Campaign 2012 – Senate – Page 4

A Senate endorsement closer to home

I think it’s her position as the second-ranking Republican in the Maryland House of Delegates that explains this big deal.

“Dan Bongino is an excellent example of the next generation of leaders who understand that the ways of the past will not lead us to a better future,” said Delegate Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio. “Electing Dan Bongino to the U.S. Senate is paramount to changing the mindset and culture in Washington.”

In kind, Bongino responded:

“I am honored by the Minority Whip’s endorsement. Delegate Haddaway-Riccio represents a new generation of leaders in our state who refuse to allow Maryland to fall to the wayside, while the powerful establishment serves the needs of special interests over the needs of the people,” said Bongino. “Jeannie and I firmly believe that the future for Maryland lies in the hands of those willing to change the way the federal and state governments operate and respond to the very people it serves.”

And in case you forgot:

Serving since 2003, Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio began her career as one of the youngest members of the Maryland House of Delegates and now serves as its Minority Whip. As a small business owner and Eastern Shore native, Jeannie works hard for her constituents, focusing on the economy, education, and the environment. Her and her husband, Joseph, reside in Talbot County with their dog Max.

I remember when it was just Jeannie Haddaway…

Setting aside the endorsement for the moment, does anyone else sense that bigger things are awaiting Jeannie in 2014? I found it interesting that she gave the GOP response to Governor O’Malley’s State of the State address last year as opposed to many other longtime party leaders. Perhaps she’s being portrayed as the softer side of the Maryland Republican Party since her voting record is pretty much middle-of-the-pack between conservative and moderate.

It’s also worthy of noting that Bongino and Haddaway-Riccio are fairly contemporary in terms of age – Bongino is 37 and Jeannie will turn 35 later this year. But eight years into a career in the House of Delegates, Haddaway-Riccio definitely has the experience required to make a change if she desires to.

As is usually the case with endorsements, they’re sort of like trophies on the wall – nice to look at but not much in the way of usefulness. However, if Bongino picks up a percent or two in the 37th District that could be helpful in both April and November. If I were to make a prediction right now, I would expect the Senate primary to be a repeat of the 2010 version, which saw the winner come in with less than 40 percent of the vote – only the names have been changed for some of the participants.

Maryland’s reborn spectator sport: how many General Assembly members will run for Congress?

We don’t have a representative from all eight districts quite yet, but the news that Minority Leader Tony O’Donnell is going to challenge entrenched Fifth District Congressman Steny Hoyer brings up the question of who will be minding the store?

Let’s look at it district by district:

Obviously the First District has been made more safely Republican, as former State Senator Andy Harris won the seat in 2010 and hasn’t seen any significant Democratic opposition yet. At one time State Senator Jim Mathias was thought to be interested in running, but that may not be in the cards due to a increase in the GOP base there.
In the Second District, where Dutch Ruppersberger has been in office for several terms, the name originally linked to a run was Delegate Pat McDonough. But he’s been waffling over the last months over whether to run for that seat or a statewide U.S. Senate seat; meanwhile former Senate Minority Leader Nancy Jacobs stepped down from that post in order to explore a Second District run.
In the Third and Fourth Districts – John Sarbanes and Donna Edwards, respectively – no member of the General Assembly has stepped forward to make a challenge. In those cases, we’ll probably have to wait until they retire.
As noted above, Tony O’Donnell is challenging Steny Hoyer in the Fifth District.
The Sixth District is a bipartisan circus as Democrats gerrymandered the district into being much more Democrat-friendly than the previous rendition, presumably as a favor to State Senator Rob “Gas Tax” Garagiola to run. But the GOP has its share of politicians doing battle, with current State Senator David Brinkley being joined by recently-deposed former Senator Alex Mooney in the fray – a challenge which also leaves the state GOP scrambling for a Chair during an election year. All of them will have to deal with longtime incumbent Roscoe Bartlett.
So far the Seventh and Eighth Districts, represented by Elijah Cummings and Chris Van Hollen, have also been quiet.
Along with the possibility of Delegate McDonough seeking a Senate seat against incumbent Ben Cardin, some have also spoke about a primary challenge from State Senator C. Anthony Muse of Prince George’s County.

