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Bevin Faces Divided Party in Kentucky

May 22, 2015 at 8:01 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

Presumptive Kentucky GOP gubernatorial nominee Matt Bevin (R) is facing a divided party as he prepares for the fall election, the Lexington Herald Leader reports.

“Bevin has clearly tried to begin winning over some of the Republican establishment… But Bevin, as he has since last November, blamed the media for creating a perception that he didn’t support U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after losing to him in the primary last year. Although Bevin repeatedly declined to publicly endorse McConnell, he argued that he did work hard for the Republican ticket last fall.”

Cook Political Report: “Democrats – and specifically state Attorney General Jack Conway – were the biggest winners on primary night. Conway faced just token opposition for Democratic nomination for this open seat. The race for the Republicans nomination was far more interesting and ultimately beneficial to Democrats.”

GOP Primary in Kentucky Too Close to Call

May 20, 2015 at 6:59 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

“The race for the Republican gubernatorial election went down to the wire and then some Tuesday night,” the Lexington Herald Leader reports.

“After 214,187 votes were counted, Louisville businessman Matt Bevin held an 83-vote lead over Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer, but Comer said late Tuesday night that he owed it to his supporters to ask for a recanvass.”

Bevin’s Improbable Comeback

May 11, 2015 at 6:08 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 3 Comments

Matt Bevin (R), “the upstart Kentucky Republican who famously locked horns with Mitch McConnell in a no-holds-barred 2014 Senate primary, is now running for governor. At first, his hopes for victory appeared all but impossible,” National Journal reports.

“But now, days before the May 19 primary, a dramatic turn of events—largely surrounding dueling allegations of domestic violence and accessory to slander between Bevin’s two primary rivals—have left the tea-party-aligned Bevin with a chance at victory.”

GOP Primary in Kentucky Is a Toss Up

May 10, 2015 at 6:51 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Kentucky finds the GOP race for governor is wide open.

James Comer barely leads with 28%, followed by Hal Heiner at 27% and Matt Bevin at 25%.

Donovan Wins Special Election in New York

May 5, 2015 at 9:43 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

Daniel Donovan (R) has won a special election and is going to be Staten Island’s new congressman, the Staten Island Advance reports.

“Donovan was long considered the front-runner in the race, as he is a well-liked Republican in a conservative-leaning borough of Staten Island that makes up about three-quarters of the 11th Congressional District.”

Ex-Girlfriend Says Comer Abused Her

May 4, 2015 at 9:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

A woman who dated Kentucky gubernatorial candidate James Comer (R) while the two were in college said in a letter to the Louisville Courier-Journal “that he was physically and mentally abusive to her during what she said was a two-year relationship.”

“The allegations come as Comer, Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner, enters the final two weeks of his campaign to be the Republican nominee for governor.”

Emanuel Spent Nearly $23 Million on Re-Election Bid

April 17, 2015 at 10:03 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 3 Comments

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel “and a supportive political action committee spent more than $22.8 million in the preliminary and runoff elections en route to the mayor winning a second term,” the Chicago Tribune reports.

“By contrast, challenger Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia and his union allies spent at least $4.6 million, far behind Emanuel, who collected 56 percent of the vote last week.”

Emanuel Wins Re-Election as Chicago Mayor

April 7, 2015 at 9:36 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 16 Comments

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to concede defeat, the Chicago Tribune reports.

“Tuesday’s election capped a hard-fought, nationally watched six-week campaign that featured Emanuel in a fight for his political life against Garcia, who has presented himself as the more compassionate option. The contest served as the nation’s latest proxy battle between establishment Democrats, represented by the mayor, and progressives, who backed Garcia.”

Chicago Voters Head to the Polls

April 7, 2015 at 7:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

“Chicago voters head to the polls Tuesday in the city’s first mayoral runoff as Rahm Emanuel seeks a second term over Cook County Commissioner Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia,” the AP reports.

LaHood Won’t Say If He’ll Redecorate Schock’s Office

March 31, 2015 at 8:12 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

llinois state Sen. Darin LaHood (R) “declined to say whether” he would repaint “the red walls of the current Capitol Hill office” of Rep. Aaron Schock (R) if he wins the special election for Schock’s seat, the State Journal-Register reports.

Said LaHood: “That’ll be a good problem to solve if I’m fortunate enough to get elected.”

Emanuel Pulls Away in Chicago

March 31, 2015 at 7:26 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 4 Comments

A new Chicago Tribune poll in Chicago finds Mayor Rahm Emanuel leads challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, 58% to 30% — “double the margin of a similar survey three weeks ago, when the mayor led his opponent by 14 percentage points.”

Emanuel Solidly Ahead in Chicago

March 30, 2015 at 6:14 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

A new Ogden & Fry poll in Chicago shows Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) with a solid lead over challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D), 48% to 34%.

Emanuel Maintains Wide Lead for Re-Election

March 24, 2015 at 4:07 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

A new Ogden & Fry survey in Chicago finds Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) well ahead of challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D) in the race for mayor, 49% to 32%.

Emanuel Needs GOP Votes to Win

March 19, 2015 at 5:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel “is about as partisan a Democrat as there is in this country. But to win a second term and avoid a humiliating defeat, he’ll need to win over and turn out the small number of Republicans in the city,” National Journal reports.

“Emanuel isn’t openly telegraphing his runoff strategy, but signs of his reliance on the party he has worked to oppose his whole career are everywhere.”

Candidate Vows No Nude Photos

March 16, 2015 at 9:08 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

Daniel Donovan (R) “promised Brooklynites last night that if they elect him to represent them in the House of Representatives, he won’t follow the example of former Congressman Anthony Weiner of Queens or Christopher Lee from western New York in uploading unclothed images of himself online,” the New York Observer reports.

Said Donovan: “I will never embarrass you. I’ve run four times, I’ve been vetted up and down, there’s nothing in my background that’s going to embarrass you. And I am too old to know how to put a naked photograph of myself on the Internet.”

Emanuel Opens Up Double-Digit Lead in Chicago

March 13, 2015 at 4:30 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

A new Chicago Tribune poll finds Mayor Rahm Emanuel has opened up a double-digit lead on challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, gaining support from a majority of voters for the first time in his bid for a second term, 51% to 37%.

Dean Gets Payback in Chicago

March 13, 2015 at 4:29 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

Howard Dean endorsed Jesus “Chuy” Garcia over Rahm Emanuel for Chicago mayor, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

“Important back story: When Emanuel was the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, he stuck it to Dean in 2006 – when Dean was the DNC chair. Emanuel wanted Dean to funnel millions of dollars to help House candidates. Emanuel taunted Dean’s ’50 State Strategy’ and a leaked story about how little Emanuel thought of Dean found its way into print.”

Could Rahm Really Lose?

March 4, 2015 at 7:22 am EST By Taegan Goddard 12 Comments

“A runoff that was expected to be a slam dunk for Rahm Emanuel is turning out to be uncomfortably — even dangerously — close, leading the Chicago mayor to ready a scorched-earth offensive to save his job,” Politico reports.

“Recent polling shows the race between Emanuel and his unknown and underfunded rival, Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia, has closed to within single digits. With local and national progressive groups lining up behind Garcia and promising to pour cash into the effort to deny Emanuel a second term, the mayor is suddenly scratching and clawing for his political existence.”

The Chicago Sun Times quotes Emanuel in a new television ad: “I can rub people the wrong way.”