OBAMA’S THE WINNER!

Democratic freshman Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois made history Tuesday night when he became the first African American to be elected president of the United States.

Unofficial totals show Obama captured 349 Electoral College votes (270 were needed for victory) and 57 million popular votes (52 percent) over his Republican rival, John McCain.

Democrats also picked up five U.S. Senate seats (Colorado, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Virginia) with results from three other states – Alaska, Georgia and Oregon – still in doubt. In the House, it appears Democrats will pick up between 17 and 23 seats.

At the state level, Democrats picked up an additional governor’s mansion in Missouri and majorities in the Delaware House, Nevada Senate, New York Senate, Ohio House and Wisconsin Assembly. Republicans, meanwhile, won the Tennessee House and Senate, the Montana Senate and Oklahoma Senate. Chambers still undecided include the Alaska Senate, Indiana House, Montana House and Texas House.

IT’S FINALLY HERE!

After nearly 22 months and $1 billion in campaign contributions, it has come down to this: will America elect its first African-American President on Tuesday or chose a decorated war hero who will be the oldest person to assume the office of President on January 20, 2009?

For Barack Obama and John McCain, their long, hard-fought campaigns are now in the hands of voters, who have shown through record voter registrations and early voting that they grasp the historic nature of this year’s presidential campaign.

So, how will it play out on Tuesday night? Will it be an all-night nail biter, or will the winner be declared early in the evening?

If political pundits are to be believed, the race has come down to a handful of states that will determine which of the candidates secures the 270 Electoral College needed to win.

For Obama, the early signs to victory will come if Indiana and Florida, where voting ends at 7 p.m. EST, fall into his win column. By contrast, McCain must hold onto these states, and pick up Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, whose voting ends at 8:30 p.m. If McCain loses any of these states, it could be a long night for him.

As for other results to watch on Tuesday night, look for Democrats to pick up U.S. Senate seats in Alaska, Colorado, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina and Oregon, but fall short of the 60 seats needed to be filibuster proof. In the U.S. House, Democrats should pick up 15 to 20 seats, but fall short of the 30 they won in 2006.

The gubernatorial races in North Carolina and Washington are toss-ups and could easily turn into Republican victories.

Alaska’s Sen. Stevens Found Guilty

The most senior Republican in the U.S. Senate, Ted Stevens of Alaska, has been found guilty on seven felony counts of failing to report gifts on his Senate financial disclosure forms. It is not known whether Stevens will appeal.

But, the bigger question today is what effect, if any, will the jury’s verdict have on the senator’s chance to win re-election to a seventh term on Nov. 4.

Stevens, who is 83, is in a tight race with Anchorage’s Democratic Mayor, Mark Begich. Latest polls show Begich with a 1 to 2 percentage lead, but the numbers are well within a survey’s margin of error.

If Stevens wins on Election Day but loses any appeal, he could be kept from returning to the Senate if two-thirds of his colleagues vote to expel him for being a convicted felon.

Powell Endorses Barack Obama

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has become the most prominent Republican so far to endorse Barack Obama for president. Powell, who made his announcement on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” said he thought Obama, as president, would be a ‘transformational’ figure who would ‘electrify our country . . . [and] the world.’”

Powell’s support for Obama is being viewed by many political commentators as a blow to Republican John McCain, whom Powell supported in the 2000 GOP primaries.

Presidential Endorsements, Part 1

Newspaper endorsements of presidential candidates have a long tradition in the history of American journalism, and this year is no exception. Many of the country’s largest newspapers already have made their selections. Perhaps the most surprising so far is the Chicago Tribune, which for the first time in its 161-year history endorsed a Democratic presidential candidate.

While endorsements don’t have the same power they once did in influencing voters, candidates still appreciate the print media’s show of support and often use the endorsement in last-minute campaign ads. Here’s a scorecard on which newspapers are endorsing which candidate.

John McCain
The Republican presidential candidate has been endorsed by The New York Post, The Boston Herald, New Hampshire’s Manchester Union-Leader, The Intelligencer in Wheeling, West Virginia and the Tampa Tribune.

Barack Obama
The Democratic presidential candidate has been endorsed by the Denver Post, the Miami Herald, Portland’s The Oregonian, The Salt Lake Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, Kansas City Star, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the Washington Post.

Two Louisiana Congressional Districts in Run-offs

On Nov. 4, voters in two Louisiana Congressional Districts will go to the polls to choose run-off candidates as certain candidates failed to secure enough votes in last Saturday’s state primary election, the last one before election day.

In the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic incumbent William Jefferson only secured 25 percent of the vote in a seven-candidate field. Jefferson, who is under indictment on federal bribery and corruption charges, will face Helena Moreno, a TV journalist who captured 20 percent of the vote.

In the 4th Congressional District, Democrats Paul Carmouche and Willie Banks will face off on Nov. 4 as will Republicans John Fleming and Chris Gorman. The winners will face each other in a Dec. 6 special election.

John Kerry Easily Wins Primary Challenge

Democratic U.S. Senator John Kerry easily won his primary challenge on Tuesday, beating his challenger, Edward O’Reilly, an attorney and former firefighter, by a 69 to 31 percent margin. Kerry now faces Republican businessman Jeff Beatty, Libertarian Bob Underwood, and Socialist Worker candidate, William Estrada.

First District Congressman John Olver also easily won his primary race against his Democratic challenger, Robert Feuer, by a 79 to 21 percent margin.

Dems Pick Tubbs Jones Successor

Marcia Fudge, the mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, has been picked by Cuyahoga County Democratic Party officials as their nominee for the 11th Congressional District seat formerly held by Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who died on Aug. 20.

Seven States Hold Primary Elections

What do Joe Biden, Al Franken and James Sensenbrenner all have in common?

They each won their respective primary contests on Tuesday as voters in seven states went to the polls to make their choices for the November general election. Here’s a brief, alphabetical rundown on what happened in each state.

Delaware – Although he’s the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Joe Biden is also allowed under state law to run for re-election as a U.S. Senator. He ran unopposed in Tuesday’s primary and will face Republican Christine O’Donnell in November. If Biden becomes Vice President and is also re-elected to the Senate, a special election will be held to fill Biden’s Senate seat. Democratic State Treasurer Jack Markell will face Republican Bill Lee for the “open” gubernatorial seat and Karen Weldin Stewart won a three-person race to be the Democratic nominee for the Insurance Commissioner post. Matt Denn, the current insurance commissioner, is the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor.

Minnesota – Former comedian Al Franken won a six-person Democratic race to determine who will run against Republican U.S. Senator Norm Coleman in November. The state’s other high profile race this fall will be the open race in the 3rd Congressional District. It will pit Democrat Ashwin Madia against Republican Erik Paulsen.