Obviously some of these running will survive the primary, but it will be an interesting exercise in time management to see how they juggle the prospect of a primary battle with the demands placed on them by the “90 Days of Terror” known as the annual General Assembly session. It so happens the filing deadline is also the opening day of the 2012 session and the primary itself will occur just a few days before sine die. Particularly in the Sixth District, this fact may handicap those serving in the Maryland legislature who face opponents which can devote more time to the race.

There’s no question that serving in legislative office at a local level is considered the best training for higher office: many of those who serve in a local Council or Commission graduate to become Delegates or Senators, and in turn they gain the experience voters seek in electing Congressmen and Senators. Fully half of Maryland’s Congressional delegation once served in the Maryland General Assembly.

Obviously those who are seeking election this time, with the cover of incumbency to protect them if they should lose, hope to add to that total.

Endorsement tit for tat, part two

Staking out a position as a foreign policy maven, U.S. Senate candidate Rich Douglas announced another endorsement this morning:

Richard Douglas, an Iraq veteran, former American diplomat, and small business owner, is pleased to announce that U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) has strongly endorsed his accelerating campaign to unseat incumbent Democrat Ben Cardin in the U.S. Senate.

Senator Kirk said, “Douglas is one of the most qualified U.S. Senate candidates in the nation. His comprehensive experience in the Middle East exhibits a deep understanding of the complex issues our Country and our allies face. I know that Douglas will be a strong Senate partner with me, from day one, in facing down Iran and supporting our ally Israel.”

Senator Mark Kirk went to the United States Senate in November 2010, after winning a special election to serve the final weeks of Barack Obama’s Senate term. Kirk also won a regular six-year term which began January 3, 2011. Senator Kirk is a leading national proponent of a nuclear-free Iran, and a leader in
serious efforts to reduce the federal budget deficit.

Douglas welcomed Senator Kirk’s endorsement and looks forward to working with other like-minded Senators to “create jobs, put an end to America’s 40-year nightmare of fiscal irresponsibility, and restore foreign policies which put America’s national interests first.”

Let me say this right up front: if you believe this is an endorsement to burnish Rich’s conservative credentials (as in the case of Kirk’s fellow Senator Mike Lee endorsing opponent Dan Bongino) you’d be wrong: Senator Kirk has a lifetime American Conservative Union rating in the 50’s. (Kirk served five terms in the House before winning that Senate seat in 2010.) But Kirk is solid on foreign affairs, and that seems to be the main plank in the Douglas platform.

On the other hand, Dan Bongino received a more local endorsement from Frederick County:

Blaine Young, President of the Frederick County Commissioners, officially endorses Dan Bongino, candidate for US Senate in Maryland.

“Dan is the kind of candidate I can get behind. He is running for the right reasons,” said Blaine Young. “His solid background in economics and dedicated service to our country prove to me that he not only has the character to defeat Senator Cardin, but also has a clear plan for getting our country back on track.”

(snip)

“I am both grateful and humbled by Commissioner Young’s endorsement. He has served the people of Frederick County well by being a true representative of the people,” said Bongino. “Blaine and I believe that the way to economic growth is by lowering the tax burden and government regulation both on small businesses and the people they employ.”

Perhaps this is an unfair assessment of the race at this point, but judging from the backers on each side this is beginning to look like a contest between the rural, more conservative Republicans who would likely back Dan Bongino against the suburbanites who might feel more comfortable backing a more establishment candidate in Rich Douglas. Another set of differences will come from ground game, turnout, and the effect the other several candidates have on taking votes from the front-runners.

