe v Wade

The beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade arrived on election night in November 2010. That night, control of state houses across the country flipped from Democrat to Republican, almost to the number: Democrats had controlled 27 state legislatures going in and ended up with 16; Republicans started with 14 and ended up controlling 25. Republicans swept not only the South but Democratic strongholds in the Midwest, picking up more seats nationwide than either party had in four decades. By the time the votes had been counted, they held their biggest margin since the Great Depression.

That year swept in a different breed of Republican, powered by Tea Party supporters, that locked in a new conservatism. While Tea Party-backed candidates had campaigned on fiscal discipline and promised indifference to social issues, and a well-established network was waiting with model anti-abortion laws

The Status of Statehouses Today

Prior to the elections, Democrats hold 14 trifectas (control of the governor’s office and legislative chambers), Republicans hold 23 trifectas, and 13 states have a divided government. These will be the first elections affected by the 2020 redistricting cycle, which reapportioned state legislatures based on data from the 2020 United States census.

As of May 12, 2022, Republicans controlled 54.35% of all state legislative seats nationally, while Democrats held 44.37%. Republicans held a majority in 62 chambers, and Democrats held the majority in 36 chambers. One chamber (Alaska House) was organized under a multipartisan, power-sharing coalition.[1]

On November 8, 2022, 88 of the country’s 99 state legislative chambers will hold regularly-scheduled elections. New Jersey, Louisiana, Mississippi and Virginia do not.

10 Governor Races To Watch (updated October 7)

In some of the most competitive races, the outcome has implications far beyond the governor’s mansion. With many Republican voters embracing debunked theories about former President Donald J. Trump’s loss in the 2020 election and pushing for new voting restrictions, governors in battleground states are at the front line in a fight over American democracy. Many believe the midterms will test former President Donald J. Trump’s role as a G.O.P. kingmaker. Trump endorsed candidates are labeled (t).

Texas – Primary Results
Democrat Congressman Beto O’Rourke will be running against Republican Incumbent Gov. Greg Abbot (t)

Pennsylvania– Primary Results
Democrat Josh Shapiro will be running against Republican Doug Mastriano (t)

Georgia Primary Results
Democrat Stacy Adams will be running against Republican Incumbent Governor Brian Kemp

Nevada Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Governor Steve Sisolak will be running against Republican Joe Lombardo (t)

Illinois Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Governor J.B. Pritzker will be running against Republican Darren Bailey

Kansas Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Governor Laura Kelly will be running against Republican Primary Candidate Derek Schmidt

Arizona Primary Results
Democrat Secretary of State Katie Hobbs will be running against Republican Kari Lake (t)

Michigan Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Governor Gretchen Whitmer will be running against Republican Tudor Dixon (t)

Wisconsin Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Governor Tony Evers will be running against Republican Tim Michels (t)

Florida August 23
Democrat Representative Charlie Crist will be running against Republican Incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis

New York State Primary Results
for Governor and Assembly

Your Newly Drawn Districts

A court released final maps for New York’s 26 congressional and 63 state Senate districts in the midnight hour on Saturday morning, setting in motion a flurry of campaign activity as candidates quickly jockeyed for position in critical seats. Have you been redistricted? Use this link to confirm your NYS Senate District, NYS Assembly District and your Congressional District.

Race For Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Democrat Incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul will be facing Republican Lee Zeldin

Democrat Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado will be running against Republican Alison Esposito

New York State Assembly Races

The June 28 Primary results have been finalized. See who has won the Primary in your NYS Assembly district.

Response

Join/donate/volunteer for Gun Control Advocacy groups:

Sandy Hook Promise

Everytown For Gun Safety

Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America

Coalition To Stop Gun Violence

Volunteer, Donate & Support Candidates

Get to know the candidates running in the primaries and decide who you would support. I’ve linked campaign websites to leading Democratic candidates and will continue to do so as the primary results pour in. Attend virtual and public town halls, street fairs, and fundraisers. Ask questions. Find out how you can help. Set up a free account with Act Blue which coordinates donations for candidates and causes throughout the nation. 

There are multiple voter registration drives, in addition to Get Out The Vote (GOTV) initiatives to become involved in:

League of Women Voters

Rock The Vote

Here are more top rated organizations protecting voting rights in America.