New Hampshire – The Granite state will see a rematch this November between Republican U.S. Senator John Sununu and former Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.

New York – Voters in New York will have four “open” Congressional races this fall. The districts and candidates include: 13th District – Democrat Michael McMahon versus Republican Bob Straniere; 21st – Democrat Paul Tonko versus Republican Jim Burhmaster; 25th – Democrat Dan Maffei versus Republican Dale Sweetland; and 26th – Democrat Alice Kryzan versus Republican Chris Lee.

Rhode Island – Democratic U.S. Senator Jack Reed will face Republican Bob Tingle in the fall, while Democratic Congressmen Patrick Kennedy and Jim Langevin face token opposition in November.

Vermont – Congressman Peter Welch easily beat his Democratic opponent on Tuesday, and faces no Republican opposition in November. The gubernatorial race will pit Democrat Gayle Symington against Republican incumbent Jim Douglas.

Wisconsin – Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner Jr. easily beat his Republican opponent on Tuesday and should win his 16th term in November.

Republicans Anoint McCain, Palin

Republican John McCain finally removed the word “presumptive” from in front of his name on Thursday night when he formally accepted his party’s presidential nomination in St. Paul, Minn.

McCain’s acceptance speech was interesting in that it appeared to focus less on policy issues (although some were mentioned), and more on describing, sometimes in very poignant detail, his time as a Vietnam POW and his plan as the next president to reach “across the aisle” and bring real bipartisan change to Washington.

There’s little doubt that McCain seemed to use the speech to reach beyond his party’s base, and appeal to the growing legion of independent voters, who ultimately will decide the presidential race in November.

It will be interesting to see if McCain continues to use this tactic going forward. Rather than attacking Obama for his lack of experience, will McCain simply remind voters of his POW experience, his more than 25 years of public service, and his wish to eliminate the partisan bickering? It’s a strategy that definitely could appeal to voters.

The McCain speech definitely was in sharp contrast to the more partisan speech that his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, gave the night before. It was full of direct attacks on Barack Obama.

TV rating organizations report that more than 40 million Americans tuned in on Wednesday night to watch Palin’s rather stunning performance. While some viewers were probably drawn in by the swirl of media stories that arose from Palin’s surprise nomination last Friday, her speech served to show voters the real policy differences that exist between the two parties.

In the final analysis, the abbreviated Republican national convention appears to have been successful in rallying the party faithful around their candidates, and in renewing the delegates’ belief that their nominees have the same “rock star” attributes often ascribed to Obama and Joe Biden. Polls released earlier today show the presidential race is a virtual dead heat.

So, sit back and watch the real fun begin!

Arizona Picks Congressional Candidates

Democratic State Representative Ann Kirkpatrick won her party’s nomination on Tuesday in Arizona’s 1st Congressional district primary race.

Kirkpatrick, a former district attorney, will face Republican Sydney Hay, president of the Arizona Mining Association.

Both women are vying for the seat formerly held by Republican Congressman Rick Renzi, who resigned after coming under federal indictment.

Tuesday’s other high-profile primary race saw Republican Mariposa County Treasurer David Schweikert beat out five challengers to win the right to take on first-term Democrat incumbent, Harry Mitchell, in the state’s 5th Congressional district.

McCain Picks Alaska’s Sarah Palin

Presumptive Republican president candidate John McCain surprised a lot of people today when he named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate during a campaign stop in Ohio.

Most political observers were convinced that McCain would choose one of three leading vice presidential candidates: former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, current Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty or former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.

McCain’s choice of Palin will no doubt engender interesting conversations among the Republican delegates heading for St. Paul, Minn. this weekend for next week’s Republican National Convention, which begins Monday.

Palin certainly brings some positives to the table. At 44, she’s known as the energetic, first-term governor of Alaska and the mother of five children. She’s pro-life and pro-gun, which will appeal to many party regulars. And, as a Washington “outsider,” Palin is likely to bring some fresh new ideas to the partisan gridlock that exists in D.C.

She’s experienced in taking on the status quo. In 2004, Palin won Alaska’s gubernatorial race by first beating incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in the primary, and then winning over former Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles in the general election. Finally, Palin is likely to appeal to certain disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters, who may be attracted to her candidacy.

As for her possible negatives, Palin’s lack of national political experience is likely to be used by Democrats in pointing out that she has even less experience than Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama. And, as a virtual unknown, the major unresolved question about her is whether she has enough time before Nov. 4 to introduce herself to the country and become a campaign asset for McCain.

Democrats Formally Nominate Obama, Biden

Democrats meeting in Denver made political history on Wednesday when they formally nominated Barack Obama and Joe Biden to be their party’s standard bearers in November. Obama becomes the first African-American nominated for president by one of the two major political parties.

In the moments leading up to Obama’s nomination, some wondered whether the traditional roll call of delegates would turn ugly since some delegates seemed so steadfast in their belief that Hillary Clinton should have been the nominee. But Clinton herself put that notion to rest when she stopped the roll call process and asked delegates to approve Obama’s nomination by acclamation.

Even Bill Clinton, who had been slow to embrace Obama as the party’s nominee, delivered a stirring speech, in which he claimed that Obama was now “ready” to become president. Biden, the other major speaker on Wednesday, stumbled over a few lines in his acceptance speech, but his remarks clearly showed that he will become the “attack dog” against John McCain for the rest of the campaign.

Tonight, Obama speaks before an estimated 80,000 people at Invesco Field, the home of football’s Denver Broncos. If he’s going to get the traditional “bump” that comes in the polls following a political convention, Obama will need to clearly outline his vision to change America. It will be interesting to see how much Obama attacks McCain. The cable “talking heads” have wondered all week why the Democrats haven’t shown more “red meat” in trying to vilify McCain.

Meanwhile, McCain is ready to have the spotlight turn on him as he readies to officially become the Republican Party’s presidential nominee during their convention next week in St. Paul, Minn. That process actually may begin tomorrow when McCain is expected to reveal his vice-presidential nominee during a campaign stop in Ohio.

Stevens Wins Alaska Primary; Young’s Future in Doubt

Veteran Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens easily won his party’s primary nomination on Tuesday, but Republican Congressman Don Young found himself in a neck-and-neck battle to retain his seat.

Stevens, who was indicted last month for failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts and services on his Senate financial disclosure forms, will face Democrat Mark Begich in November. Begich is the Mayor of Anchorage.

Meanwhile, the state’s Lieutenant Governor, Sean Parnell, held a narrow 263 vote lead over Congressman Young early Wednesday morning with 15 percent of precincts still needing to report. Former House minority leader, Ethan Berkowitz is the Democratic Congressional candidate.