But the positions seem to be more and more staked out: foreign policy expertise in a threatening world against ideas to combat a threatening economy. However, the reaction I’d love to get from the candidates on is how they would address the other’s strengths (i.e. Bongino on foreign policy and Douglas on conservative, TEA Party values.)

That should make for a very interesting conversation, and it may be one which wins or loses the election for them.

A secondary election day

I always thought it was the Tuesday after the first Monday, but today was quite the election day on three different fronts.

One election I participated in was a straw poll held at the MDGOP Fall Convention over the weekend, with the results tabulated and announced today. (My analysis comes after the jump.)

Continue reading “A secondary election day”

Endorsement tit for tat

Perhaps the battle for the Republican U.S. Senate nod in Maryland could come down to domestic policy vs. foreign policy, at least in terms of endorsements.

After Dan Bongino took the lead with backing from several members of state and federal government, opponent Rich Douglas has countered with a leader who’s been mentioned as a possible Secretary of State in a GOP administration and another ambassador, as well as a former state party Chair. The Douglas campaign picks it up from here:

Richard Douglas, an Iraq veteran, former Diplomat and small business owner, is pleased to announce that Ambassador John Bolton has strongly endorsed his accelerating campaign to unseat incumbent Democrat Ben Cardin in the United States Senate.

Ambassador Bolton said, “Douglas is the most qualified Senate candidate to emerge in Maryland in forty years. Douglas will bring badly needed experience to the Senate at a moment of profound crisis. He has my full endorsement.”

Ambassador Bolton served both Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. A Baltimore native and lifelong Maryland resident, Bolton is considered America’s foremost authority on constitutional law and foreign relations.

Douglas welcomed Ambassador Bolton’s endorsement, calling him “Maryland’s most admired conservative.” Douglas continued, “I am grateful for Ambassador Bolton’s strong endorsement and I am determined to justify the confidence he and other Marylanders have placed in me.”

Ambassador Bolton represents the third major endorsement for Richard Douglas in two weeks. Former Maryland State Republican Chair Audrey Scott endorsed Douglas on November 1, calling him “clearly the most experienced and and capable candidate running.” Ambassador Roger Noriega, who hosted a hospitality suite for Douglas at the Maryland Republican Party convention in Annapolis, endorsed Douglas on November 8.

So the question for voters is going to be an interesting one if you presume Rich Douglas and Dan Bongino are the two leading candidates. It’s obvious that Richard’s forte is foreign affairs, while Bongino seems to have a lead with those who favor smaller government – the TEA Party crowd. So how will the pair cover themselves on what would be perceived as their weaker points?

Having heard Bongino speak, I have some concerns about his foreign policy when it comes to the Long War. On the other hand, I’m not familiar enough with Douglas to know whether he would be a budget hawk and make the tough choices necessary to bring federal spending under control in cooperation with a presumably GOP-controlled House and White House.

There’s also the question of establishment vs. outsider to consider. If you consider the most recent past MDGOP Chair as the “establishment” then there’s no question that Douglas is the insider while Bongino – who is backed strongly by the upstart gubernatorial candidate from 2010, Brian Murphy – plays the role of the outsider. So there’s that struggle to get votes in the middle, among the GOP rank-and-file.

And the intrigue may continue as I was assured by Bongino this weekend that he had additional endorsements up his sleeve; presumably Douglas has his own roster of outside supporters as well. Despite the fact there were eleven candidates in the ring for the GOP nod last time around, in the end it basically came down to two names. We may have that same style of race in 2012, too. So endorsements have some importance because they create buzz – and free press. When you’re up against a guy with a couple million in the bank, that free exposure never hurts.

Two fewer for Senate

For William Capps, it was an uphill battle and one he decided to no longer keep fighting. Over the weekend he withdrew from the race for Maryland’s U.S. Senate seat and endorsed Dan Bongino.