Helping nationwide. 

Many organizations are asking for support in preparation for the midterm elections, with postcard & letter writing, phone banking, texting and canvassing. 

Vote Forward

Postcard to Voters

Postcards to Swing States

Indivisible

Next Post :

We Shall Fight – The Overturning of Roe v Wade and the Midterm Elections to focus on.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Power of Statehouse Elections

A Pivotal Point For America

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Debra29

The state controlling a woman would mean denying her full autonomy and full equality.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Inform

The Supreme Court Overturns Roe vs Wade

The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established the constitutional right to abortion.

In the leaked draft majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. presents what he sees as his most convincing arguments for permitting legislatures to ban abortion. He does so by repeatedly quoting Sir Matthew Hale, a judge who believed women could be witches, assumed women were liars and thought husbands owned their wives’ bodies. Echoes of Hale’s suspicion of women still reverberate in American law and culture, helping rapists avoid punishment.

The question is whether this decision, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor predicted, will produce a jurisprudential tsunami that could sweep away other precedents, too. The Courts’ reasoning was wrapped around the argument that ” a right to abortion cannot be found in the Constitution or inferred from its provisions.” The same could be said for contraception, gay intimacy and same-sex marriage, rights established by three Supreme Court decisions

The decision eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion after almost 50 years was met with celebration and anger across the country. It could lead to all but total bans on the procedure in about half of the states.

Few Americans support making abortions illegal.

The majority of Americans don’t want to overturn Roe. Americans’ feelings about abortion vary, though. Support for abortion in very Republican-leaning states, especially in the South, is low. Polls have found that support for abortion can change depending on the situation, too. Support for the right to abortion drops after the first trimester. In addition, there’s far more support for legal abortions in the cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

The Senate failed to advance bill to protect abortion rights. Democrats control 50 seats in the Senate.This will mark the second time the Senate has attempted to move legislation forward protecting abortion access nationwide. In February, the upper chamber took up the House-passed Women’s Health Protection Act, but failed to advance the measure in a 46 to 48 vote, well short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

Republican Senators have begun discussing federal legislation to ban abortion nationwide if they win Senate control in the midterms as they’ll be under intense pressure to end abortion even in blue states.

The overturn of Roe v Wade and its effect over key primary and general elections

Democrats, looking to hold on to their slim control of Congress, are hoping that abortion will galvanize their voters in an otherwise tough year for the party — one that has been characterized by low approval ratings for President Biden and frustrations over the economy and inflation.

Pro-life and Pro-choice language is now working its way into campaigns. Some believe the midterms biggest abortion battleground is Pennsylvania where the leading Republicans running for governor want to outlaw abortion. Across the nation abortion is starting to reshape notable midterm campaigns. The Pennsylvania Republican primary race for Governor and U.S. Senate, a Democratic rematch in Texas, and the Arizona Republican primary race for U.S Senate are now generating language and positions in what Arizona Senator Kelly has framed as a “generational fight for freedoms”.

The Midterm Primaries (Updated October 7)

The Trump Variable

The day after F.B.I. agents searched his home in Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald J. Trump yet again illustrated his electoral pull on the Republican Party.
In a series of primaries in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont and Connecticut on Tuesday — and in a newly conceded race from last week’s election in Washington State — Mr. Trump’s candidates scored victories and his enemies drew defeats, with a notable exception.

10 U.S. Senate Races To Watch (Updated October 7)

A single state could shift power in the Senate, where Democrats maintain a tenuous advantage by virtue of having the tiebreaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris. Thirty-five Senate seats are at stake in 2022, but the list of races considered competitive is much smaller. Most are in states that President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump contested fiercely in 2020. I will update final results, and link campaign sites to the Democrats who prevail.