Tuesday’s other primary in Florida provided few surprises. Three Democrats – Corrine Brown, Kendrick Meek and Debbie Wasserman-Shultz – face either no or token opposition in November.

Obama Picks Joe Biden as Running Mate

Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Barrack Obama has chosen Delaware Senator Joe Biden to be his vice presidential running mate.

Obama made the announcement on Saturday morning by sending thousands of text and email messages to his supporters around the country. The pair then held a public rally in Springfield, Illinois, that afternoon. Obama and Biden will be formally nominated during the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week.

So what does the senior senator from Delaware bring to an Obama ticket?

As a U.S. Senator since 1972, Biden three decades of legislative experience to the ticket, something that should help to blunt the criticism about Obama’s lack any real experience.

Biden is also chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. As such, he is likely to assume the job of responding to Republican criticisms about Obama’s lack of foreign affairs experience.

Meanwhile, presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain plans to announce his vice presidential running mate during a campaign stop in Ohio on Friday. It will be the day of his 72nd birthday.

Among the leading candidates are former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

The Republican National Convention begins Sept. 1 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Another Congressman Loses Primary Contest

Republican first-term Congressman David Davis, who represents Tennessee’s 1st District, became the fourth incumbent this year to lose a primary election when he lost a close race to Phil Roe on Thursday.

Roe, the Mayor of Johnson City, pulled out a narrow 460-vote victory over Davis. Both men touted their conservative fiscal credentials during the primary campaign, but newspaper endorsements in the district alleged that Davis, a former state lawmaker, was too tied to special interests in D.C.

Alaska’s Ted Stevens Indicted

Alaska’s Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens has been indicted on seven counts of failing to disclose thousands of dollars in services he received from a company that helped to renovate his home.

It is not immediately known what effect the indictment will have on Stevens, who is running for re-election in November.

Incumbents Rule Day in Georgia

Five Congressional incumbents – John Lewis, Jim Marshall, Paul Brown, John Barrow and David Scott – easily beat primary opponents on Tuesday to win their respective party nominations for election in November.

The only race still outstanding in Georgia is for the Democratic nominee to face Republican U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss. Democrat Vernon Jones, the DeKalb County CEO, won 40 percent of Tuesday’s vote against Jim Martin, a former state representative, but needs more than 50 percent to win the nomination. The run-off election is Aug. 5.

Meanwhile, in Alabama, Republicans Jay Love and Wayne Parker, insurance executive, won run-off elections in the 2nd and 5th Congressional Districts respectively to face Democratic opponents in the fall. Both contests are “open” races.

Veteran Utah Congressman Loses Primary

Six-term Republican Congressman >Chris Cannon found himself on the losing end of a primary election on Tuesday when political newcomer Jason Chaffetz decisively beat him by 20 percentage points.

Chaffetz, a former aide to Gov. Jon Huntsman, promised voters that if elected he would be more fiscally conservative than the 3rd District incumbent. Chaffetz now faces Democrat Bennion Spencer and Jim Noorlander of the Constitution Party in November.

Ron Paul Finally Calls It Quits

Texas Congressman Ron Paul has finally given up on his bid to become the Republican nominee for President.

In a statement posted on his campaign website today, the libertarian-minded Paul said “it is now time to take the energy this campaign has awakened and channel it into long-term efforts to take back our country.” He promised more details “to move the revolution forward” in the next several months.

In fact, a second website, Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty already has been launched. On it, Paul promises to “educate our fellow Americans in freedom, sound money, non-interventionism, and free markets.”

Obviously we haven’t heard the last of Congressman Paul.

Clinton Suspends Campaign: Endorses Obama

Hillary Clinton told a cheering crowd of supporters on Saturday in Washington, D.C. that she is suspending her presidential bid and endorsing Barack Obama as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

Clinton, who spent the first six minutes of her speech reviewing her own accomplishments in trying to become the first woman to be nominated for president, said she would work hard to help elect Obama in the fall and urged her supporters to do so as well.

However, it remains to be seen just how quickly Clinton will throw her support behind Obama. Her first task will be finding a way to pay off nearly $30 million in campaign debts. That money – including $10 million of her own fortune that she loaned her campaign – must be paid off by August 25, the start of the Democratic national convention, or Clinton will not be able to collect on her personal loan.

Is It Really Over?

As that immortal baseball philosopher Yogi Berra used to say, “it ain’t over until it’s over.”

And Hillary Clinton apparently has decided it ain’t over…at least, not yet.

While Barack Obama was accepting the well-wishes of 17,000 supporters at a St. Paul, Minnesota rally on Tuesday night after becoming the first African-American to clinch a major party presidential nomination, the former First Lady was telling her supporters in New York City that she needs a few more days to decide what she’s going to do next. Among her options – at least being spread in her camp – is becoming Obama’s running-mate.

Clinton probably has earned that consideration. She surprised most pundits on Tuesday by winning the South Dakota primary (55 to 45 percent) while Obama won in Montana by a 57 to 41 percentage margin. She also claims to have won more popular votes (if you count Michigan) than Obama.

Stay tuned, Yogi.

Interesting Fall Races Shaping Up

While much of the media attention on Tuesday night focused on the last two presidential primaries, a few state primaries were being settled and should make for some competitive races in the fall.

In New Mexico, Congressman Steve Pearce was leading Congresswoman Heather Wilson in his bid to win the Republican nomination to face Democratic Congressman Tom Udall in the fall for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Senator Pete Domenici.

In New Jersey, 82-year-old Senator Frank Lautenberg easily beat his Democratic primary opponent to face Republican Dick Zimmer in November.

And in Alabama, Republican Congressional candidates will face run-off elections on July 15 to determine who will run in the 2nd and 5th Congressional Districts.

Clinton's Last Hurrah?

Hillary Clinton may have won a decisive (68 to 32 percent) victory over Barack Obama in Sunday’s Democratic presidential primary in Puerto Rico, but the actions taken on Saturday by the Democratic National Committee’s Rules Committee likely sealed the nomination for Obama.

The Committee, meeting to resolve the sanctions placed on Florida and Michigan for holding early primaries, awarded each state’s delegates a half-vote apiece. In Florida’s case, the new delegate count was based on the actual primary vote while the Michigan primary results were thrown out and Clinton was awarded 69 delegates to 59 for Obama.

As of today, Obama has 2,071.5 committed delegates to 1,918.5 for Clinton. The new total to win the nomination is 2,118 delegates. On Tuesday, 31 delegates are at stake in the Montana and South Dakota primaries, meaning Obama will still need a handful of the 200 uncommitted superdelegates to cinch the nomination.

Former Congressman Wins Libertarian Nod

Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia has won the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination.

Barr beat out Texan Mary Ruwart, a research scientist, on the sixth round of balloting. Wayne Allyn Root, an Internet gambling expert, was picked as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

The Libertarian Party will be on the ballot in 48 states this fall.