But there’s something he alluded to in his statement that I haven’t received official word on. Capps notes that Pat McDonough has already entered the Senate race, but as for now he’s still on the fence between running for the U.S. Senate and running for Congress. Earlier this summer he had announced he was considering a Senate run based on how redistricting went, but nothing is official yet. If I were a betting man, though, I think Capps is correct and McDonough will take his statewide shot.

Another name candidate who hadn’t finalized his plans is Eric Wargotz, the 2010 GOP nominee. Back in September he put out a fundraising appeal which was to help him make a decision, and I had it on pretty good authority that choice would be made around the first of November.

Well, consider Eric a couple days late but this literally just came as I was writing the post:

As many of you know, our team has been carefully considering a run for US Senate in 2012. After extensive research, I was humbled to learn that I remain popular among Republican primary voters and remain well positioned to win the Republican nomination for US Senate in Maryland once again.

Unfortunately, support for the incumbent Senator (and the President) remains strong in Maryland, despite the national political environment. In this political reality, we find ourselves in the position of being able to win the Republican nomination but falling short in the general election.

Therefore, regrettably, I have decided to forgo entering the 2012 US Senate race.

My family and I are grateful for your continued support and well-wishes over the past several years in this endeavor. I was honored to serve as your 2010 Republican U.S. Senate nominee and I will continue to work diligently to bring Maryland closer to a true, two-party state.

May God Bless you, the State of Maryland and our great Country.

So that’s the news, hot off the press. We’ll see now what move McDonough makes.

Life’s been good: Bongino gets second Congressional endorsement

Coming from a guy who no one thought stood a chance in the 2010 election, perhaps it’s a sign of hope for U.S. Senate candidate Dan Bongino. Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, who won his election by 291 votes out of over 200,000 cast and knocked out a heavily favored three-term Democratic incumbent, has given his endorsement to the upstart first-time Republican hopeful. Walsh has developed a reputation as a fiscal bulldog in his brief tenure, which may come to an end next year as Illinois Democrats have eliminated his seat and forced him to go against another Illinois Congressman, Randy Hultgren.

Walsh likes the Marylander’s thoughts on spending and the role of government:

“Career politicians and Washington insiders have spent away a generation of American prosperity and failed to lead,” said Congressman Joe Walsh. “Dan’s personal integrity and bold leadership from the Secret Service is desperately needed within the U.S. Senate.”

“Our nation is approaching a fiscal precipice; we simply cannot sustain our financial future unless we have proven leaders like Dan to fight for the interests of hard-working Americans who have been shut out of the political process. The raw passion Dan has for his family and country is refreshing. I am proud to stand by his side in his bid to replace the failed status quo.”

But the question becomes one of how important such an endorsement is in the grand scheme of things. Aside from being the namesake of a popular classic rocker and a media darling on the conservative talk shows, how much will this influence the decision of an average Maryland Republican? Not many but political junkies have heard of Utah Senator Mike Lee, who also endorsed Dan a couple weeks ago.

Still, the endorsement allows Dan to stay in the news cycle for free, which is important at this stage. It also makes his resume a little bit better for voters to consider.

Bongino newest poll champion

You know, I have so much fun with these occasional polls I do.

As I said in June when I did the last Senate one, I obviously know the polls are manipulated. But in making the assumption that those who would manipulate a poll exist in the same general proportion as supporters in the population at large, I can at least gather a trend. At least in this sort of instance it’s doubtful anyone would lie to a pollster.

These results, though, show a trend which may only be occurring within Republican circles until we know for sure if other key contenders are getting into the party. Here’s how the poll went:

Daniel Bongino – 3,425 votes (75.66%)
Eric Wargotz – 1,068 votes (23.59%)
Robert Broadus – 23 votes (0.51%)
William Capps – 5 votes (0.11%)
Rich Douglas – 2 votes (0.04%)
Rick Hoover – 2 votes (0.04%)
Pat McDonough – 1 vote (0.02%)
Corrogan Vaughn – 1 vote (0.02%)

Having said that a trend may exist, I need to caution those reading into the results that there’s little chance Dan Bongino will get 76% of the vote – I don’t care if the Constitutional Conservatives Fund of Senator Mike Lee has endorsed Dan or not, he’s not getting 75 percent of the GOP vote. In 2006 Michael Steele didn’t even get 90 percent and he was the sitting lieutenant governor, had plenty of name recognition, and basically controlled the whole Maryland GOP apparatus. I can see something in the 40’s for Bongino if all goes right but a lot depends on who else gets into the race and we won’t have a couple possible entrants with statewide name recognition make a formal announcement on their status until later this month.

