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AUGUSTA, Maine Democrat Adam Cote has made his long-contemplated 2018 run for governor official, becoming the first well-known Democrat to enter the race to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Paul LePage.

Cote, a 44-year-old Sanford attorney and Army veteran, has been out of politics since he finished second in the 2008 primary in Maines 1st U.S. House District. The seat was won by Chellie Pingree, who still holds it.

But Cote impressed as a moderate in the field, raising more than $650,000 and beating former legislators Michael Brennan and Ethan Strimling, who have since been Portland mayor. In a statement, he admitted he might not have the political pedigree of some other candidates but brings valuable experience to the campaign.

I have not spent much time in Augusta, but I have learned leadership through 20 years as a soldier in places like Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan and 16 years in the private sector as both a small businessman and a renewable energy attorney, he said.

Cote said in an interview that politics in Augusta need more civility, focus and leadership including a Democrat with the ability to unite his own party following fractures that opened in recent elections.

If ever theres a reason for folks to say look, elections have consequences and we have to be able to win and govern, I think that message is very clear to us now, he said. We have a lot more important things to be done and that is getting back the Blaine House and having a strong and aggressive economy to grow our agenda.

Cote has long been running behind the scenes and has been publicly mulling a run since December. Other potential Democratic candidates include Attorney General Janet Mills, former Maine Senate President Justin Alfond of Portland and Lee Auto Malls Chairman Adam Lee of Cumberland.

He joins independent Maine State Treasurer Terry Hayes of Buckfield, a former Democratic legislator, as the only candidates to file who are likely to mount serious bids the 2018 after her filing last week. Cote will run as a privately financed candidate, according to the Maine Ethics Commission.

Three other candidates Republican Deril Stubenrod of Clinton, Democrat Patrick Eisenhart of Augusta and Libertarian Richard Light of Liberty have also filed to run, but theyre seen as longshots.

Cote, a Sanford native, lives with his wife, Pauline, and their five children. He is a graduate of Colby College and the University of Maine Law School and won the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Afghanistan and the Combat Action Badge for his role in caring for fellow soldiers after a December 2004 suicide bombing in Mosul, Iraq.

In 2013, he received the White House Champion of Change award from former Democratic President Barack Obamas administration for his work as a veteran working to advance clean energy and climate security.

More here:
Democrat Adam Cote to run for governor in Maine as political outsider - Bangor Daily News

Prince William County has long been friendly territory for Republicans when it comes to off-year special elections. Not this time.

Democrat Jacqueline Smith beat long odds and big money today when she emerged victorious in the special contest for Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk, a low-profile, eight-year post that rarely gets much attention amid other races in Virginias off-off-year local elections.

Smiths opponent, Republican Del. Jackson Miller, was widely favored to win todays election both because he had the name recognition of elected office and a lot more cash.

Miller pulled in $200,000 in campaign donations, including about $175,000 from his existing campaign war chest, outraising Smith six to one.

No matter.

Smith won with more than 53 percent of the vote, according to unofficial election results released by the Virginia Department of elections tonight.

It was the second try at the post for Smith, 34, who ran against the late Michele McQuigg in 2015.

McQuigg won that race by about 2,000 votes but would serve only one year of her second, eight-year term. McQuigg died of cancer on Feb. 16.

As she watched the results come in tonight, Smith was surrounded by what local Democratic Committee Chairman Harry Wiggins said was an ecstatic crowd at their gathering-turned-victory-party at Blu restaurant.

Oh, it feels great, Smith said of her win. Smith and her husband, Jonathan Francis, are both attorneys who own their own law firm in Dumfries.

Miller, 49, spent the evening at a Republican gathering in Old Town Manassas earlier in the night but was already retrieving campaign signs when he returned a reporters phone call.

Jackie ran a great campaign and I called her and congratulated her, Miller said.

Miller said he was glad for a solid win in the City of Manassas where people know me best, but added: We really knew we knew we were going to have a hard time in the county. From the very beginning, we thought it would be a really tough fight.

Im actually more disappointed for the people who supported me more than anything else, he added. A lot of people worked really hard.

The special election was the first opportunity area voters had to return to the polls since President Donald Trumps win last fall.

The election energized activists in both parties who worked to raise awareness of the April 18 vote and coax voters to the polls.

Despite those efforts, turnout was predictably low for an election that took place only two days after Easter.

Fewer than 10 percent of Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park voters made it to the polls, according to the unofficial results.

Smith said it was her supporters energy that pulled Democrats to the polls.

I think the difference was people being on the ground, our grassroots movement, Smith said. We had 15,000 doors knocked. We had a ton of small-dollar donors who were willing to support our race.

Still, Smith raised only about $35,000 for her campaign, according to campaign finance records listed on the Virginia Public Access Project.

Smith apparently made up the difference in the efforts of those who walked Prince William Countys larger neighborhoods to talk to voters directly.