Another Split Decision

It’s beginning to sound like a broken record.

Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama fighting to a primary split decision again.

On Tuesday, Clinton kept her fading presidential hopes alive by capturing nearly two-thirds of the vote (65 to 30 percent) in Kentucky. However, Obama scored a victory in Oregon, beating Clinton by a 58 to 42 percentage margin. With that win, Obama claimed that he now had a majority of the pledged delegates in the race to capture 2,026 delegates and claim the nomination.

Meanwhile, presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain easily won in both states, capturing 72 percent of the vote in Kentucky and 85 percent in Oregon.

In other races of note on Tuesday, Kentucky multimillionaire Bruce Lunsford beat out six contenders to win the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. He will face Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader in November. In Oregon, Democratic House Speaker Jeff Merkley won the Democratic nomination to face Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith in the fall.

Clinton Wins Big in West Virginia

To the national news media, Hillary Clinton may be all but finished as the possible Democratic presidential nominee, but folks in West Virginia aren’t buying it.

On Tuesday, they came out in record numbers to give Clinton a decisive 67 to 26 percentage point victory over Barack Obama. In doing so, Clinton picked up 16 delegates, but she still trails Obama in the all-important delegate count.

Republican John McCain won the Republican primary contest, garnering 76 percent of the vote.

The one statewide race of note saw State Supreme Court Justice Spike Maynard come up short in his re-election bid. Maynard finished third behind former Justice Margaret Workman and Huntington lawyer Menis Ketchum.

Nebraska also held a primary election on Tuesday in which Democrat Scott Kleeb, a history professor, was selected to battle former Gov. Mike Johanns for the U.S. Senate being vacated by Chuck Hagel.

Childers Takes Mississippi House Seat

Democrat Travis Childers scored a big win on Tuesday when he beat Republican Greg Davis by a 54 to 46 percent margin to win the special election contest for the 1st Congressional District seat in Mississippi.

The seat, long considered a Republican stronghold, was most recently held by Republican Roger Wicker, who was appointed last December to assume the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Trent Lott.

Childers, the Prentiss County Clerk, and Davis, the mayor of Southaven, will face each other again in the November general election.

Bob Barr Seeks Libertarian Presidential Nod

Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia is seeking the Libertarian Party presidential nomination.

Barr, who quit the Republican Party two years ago, says that if he won the White House, he’d immediately freeze discretionary spending, withdraw the troops from Iraq and consider slashing spending at federal agencies.

Before Barr can do that, however, he must win the party’s nomination on May 22.

A Split Decision?

Democrat Hillary Clinton may have squeaked by Barack Obama in Indiana’s presidential primary on Tuesday night, but did she really win anything?

With 100 percent of polls reporting, Clinton watched her sometimes double-digit lead throughout the night dwindle to the point of where she ended up with only a two percentage point win. That gave her a four-delegate lead (37 to 33) among the 72 delegates at stake on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Obama easily won Tuesday’s other primary in North Carolina, where his margin of victory was 16 percentage points. As a result, he won 58 of the 115 delegates at stake there.

According to Obama’s website, Tuesday’s split decision now gives him a total of 1,852 delegates compared to 1,700 for Clinton. Or, expressed another way, Obama needs 173 more delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

Next up is West Virginia on May 13, where 28 delegates will be at stake.

Republican John McCain easily won his party’s Indiana and North Carolina primaries, winning 77 percent of the vote in the Hoosier state and 73 percent in the Tar Heel state.

Tuesday’s Other Election Results

The Clinton-Obama presidential race tended to overshadow other contests in Indiana and North Carolina on Tuesday, but there were some interesting results none the less.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidates will both be women. In North Carolina, Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue beat primary opponent Richard Moore, the state’s treasurer, to win the right to battle against Republican Pat McCrory, the mayor of Charlotte.

In Indiana, former Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson beat Indianapolis architect Jim Schellinger by 5,400 votes to earn the right to face Republican incumbent Mitch Daniels in November.

Other Indiana races of note included Andre Carson, who won beat seven primary opponents to be the Democratic 7th Congressional District candidate. Carson also won a special election in March to replace his grandmother, the late Julia Carson. And incumbent Republican Dan Burton won a tough primary challenge in the 5th Congressional District.

In North Carolina, Wayne Goodwin beat a challenger to win the Democratic nomination for elected insurance commissioner. He will face Republican John Odom in the fall.

Parties Split Louisiana Special Elections

Democrats and Republicans split the two special Congressional elections held in Louisiana on Saturday.

In the 6th Congressional District, Republican state Sen. Steve Scalise easily beat Democrat Gilda Reed by a 75 to 25 percent margin. Scalise now assumes the seat formerly held by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Democrat Don Cazayoux, an attorney and state representative, narrowly beat Republican Woody Jenkins (49 to 46 percent) to win the 1st Congressional District seat previously held by Republican Richard Baker, who resigned to take a lobbying job.

Hillary Clinton Takes Pennsylvania

As expected, Hillary Clinton won Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party primary contest on Tuesday, beating Barrack Obama by a 10 percentage point vote margin.

Clinton won most of the state’s rural counties while Obama beat Clinton handily in the Philadelphia metro area.

Despite her win, Clinton still trails Obama in the all-important delegate count as the candidates now turn their attention to Indiana and North Carolina, which hold their primaries on May 6.

In the Republican primary, presumptive GOP nominee John McCain won 73 percent of the vote while Ron Paul was second with 16 percent and Mike Huckabee finished third with 11 percent.

Mississippi Race Headed for Run-off

Democrat Travis Childers came within a half percentage point of winning Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District special election on Tuesday.

Childers won 49.4 percent of the vote, but needed 50 percent to be declared the winner. He will now face Republican Greg Davis in a special May 13 run-off election. Davis captured 46 percent of the vote.

The special election became necessary in December when Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour appointed Congressman Roger Wicker to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Trent Lott.

Speier Wins California Special Election

Former California State Senator Jackie Speier is going back to Congress.

Speier, who worked for U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan when he was assassinated in the Jonestown massacre, easily won the special election held this week to replace Democratic Rep. Tom Lantos, who died earlier this year. Lantos represented California’s 12th District.

Speier, who was often a thorn in the side of the insurance industry while she was a state Senator, is now the odds-on favorite to win a full term this fall as the District is considered a Democratic stronghold.

Ex-GOP Congressman Now Libertarian Candidate

Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr has announced that he’s formed an exploratory committee to test his viability as a candidate for the Libertarian presidential nomination.

Barr, who represented the 7th District in Georgia for eight years, said the country was at a “tipping point” in terms of the willingness of voters to look at candidates other than those nominated by the two major parties. Barr said that although he was unlikely to win, his running would give him an opportunity to spread the Libertarian philosophy.