But I have to admire how Dan is laying the groundwork for his campaign, including people passionate enough to drive internet poll numbers over 75 percent.

Let’s compare this to June numbers, for example. The number of votes cast was nearly the same (4,716 in June vs. 4,527 now) but the results were somewhat different:

Eric Wargotz – 44.87%
Daniel Bongino – 36.28%
William Capps – 17.62%
Corrogan Vaughn – 0.81%
Robert Broadus – 0.23%
Rick Hoover – 0.19%

Since I didn’t figure Capps ever really had 18 percent, the idea of a two-man race at the time had merit. But if Eric decides not to run – and remember, he had not made a final decision as of a couple weeks ago – that only leaves Pat McDonough as a possible major opponent. (I wouldn’t completely discount Rich Douglas either, given his background.)

This election is a little bit different than the last cycle, where the primary was late – so late, in fact, that federal law precludes us from having a September primary again. (Too bad, because I liked that compressed season.) Now there’s less than six months remaining until election day and truly we won’t be really paying attention until after the holidays anyway. It’s possible we could have a post-holiday bid, sort of like Bob Ehrlich’s coyness about his 2010 try for governor, but like Ehrlich it would have to be someone with some name recognition already because the filing deadline is January 11.

In any case it won’t be as easy as voting in a monoblogue poll.

U.S. Senate hopeful Rich Douglas meets the Wicomico GOP Central Committee

Normally I don’t do this.

My usual custom is to discuss the Wicomico County Republican Club meetings but not Central Committee meetings, mainly because we talk shop there and I like to keep the opposition guessing. Judging by recent election results around these parts, that strategy works pretty well.

But we had a special guest tonight as newly committed U.S. Senate candidate Rich Douglas came a-callin’. So I’ll discuss a little bit about what he said.

Continue reading “U.S. Senate hopeful Rich Douglas meets the Wicomico GOP Central Committee”

Odds and ends number 34

Believe it or not, I have been besieged with another plethora of items which deserve perhaps an paragraph or three of comment on my part. So let me get crackin’ on them.

Since I’ve had the opportunity to speak with him in person, I would suggest that those of you who are political activists consider attending David Craig’s campaign school. It will make a stop here on the Lower Eastern Shore at the Comfort Inn in Cambridge this Saturday (October 1st) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s absolutely free and includes lunch too. You can sign up for the event here.

You know, I’d be curious to know if any liberals show up because it’s a freebie. But if it’s conducted like the “Bloggers and Burgers” confab you should leave the Craig campaign school neither hungry nor uninformed.

Speaking of liberals and freebies, there’s 116 people in Salisbury who really must suffer from terminal ignorance. I got this in my e-mail the other day, simply because September 30 is coming:

Here’s something you don’t have in common with 116 other supporters of this movement who tell us they live in Salisbury, MD.

That many of your neighbors have decided to own a piece of this campaign by making a donation of whatever they could afford. For some, that meant just $5. For others, it meant $100 or more. But each had their own personal reason for giving.

Our records show that you aren’t one of the 116 people where you’re from who have stepped up for 2012. Now’s your chance to change that.

Since the e-mail came from Jim Messina of the Obama 2012 campaign, don’t hold your breath waiting for my gift. I might give a little to Herman Cain, though.

It makes me curious, though – how many of my readers have donated to a Presidential campaign? I haven’t done so yet this cycle, but I did donate to Rep. Duncan Hunter’s ill-fated bid last time. He was my first.