Ohio – Primary Results
Democrat Representative Tim Ryan will be running against Republican J.D. Vance (t)

Pennsylvania – Primary Results
Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will be running against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz (t),

North Carolina – Primary Result
Democrat Cheri Beasley will be running against Republican Representative Ted Budd (t)

Georgia – Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Senator Ralphael Warnock will be running against Republican Herschel Walker (t)

Nevada – Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Senator Catherine Cortez Masto will be running against Republican Adam Laxalt (t)

Arizona – Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Senator Mark Kelly will be running against Republican Blake Masters (t)

Wisconsin – Primary Results
Democratic Mandela Barnes will be running against Republican Senator Ronald Johnson (t)

Alaska – Primary Results
Republican Incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski had the lead (45%) followed by Republican candidate Kelly Tshibaka (t) (38.6%) , Democrat Patricia Chesbro (6.8%) and Republican Buzz Kelley (2.1%). These top four vote-getters will compete on a ranked-choice ballot in November.

Florida – Primary Results
Democrat Representative Val B. Demmings will be running against Republican Incumbent Senator Marco Rubio (t)

New Hampshire– Sept 13
Democrat Incumbent Senator Maggie Hassan will be running against Republican Donald Bolduc

9 Critical House Races To Watch (Updated October 7)

Only a handful of races in November will determine if Democrats hold onto their slim majority over Republicans in the House of Representatives — an outcome that is critical to the political fate of President Biden.

Ohio’s 13th District – Primary Results
Democrat Emilia Strong Sykes will be running against Republican Madison Gesiotto Gilbert (t)

North Carolina’s 13th District – Primary Results
Democrat State Senator Wiley Nickel will be running against Republican Representative Bo Hines (t)

Texas’s 15th District – Primary Results
Democrat Michelle Vallejo, will be running against Republican Monica De La Cruz(t)

Texas’s 28th District – Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Representative Henry Cuellar will be running against Republican Candidate Cassy Garcia

California’s 45 District – Primary Results
Democrat Primary Candidate Jay Chen will be running against Republican Michele Steel

New Jersey’s 7th District – Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Tom Malinowski will be running against Republican Thomas Kean

Colorado’s 8th District – Primary Results
Democrat Dr. Yadira Caraveo will be running against Republican Barb Kirkmeyer

Michigan’s 7th District – Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Representative Elissa Slotkin will be running against Republican Tom Barrett

Michigan’s 8th District – Primary Results
Democrat Incumbent Representative Dan Kildee is facing Republican Paul Junge

4 Critical New York House Races To Watch (Updated Oct 7)

New York – Primary Results

New York 3rd District
Democrat Candidates include Robert Zimmerman will be running against Republican George Devolder-Santos

New York 18th District
Democrat Candidates Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan will be running against Republican Colin J. Schmitt


New York 19th District
Democrat Candidate Jaime Cheney will be running against Republican Marcus Molinaro


New York 22nd District
Democrat Candidate Francis Conole will be running against Republican Candidate Brandon Williams



The Cook Political Report 2022

What races are worth supporting? The “toss up” races are the most competitive; so either party has a good chance of winning in either the 2022 House Races or the 2022 Senate Races. The new ratings on this site will be issued on a rolling basis as states finalize new redistricting maps. I’ll focus on these races in the posts ahead.

Respond

The overturning of Roe v Wade and its fallout across the nation.

Support, Donate & Rally

Donations go beyond funding abortions, helping patients in other ways
Naral Pro Choice America
The Abortion Care Network
Planned Parenthood
Here are 19 more funds to consider donating to.

Find a local rally location in your state and join.

Midterm Elections: Confirm where your candidate stands in regard to the right to an abortion as established in Roe v. Wade.

Critical Senate and House Races

Volunteer, Donate & Support

Get to know the candidates running in the primaries and decide who you would support. I’ve linked campaign websites to leading Democratic candidates and will continue to do so as the primary results pour in. Attend virtual and public town halls, street fairs, and fundraisers. Ask questions. Find out how you can help. Set up a free account with Act Blue which coordinates donations for candidates and causes throughout the nation.

There are multiple voter registration drives, in addition to Get Out The Vote initiatives to become involved in:

League of Women Voters

Rock The Vote

Here are more top rated organizations protecting voting rights in America.

Helping nationwide.

Many organizations are asking for support in preparation for the midterm elections, with postcard & letter writing, phone banking, texting and canvassing.

Vote Forward

Postcard to Voters

Postcards to Swing States

Indivisible

Next Post

The Power of Statehouse Elections

Posted in Abortion, Uncategorized | Tagged | Comments Off on A Pivotal Point For America