Alan Keyes Joins Constitution Party

Republican presidential nominee Alan Keyes has decided to seek the presidency with another party.

Keyes announced on his website that he is quitting the Republican Party and is now officially seeking Constitution Party’s presidential nomination.

Democrat Mike Gravel Becomes a Libertarian

Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel, the “other” Democratic presidential candidate that nobody has heard from in months, has announced he’s dropping out of that race and becoming a Libertarian.

Gravel informed visitors to his website that “the Democratic Party today is no longer the party of FDR. It is a party that continues to sustain war, the military-industry complex and imperialism – all of which I find anathema to my views.”

Gravel’s announcement seems a tad curious, given that he recently endorsed Jesse Johnson, the Green Party candidate for president.

Obama, McCain Win Mississippi Primaries

Senators Barack Obama and John McCain easily won their party’s primary contests in Mississippi on Tuesday.

Obama scored a 61 to 37 percentage win over his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, while McCain, already the Republican presidential nominee, won 79 percent of the vote to 12 percent for Mike Huckabee and four percent for Ron Paul.

In the statewide contests, Republicans Glenn L. McCullough Jr. and Travis Childers, will have a run-off election in the 1st Congressional District on April 1 to see who will be the nominee in November, but they will also take part in a April 22 special election to fill out the remaining unexpired term of Roger Wicker, who assumed Trent Lott’s old U.S. Senate when he retired in December.

State Sen. Charlie Ross and an attorney, Gregg Harper, will also have a run-off election on April 1 to see who will be the Republican nominee in the 3rd Congressional District. The Democratic nominee will be Joel Gill.

Carson Wins Grandmother’s Seat

Democrat Andre Carson, an Indianapolis/Marion County city-county councilman, won Indiana’s 7th Congressional District special election on Tuesday, beating his Republican opponent, Jon Elrod, a state representative, by a 54 to 43 percent vote margin.

Carson, who won the seat formerly held by his grandmother, Julia Carson, now faces an even tougher fight on primary day, May 6, when seven Democrats, including two state representatives, will challenge him for the right to run for the seat in November.

Obama Wins Wyoming Caucuses

After losing three of four primary contests last week, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama rebounded on Saturday by winning the Wyoming caucuses. He beat Hillary Clinton by a 62 to 38 percentage margin, and in the process, picked up seven delegates. Clinton won four delegates.

The candidates now shift their attention to Mississippi, where that state’s primary is on Tuesday. Thirty-three Democratic delegates will be at play while 36 Republican delegates will be at stake.

Tuesday’s election in Mississippi also will feature primary contests to determine the candidates for two “open” Congressional seats – the first and third districts. The first district became open when Roger Wicker was appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour last December to fill the unexpired term of former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott. The third district became an open contest when Congressman Chip Pickering announced late last year that he would not seek re-election this year.

Democrats Pick Up Illinois House Seat

Democrat Bill Foster did what some people might call the impossible on Saturday: he won the 14th Congressional District formerly held by former Republican House speaker Dennis Hastert, who held the seat for 20 years before retiring late last year.

Foster, a research scientist, beat Jim Oberweis, a wealthy dairy farmer, by a 53 to 47 percent margin.

Meanwhile, in Louisiana, the number of candidates in two Congressional Districts was narrowed following special elections on Saturday. In the 1st District, the seat formerly held by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Democrat Gilda Reed overwhelmingly beat her opponent while Republicans State Sen. Steve Scalise and State Rep. Tim Burns will face a run-off election on April 5 since neither obtained a majority of the primary votes.

In Richard Baker’s old 6th Congressional District seat, Democratic state representatives Don Cazayoux and Michael Jackson face a run-off while Republicans Woody Jenkins and Laurinda L. Calogne also face a run-off election. The general election is May 3.

McCain Secures Republican Nomination

Arizona Sen. John McCain locked up the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday night with decisive primary wins in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont.

As a result, McCain picked up 179 delegates to give him a total of 1,226 delegates, or 35 more than the 1,191 he needed to secure the nomination.

McCain’s main GOP opponent in recent weeks, Mike Huckabee, announced he was dropping out of the race and would throw his support behind McCain. The senator is also expected to pick up George W. Bush’s endorsement today when they meet for lunch.

One other GOP presidential nominee, Ron Paul, succeeded Tuesday in easily winning his Texas 14th Congressional District primary contest, beating his opponent by a 70 to 30 percent margin. It is not known when Paul will officially exit the presidential contest.

Hillary Clinton Roars Back

Just when it looked like Hillary Clinton might be finished in her bid to win the Democratic presidential nomination, the New York Senator roared back on Tuesday, winning three of the four primary contests.

Clinton beat her chief opponent, Barack Obama, in Ohio, Rhode Island and in Texas, where she won the primary vote, but appears to have lost the caucus vote to Obama. He easily beat Clinton in Vermont.

Obama, who had put together a string of victories since Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, still leads in the all important convention delegate count. Latest figures give him 1,451 delegates to 1,365 for Clinton. A candidate needs 2,025 to win the nomination.

Meanwhile, in Ohio, former Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich won 50 percent of the vote to win his 10th Congressional District primacy race against four opponents.

Hillary Clinton’s ‘Last Stand?’

Will Sen. Hillary Clinton be forced to give up her dream of becoming the country’s first female President when she goes toe to toe today with Sen. Barack Obama in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont? That’s the question that everyone is asking.

Clinton, who appeared to be the presumptive Democratic nominee before Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, has not won a caucus or primary contest since then, and has watched Obama surge from behind in both Ohio and Texas, two states long considered Clinton strongholds.

While neither candidate can secure enough delegates today to lock up the Democratic nomination, most observers agree that Clinton will need a victory – mostly likely in Ohio – to keep her campaign afloat.

Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain should sew up the Republican nomination today with a strong showing in the four states. The key for McCain will be winning Ohio and Vermont, both winner-take-all states and making a strong showing in Texas and Rhode Island, whose delegates are awarded on a proportional basis.

A total of 370 Democratic and 256 Republican delegates are up for grabs today.

Commissioner “Red Necktie” Retiring

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Jim E. Long – known his iconic red neckties – has announced that he will not seek a seventh term this fall as the state’s elected commissioner.

In making his plans public, Long also announced that he plans to back his deputy, Wayne Goodwin, for the job. Goodwin filed election papers today, the last filing period for candidates.

Mayor Bloomberg Says “No” to Presidential Run

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ended months of endless speculation this week when he announced that he would not run for president this fall.

Bloomberg, the former billionaire Democrat turned Republican, was being viewed by many as a possible Independent candidate.

