There were a lot of places where yesterday was Election Day. Most readers should know that Sheila Dixon was officially elected as Baltimore’s mayor, as the real contest there was September’s Democrat primary. That was also the case in a number of other large cities, but Indianapolis bucked that trend by electing a Republican who was “massively” outspent. And the key issue there? According to the Indianapolis Star:
(outgoing Mayor Bart Peterson)…raised income taxes, from 0.7 percent when he came into office to 1.65 percent now. That includes a 65 percent increase this summer alone, with the money devoted to law enforcement. The income tax increase came at a time when homeowners were reeling from sharply higher property tax bills caused in large part by a state-ordered reassessment.
Those may be words for a certain governor to heed, because people like me aren’t going to forget our special session. Taxes did not do well in a number of states, particularly a bid in the state of Oregon to raise the cigarette tax for children’s health care via a Constitutional amendment.
Another election I had an interest in was up in Gaithersburg as a pro-immigrant umbrella group attempted to elect a slate of candidates to their City Council. Based on the results, it doesn’t look like Gaithersburg will become a sanctuary city though as the One Gaithersburg group apparently motivated a large turnout to the opposite effect, with only one of their chosen three being elected to office.
Meanwhile voters in Kentucky turned out a GOP governor (Ernie Fletcher) who’d been tainted with the brush of corruption, but Mississippi voters kept Republican Gov. Haley Barbour in office. Strangely enough, Barbour’s victory in the aftermath of Katrina wasn’t seen as a vindication of how his state handled the cleanup and reconstruction. We know that cost outgoing Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, her job as she chose not to seek reelection. In total, the three state governors involved in this election cycle kept a 2-1 ratio of Republicans to Democrats, with Louisiana switching to the GOP and Democrats retaking Kentucky after a four-year absence.
One last election result as my prediction is on its way to being borne out. In the Ohio 5th Congressional district (where I once lived) seat vacated by the death of Rep. Paul Gillmor, a man Gillmor defeated in the GOP primary way back in 1988 to win nomination is one step closer to getting it now. Robert Latta, whose father held the seat for 30 years before retiring in 1988, won the GOP side of the special primary and, unless the Democrats succeed in winning a seat held by Republicans since the Great Depression, Latta should take over the post he sought almost 20 years ago later this year.
In that Ohio 5th District race, it may be important to note that the Club for Growth PAC endorsement did not help State Sen. Steve Buehrer. He finished second in that race with 40% to Latta’s 44% in a five-person field.
All right, now the rumor. I got a note in my e-mail box today where a disgruntled voter from here in Wicomico County called the state party to complain about their support of Wayne Gilchrest because he’s an incumbent, with the backing of our Central Committee.
Well, I have news for this voter. It is our policy at the Wicomico County Central Committee to not support any candidate prior to the primary as a group, in fact it’s in our bylaws where we cannot. Obviously, the seven of us have our personal choices but as a group we are careful to be neutral. If the state party followed an “incumbent protection” policy let me assure you I’d be the first to raise holy hell about it and there’d be a lot of people right behind me amongst the party grassroots. Thus far they have stayed out of the District One race to my satisfaction.
It’s not normal for me to discuss Central Committee business in this forum but I felt that the record needs to be straight on the matter. Again, as a group we will support the winner of the Republican primary for the First Congressional District and may the best man (or woman, if one gets in prior to the filing deadline) win. Let the voters decide.