Continue reading “Odds and ends number 34”

McDonough: Obama ‘should be impeached’

I won’t be able to make his press conference later today, but I suppose the question now is whether Pat wants to draw up the articles of impeachment next year or serve as one of the jurors. He delivered a scathing indictment of the President, part of which is detailed here:

“President Obama has created a backdoor amnesty law for 15 million illegal aliens through an unlawful policy that circumvents Congress. The consequences and impact of this reckless action on the people of the United States is enormous.”

“Mr. Obama’s administration with its characterization of citizens as terrorists, creation of enemies’ lists, and the attack against state laws with tax payers’ financed litigation is beginning to make Richard Nixon look like a Boy Scout. Lawlessness and disrespect for justice are promoting the illegal alien agenda,” said Delegate McDonough.

It’s obvious Pat is a hardliner on immigration, as evidenced by his role in the recent SB167 petition drive. But it would be the longest of shots that President Obama would actually be impeached, and it’s not even certain that he’ll be in office if Pat is indeed elected since polls show a number of Republicans neck-and-neck with him at this stage in the game. (I know, that and $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.) Yet Pat “maintains that if he were a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, he would initiate the articles of impeachment process.”

Perhaps it’s a good thing he’s not there, though, since Bill Clinton became the object of sympathy during his impeachment. And just like in the case of Slick Willie, if Obama is challenged in such a manner it’s a sure bet the press will be hounding the GOP for putting partisan politics above what’s best for the country and blaming the TEA Party for the whole situation. And it’s even harder to explain to a basically spoon-fed and ignorant American public how Obama is violating the Constitution with his “disrespect for the rule of law” (as McDonough puts it) than it was to maintain that Clinton’s impeachment was not about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky but the fact he committed perjury in front of a grand jury.

Continue reading “McDonough: Obama ‘should be impeached’”

Pat McDonough to jump into U.S. Senate race

I’m seeing this story on several outlets, but I haven’t read the details yet because I don’t want to prejudge my initial take on the decision.

It seems to me that Delegate Pat McDonough from Baltimore County has a history of exploring various races and then getting out. In 2010 he thought about running for governor on the Republican side and earlier this year was considering a challenge to Second District Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger. He’s not quite up to the blinding pace of changing races set by Carmen Amedori, but he’s getting close. And the questions become: how well is he known outside his Baltimore base? Would his issue stance resonate with Republican voters in a statewide race?

In Pat’s favor, he does have the advantage of an occasional bully pulpit when he hosts his weekend radio show or fills in for Baltimore radio host Tom Marr, but we see how well radio hosting worked for Bob Ehrlich. Certainly his conservative viewpoint on immigration and similar topics would play well with a following that helped place the Maryland DREAM Act on the ballot for the November, 2012 election, though.

And out of the 141 Delegates in the General Assembly last term, Pat ranked 11th in my monoblogue Accountability Project – so he’s more conservative than most in the body, but not as strident as, say, an Andy Harris (who was among the top Senators.)

But there’s surely some disappointed Second District Republicans who thought they had a formidable candidate in McDonough – he even went so far as to hold a fundraiser with Delaware U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell. Its purpose: to “dump Dutch Ruppersberger & his Nancy Pelosi voting record.” Meanwhile, the field for U.S. Senate already had a number of candidates, with the leaders among the group being 2010 GOP nominee Eric Wargotz and Dan Bongino, who has the backing of 2010 gubernatorial candidate Brian Murphy and his wing of the Republican Party. From what I understand, the war of words has already begun between McDonough’s allies and Dan Bongino, portending a nasty primary fight Republicans don’t need (think of the 2008 First District tussle between Andy Harris, E. J. Pipkin, and Wayne Gilchrest for an example.)

Pat McDonough will do what he wants to do, but perhaps this move wasn’t the best for the Maryland GOP. Only time will tell.