Candidates Raise $3.3 Million A Day in January

The Center for Responsive Politics, the non-partisan, non-profit Washington, D.C. research group that tracks money in politics and its effects on elections and public policy, is out with the latest numbers on what the presidential candidates raised during the month of January.

The Center’s figures show that the candidates took in $3.3 million per day in January, bringing to $685 million the total amount of money raised by all candidates so far in the presidential campaign. Most experts predict the candidates will top $1 billion before the races are over.

And, what about those Democratic super delegates everyone talks about these days? Obviously Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama haven’t forgotten them. Between Clinton and Obama, they have contributed more than $900,000 to the delegates’ own political campaigns. Click here to see how much each super delegate has received so far.

Ralph Nader Running for President

Ralph Nader announced Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he’s running for president this year as an Independent candidate.

Nader’s announcement probably sent shivers through the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who remember the 2000 election cycle when Nader won 2.7 percent of the national vote, and in the eyes of some Democrats, was the reason that Al Gore lost to George W. Bush.

Nader tossed aside that claim on Sunday, saying he was running again because none of this year’s candidates were addressing the issues of corporate crime, Pentagon waste or were promoting labor rights.

One now wonders if Nader’s announcement will empower other individuals such as New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg or Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul to pursue independent presidential campaigns as well.

Arizona Congressman Indicted in Land Deal

Republican Congressman Rick Renzi (AZ-01) has been indicted on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, extortion and insurance fraud in connection with his alleged involvement in a federal land exchange that included land owned by a former business partner and real estate investor.

Last August, Renzi announced he would not seek a fourth term in office.

Mississippi Special Election Set

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has set April 22 as the date for a special election to fill the 1st Congressional District formerly held by Rep. Roger Wicker, who was appointed in December to fill out the remainder of Trent Lott’s unexpired U.S. Senate term.

So far, two Republicans, three Democrats and one Green Party candidate have indicated their desire to run for the seat. Barbour also set March 7 as the qualifying deadline for candidates.

A Bad Day for John McCain?

Talk about having a bad day?

Republican presidential front runner John McCain woke up yesterday to news that the New York Times had run a front page story accusing him of once having an alleged inappropriate relationship with a female D.C. lobbyist.

If that wasn’t enough, the Associated Press ran a story later in the day saying that Federal Elections Commission Chairman David Mason had sent McCain a letter earlier in the week asking him to assure the FEC that he did not use the promise of public money to help secure a $4 million line of credit he obtained last November.

The final story of the day was one from Thomas Cook, who runs the liberal blog, BlueIndiana.net. Cook claims McCain is four signatures short of the 500 signatures he needs from the 4th Congressional District to have his name put on the state’s May 6 presidential primary ballot.

Obama, McCain Keep Rolling On

Senators Barack Obama and John McCain kept the momentum rolling to become their respective party’s presidential nominees by easily winning Tuesday’s primary and caucus contests.

Obama made it nine wins in a row since Super Tuesday on Feb. 5 by beating his chief Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton, in both the Wisconsin primary and Hawaii caucus. He won in Wisconsin by a 58 to 41 percentage margin and by an even bigger margin (76 to 24 percent) in Hawaii.

Meanwhile, McCain easily beat his main rival, Mike Huckabee, in Wisconsin by a 57 to 37 percent margin. McCain is now less than 300 delegates from securing the Republican nomination.

The candidates have now shifted their attention to Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont, where voters will make their choices known on March 4.

McCain Picks Up Important Endorsements

Republican presidential candidate John McCain has picked up some important endorsements during the past week.

Former President George H.W. Bush came out in support of McCain today while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney threw his support behind McCain late last week and urged his 286 delegates to support McCain’s nomination.

Clinton Wins New Mexico Democratic Caucus

It took nine days, but officials of the New Mexico Democratic Party announced late last week that Hillary Clinton won the state’s Feb. 5th caucus election over Barack Obama. Clinton ended up with 48.8 percent of the vote compared to 47.6 percent for Obama.

Early returns on election night had given the nod to Obama, but the final tally was delayed with the counting of some 17,000 provisional ballots.

McCain, Obama Sweep ‘Potomac’ Primaries

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama swept the ‘Potomac’ primaries on Tuesday, winning their party’s presidential races in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

McCain’s closest victory came in Virginia, where he won by a 50 to 41 percentage margin over Mike Huckabee. With his victories, McCain is now within 370 delegates of securing the Republican nomination.

Obama’s win streak stretched to seven states in the past week with his victories on Tuesday. His biggest victory margin over Hillary Clinton came in the District of Columbia, where he won 75 percent of the vote. Obama now leads the Democratic delegate count by 25 delegates. A total of 2,025 are needed to win the nomination.

A Weekend Sweep for Obama

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois went four-for-four over the weekend as he won four Democratic caucuses across the country over his chief rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.

On Saturday, Obama was the choice of Louisiana caucus-goers by a 53 to 36 percent margin. He also won in Nebraska 68 to 32 percent and in Washington state by a margin of 68 to 31 percent with 1 percent uncommitted. On Sunday, Obama won in Maine, beating Clinton 59 to 40 percent with 1 percent uncommitted. As a result of his victories, the Associated Press is now showing that Obama is within 17 delegate votes of Clinton. A total of 2,025 are needed to win the nomination.

Meanwhile, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won two of the three Republican caucuses held on Saturday. Huckbee narrowly edged John McCain in Louisiana by a 43 to 42 percent margin and won more convincingly in Kansas, 60 to 24 percent. McCain won in Washington state with 26 percent of the vote to 24 percent for Huckabee.

Mitt Romney ‘Suspends’ Presidential Bid

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has decided to suspend his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Through Super Tuesday, Romney had won 10 state caucus or primary races and amassed 295 convention delegates.

Romney’s announcement appears to seal the Republican nomination for Arizona Sen. John McCain. The real question now is whether McCain will choose former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee or Romney as his running-mate.

Court Rules on ‘Lott’ Senate Election

The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled by a 7-2 margin that the special election to replace former U.S. Senator Trent Lott should take place in November.

The court’s decision is a blow for Attorney General Jim Hood, who brought the suit, arguing that the state’s constitution required the election to be held within 90 days after Lott resigned last December.

Most view the decision as a win for Sen. Roger Wicker, the former Congressman selected by Gov. Haley Barbour to replace Lott. This gives Wicker more time to establish his incumbency before he faces election against Democrats Ronnie Musgrove or Ronnie Shows. The Democratic primary is March 11.

McCain Comes Up Big on Tuesday

Arizona Sen. John McCain became the clear Republican presidential frontrunner on Tuesday, winning in nine states and picking up hundreds of delegates in the process.

McCain won the delegate-rich states of California and New York and picked up victories in his home state of Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey and Oklahoma. As a result, the Associated Press estimates that McCain has 615 delegates towards the magic number of 1,191 delegates needed to win the GOP nomination. The AP count includes projections based on non-binding votes for candidate preference, such as in the Iowa caucuses. Other news organizations that do not include projections in their delegate totals show McCain with 516 delegates at present.

The other big surprise on Tuesday was former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. He won in West Virginia and the southern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee. Many pundits thought Huckabee, who is third in the delegate count, would not fare well on Super Tuesday.

Mitt Romney won contests in seven states, including his home state of Massachusetts and in Utah, the home of the Mormon Church. He also won in Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana and North Dakota. His large caucus victories in some of these states would suggest that not all the GOP faithful are enamored with McCain as the party’s frontrunner.

No Clear Democratic Victor on Super Tuesday

If the Super Tuesday results are any indication, the Democratic presidential nomination process may end up being decided at the party’s national convention in late August.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won 14 of the 22 Democratic races held on Tuesday, but New York Sen. Hillary Clinton won the large states of California and New York to end up with about a 100 delegate lead in the race to win 2,025 delegates and secure the Democratic nomination.

Besides California and New York, Clinton also won in Arizona, Arkansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Obama’s victories came in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota and Utah.

Super Tuesday – By The Numbers

It’s being called the closest thing to a national presidential primary in our country’s history. Up to 80 million individuals could go to the polls today in 24 different states to choose their presidential nominees. But, as www.stateline.org reports, 4.5 million independent voters in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Oklahoma and Utah won’t be able to vote because those states have “closed” primaries where only registered party members can cast a ballot.

Here are some other numbers to consider as we await today’s Super Tuesday returns:

Democrats

     4,049 – Delegates attending the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 25-28, Denver, Colorado. Total consists of 3,253 pledged delegates and 796 super delegates.

     2,084 – Democratic delegates at stake today.

     2,025 – “Magic number” to win the Democratic nomination.

     417 – Delegates at stake today in California’s “semi-open” primary.

     18 – Fewest delegates at stake today in Alaska caucuses.

Republicans

     2,380 – Delegates attending the Republican National Convention, Sept. 1-4, St. Paul, Minnesota. Total consists of 1,917 pledged delegates and 463 unpledged delegates.

     1,191 – “Magic number” to win the Republican nomination.

     1,069 – Republican delegates at stake today.

     14 – States where today’s winning Republican candidate wins all the delegates (780).

     8 – Governors who support John McCain’s nomination. Three support Mitt Romney.

Maine Goes For Mitt Romney

Maine Republicans threw their support behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in a series of non-binding municipal caucus meetings over the weekend.

Romney won 52 percent of the vote among 68 percent of the towns that held caucuses.

John McCain was second with 21 percent while Ron Paul finished third with 19 percent.

As a result, Romney is expected to win Maine’s 18 delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Edwards, Giuliani Quit the Race

John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani each gave up their dreams Wednesday of becoming the country’s next president.

Edwards, speaking in New Orleans where he launched his campaign last year, said he would no longer be a candidate for the Democratic nomination. Edwards, a wealthy trial attorney, never seemed to connect with voters with his message of battling greedy corporate interests on behalf of the “little guy.”

His departure leaves Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Mike Gravel, the former U.S. Senator from Alaska, in the Democratic race.

For Edwards, his best showing came in Iowa, where he finished second to Obama and was one percentage point higher than Clinton. In the four other races where his name was on the ballot, Edwards did no better than third, even in South Carolina, where he was born.

Giuliani, meanwhile, focused his campaign primarily on Florida, where he hoped the winner-take-all primary would give him the state’s 57 delegates and propel him into the forefront of the Republican nomination. Giuliani, however, ended up a distant third behind John McCain and Mitt Romney.

Giuliani made his exit speech in California, where he threw his support behind McCain. Besides McCain and Romney, the other Republicans still in the race are Mike Huckabee, Alan Keyes and Ron Paul.

McCain, Property Amendment Florida Victors

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Amendment 1, the property tax amendment, were the big winners in the Florida primaries on Tuesday.

McCain won his third state race (New Hampshire, South Carolina were the others) by streaking to a five percentage point victory (36 to 31%) over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. In the process, McCain picked up 57 Florida delegates.

Amendment 1, which promises to provide property tax relief to the state’s embattled homeowners, easily reached the 60 percentage point mark needed to allow the state’s Constitution to be amended. The final tally showed “Yes” supporters winning 64 percent of the vote.

The big loser in Tuesday’s Republican primary was Rudy Giuliani, who had counted on Florida voters to propel him to victory and make him the party’s frontrunner. Giuliani finished third with 15 percent of the vote and is expected to announce later today that he is dropping out of the presidential contest and throwing his support behind McCain.

In the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton easily won, capturing 50 percent of the vote, but no delegates because the Democratic National Committee stripped the state of delegates for running the primary ahead of schedule. Barack Obama was second with 33 percent of the vote.

All the attention now turns to Super Tuesday on Feb. 5 when 22 states will hold primaries or caucuses. Before that, though, Maine Republicans will hold their municipal caucuses, beginning this Friday.

Property Tax Amendment Overshadows Florida Primary

Floridians go to the polls today to choose their presidential nominees, but the real question on voters’ minds will not be on which nominees win, but whether the property tax ballot initiative will pass.

Amendment 1 is being hailed by Gov. Charles Crist and others as a way to provide residents with property tax relief by doubling homestead exemptions on properties valued over $75,000, placing a 10 percent cap on assessments for commercial and non-homestead properties, giving businesses a $25,000 exemption on their tangible personal property taxes and allowing homeowners to move up to $500,000 in tax benefits accrued from the Save Our Homes program if they purchase another homestead in Florida. Proponents have raised $2.8 million to win the amendment’s passage.

Florida is our Home, Inc., a broad-based coalition of educators, municipal workers and retirees, opposes Amendment 1, arguing that it will cost public schools $2.75 billion in lost revenue over five years and local municipalities will need to reduce their spending by $2.3 billion.

The amendment needs 60 percent voter approval in order to change the state’s constitution. Nearly seven percent of the state’s voters – approximately 700,000 individuals – have voted by absentee ballot.

As for the presidential primaries, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is hoping his strategy of focusing almost exclusively on Florida to make him the Republican frontrunner works. As part of that strategy, the former mayor has been running a series of ads in Florida and on his website in recent days touting the creation of a national catastrophe fund. Right now, however, polls show Giuliani running third behind John McCain and Mitt Romney.

The Democratic primary, like Michigan, is another “non-event” as a result of the Democratic National Committee’s decision to strip the state of its convention delegates for moving up its primary date. And like Michigan, Hillary Clinton is expected to come out ahead of her challengers, Barack Obama and John Edwards.

Two More Representatives Retiring

Two more Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives have announced that they are retiring and not seeking re-election this fall.

They are Jim T. Walsh (NY-25) and Dave Weldon (FL-15).

The latest announcements bring to 31 the number of House members not running this year. Of that number, 25 are Republicans.

Obama Takes South Carolina

U.S. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois decisively won the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday, winning 55 percent of the vote.

Hillary Clinton was second with 27 percent while John Edwards finished third with 18 percent.

Democratic candidates now turn their attention to Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, when 22 states will hold primaries or caucuses.

Kucinich Drops Presidential Bid

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich has given up on his bid to become the Democratic presidential nominee.

Kucinich, whose best showing came in Michigan where he captured four percent of the vote on Jan. 15, now plans to focus on getting re-elected in Ohio’s 10th Congressional District.

And it’s not going to be easy for the six-term Congresssman. Kucinich will face three Democratic challengers in the state’s March 4th primary.

Choose Your Presidential Candidate By Survey

Still trying to determine which presidential candidate best matches your positions on the issues?

If so, you might want to take the “Select the Candidate” survey developed by Minnesota Public Radio. It asks you a series of multiple-choice questions and then matches your responses to the presidential candidate with similar positions on the issues.

But before you take the MPR survey, you might want to first look to see who your governor is supporting. Stateline.org is keeping a running tally of gubernatorial endorsements.

And, one has to wonder which of the governors might become a vice-presidential candidate if their candidate is nominated.

Missouri’s Blunt Not Seeking Re-election

Missouri Republican Gov. Matt Blunt surprised everyone on Tuesday when he announced he would not seek re-election to a second four-year term this fall.

Blunt is the first governor to announce that he wasn’t seeking re-election this year. His departure means that three of the 11 gubernatorial races this fall will be “open” contests. The governors in Delaware and North Carolina are term-limited and can’t run again.

Most political pundits were predicting that Blunt would have an uphill re-election battle against Democratic candidate, Jay Nixon, the state’s current Attorney General. Republican candidates will have until March 25 to file as candidates. The state’s primary is August 5.

Fred Thompson Quits Presidential Race

Former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee announced today he was giving up his bid to become the Republican nominee for president. Thompson said he was “exhausted” from the campaigning.

Thompson, who entered the presidential sweepstakes late last year, was hailed by many as “the true conservative” in the race, but he could no better than second among Wyoming caucus goers. He finished third in both the Iowa and South Carolina caucuses. Thompson’s worse finish came in New Hampshire, where he was in sixth place with only one percent of the vote.

South Carolina Goes for McCain

John McCain, whose presidential bid derailed in 200 after he lost the South Carolina caucus to George W. Bush, was the winner in the Palmetto state this time around.

He won the South Carolina caucus on Saturday, capturing 33 percent of the vote. Second was Mike Huckabee with 30 percent while Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney had 16 and 15 percent of the vote respectively.

The Republican candidates now turn their attention on Jan. 29 to Florida, the first large state to hold a primary this year.

Clinton, Romney Win in Nevada

Hillary Clinton made it two in a row on Saturday when she won the Nevada Democratic caucus.

Clinton, who won the New Hampshire primary two weeks ago, won 51 percent of the vote. Second was Barack Obama with 45 percent while John Edwards was a distant third with only 4 percent.

On the Republican side, Mitt Romney also made it two in a row when he won his party's caucus. Romney, who won the Michigan primary on Tuesday, won with 51 percent of the vote. Ron Paul, with his best showing yet, was second with 14 percent. John McCain was third with 13 percent of the vote.

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California announced he is abandoning his presidential bid after a last place finish in Nevada.

The Democrats now move to South Carolina, where their party's caucus takes place on Saturday. Republicans are looking ahead to the Florida primary on Jan. 29.

Mississippi Republican Gov. Haley Barbour plans to ask the Mississippi Supreme Court to decide on when the special election to replace former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott can be held on Nov. 4, or an earlier date.

Barbour is reacting to a decision handed down this week by a Hinds County Circuit Court judge, who ruled that the governor erred in setting the date for the special election. Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood has argued that state law requires the election to be held within 90 days of Lott's resignation on Dec. 18.

Mitt Romney Wins 'Home' State

Who says you can never go home again?

Mitt Romney proved Tuesday that you can as he returned to his Michigan birthplace and won the Republican presidential primary, beating John McCain by a 39 to 30 percent margin. Mike Huckabee was third with 16 percent of the vote.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton proved she could beat her latest opponent, the Uncommitted. She won the largely meaningless Democratic primary, garnering 55 percent of the votes to 40 percent for Uncommitted. Both Barack Obama and John Edwards withdrew from the Michigan primary after the Democratic National Committee stripped the state of its delegates for moving up the date of the primary.

Next up on Saturday is Nevada and South Carolina. Both Democrats and Republicans will caucus in Nevada, while only the Republican faithful will pick its nominee in South Carolina. Democrats in that state have their turn on Jan. 26.

Rep. Richard Baker Resigns

Republican U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, (LA-06) has announced that he is resigning from Congress no later than Feb. 6 to become the president and CEO of the Managed Funds Association, an industry group representing the $1.8 trillion hedge fund industry.

Baker, the senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, has been an ally of NAMIC and other industry trade groups in the past on a number of insurance issues and he will be missed.

Baker's departure creates a third "open seat" in Louisiana this year. There is some speculation that newly installed Gov. Bobby Jindal will pick April 5 as the date to hold the first party primary to find a replacement for Baker and a successor in the 1st Congressional district, the seat he held before becoming governor. Republican Jim McCrery (LA-04) has also announced that he will not seek re-election when his term ends this year.

Judge Order Special Election Within 90 Days

A Mississippi Circuit Court has ruled that Republican Gov. Haley Barbour exceeded his constitutional authority when he set the special election for November to replaced former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott.

Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat, had brought suit against Barbour, claiming state law was clear in stating that a special election had to be called within 90 days of Lott's resignation on Dec. 20.

The judge ruled that the special election will need to be held "on or before March 19, 2008."

NAMIC PAC Closes 2007 in Record Fashion

The NAMIC PAC collected $171,831 in 2007 -- breaking the previous record set in 2006 by 42 percent. More than 500 individuals from more than 150 member companies contributed last year, including NAMIC staff, which raised more than $13,000.

"NAMIC is well on track to reach our two-year election-cycle goal of $350,000, and invest more than $400,000 in the 2008 elections. We are investing almost twice as much in this election cycle than in any previous," said Jimi Grande, NAMIC's vice president for federal and political affairs. "Through NAMIC's political involvement programs our members are poised to have a meaningful impact on elections across the country in 2008. No issue or campaign will be decided before our members' voices are heard."