Prince William County School Board Chairman Ryan Sawyers, a Democrat who recently announced his campaign for the 1stDistrict congressional seat now held by Rep. Rob Wittman, was among them.

Sawyers canvassed for about five hours yesterday, much of the time with Tom Perriello, the surprise Democratic candidate in this years governors race.

Sawyers said he was thrilled but not surprised to hear the news of Smiths win. The result, he said, proves that Prince William County really is blue.

We cant even pretend that Prince William County is purple anymore, Sawyerssaid tonight.

Smith will make a great clerk, he said. Her win, Sawyers added, was not about luck but rather the result of her being well-qualified and a great candidate.

Jackie is just a genuine person. She genuinely cares and she deserves this victory, Sawyers said.

Wiggins, the chairman of the local Democratic Committee, said he knew things looked good for Smith when his precinct in Lake Ridge swung two to one for Smith.

Im not surprised and the reason Im not surprised is because of the number of people Ive never seen before who cameout tovolunteer and hand out sample ballots, Wiggins said.

Wiggins said local Democrats were no doubt energized by the chance to return to the polls after Trumps election. He called the contest a referendum on Corey Stewart and Donald Trump.

People realize Stewart is head of the local Republican Party and as much as anything its voters outrage with them, Wiggins said.

D.J. Jordan, spokesman for the local Republican Committee, called Smiths win a little bit of a surprise.

But, Jordan, too, said local Democrats are upsetwith his partys leadership.

I do think Corey Stewart and Donald Trump both might have something to do with that, Jordan said.

The Democrats are really, really energized, he added. I think the people who were engaged in the presidential race are still energized, and that translated into a win for their side.

Reach Jill Palermo at jpalermo@fauquier.com

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Democrat Jacqueline Smith beats long odds, big money in special ... - Fauquier Times

James Mackler, an Iraq War veteran and lawyer in Nashville, announced Sunday that he is running for Senate, becoming the first Democrat to try to take the seat of Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) in 2018.

As a soldier, I know the strength of teamwork, cooperation and the benefits of diversity to accomplish a mission, Mackler told The Huffington Post. I know that true leadership really comes from a sense of duty, and without some change in this country, I really worry about the future of my family and those of every Tennessean. My wife and I want to raise our daughters in a nation that celebrates the best of America, not in a country thats as divided as we are now.

Tennessee handily went to Donald Trump in the 2016 election, and just two of its 11 members of Congress are Democrats. If Mackler gets through the primary, hell no doubt face an uphill battle to win a Senate seat.

Still, state and local Democrats said Tuesday that theyre excited about him, with some saying he may be the strongest Democratic statewide candidate theyve had since Harold Ford Jr., who served in the House before losing to Corker in a close 2006 Senate race.

I think were getting a good candidate that can excite people here, said Gary Bynum, chair of the Democratic Party in Davidson County, which encompasses Nashville.

You have to have the right candidates at the right time, and thats what James is, added Holly McCall, chair of the Williamson County Democratic Party in suburban Nashville.

Tennessee has been seeing the same surge in local Democratic activism thats popping up around the country. Davidson County used to see about 10 people, other than the executive committee, at its regular meetings. But nearly 200 people showed up in January, and 180 people filled out forms to start volunteering. Since then, Bynum said, committee meetings have been getting about 100 people on average.

McCall said shes seeing the same thing at her meetings. Oh my gosh, she said.I would say our membership has at least tripled.

McCall is also the recruitment chair for Emerge Tennessee, which trains women to run for office. The group, she said, has had no trouble recruiting women to run since Trump was elected.

Mackler said no particular event had inspired his decision to run, and instead repeatedly pointed to political divisions in Washington as a motivating factor.

The fact is, Washington is a mess, our country is divided, our leaders refuse together to solve problems, and I feel called to service, he said.

Mackler also refused to point to specific areas where Corker has fallen short, and he avoided any of the populist or anti-Trump rhetoric that has been firing up the base since the election.

The timing is right for a candidate who understands that our representatives in D.C. are ineffective and is willing to work to change that, Mackler said. Its not about being a Democrat.

Corker has not yet said whether he will run for re-election. Ive been busy carrying out my activities here, he said Monday.Ive been focused on that Im going to continue to be focused on that. As far as speculation about what Im going to do or not do, Id like to talk about that at the appropriate time.

Candice Dawkins, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Republican Party,said Tuesday that the party was confident that voters would continue to support Republican candidates in 2018. As a cautionary tale, she pointed to therough timeDemocrats had with their Senate candidate in 2012.

While Democrats might be excited about potential Senate candidates in 2018, they are still the party whose voters nominated The Washington Posts worst candidate of 2012, she said. The State Democrat party eventually disavowed Mark Clayton and refused to do anything to promote or support him. Sen.Corker won re-election with 65 percent of the total vote in Tennessee. The Tennessee Republican Party is committed to delivering the same kind of result in 2018.

Democrats have 25 seats to defend in the 2018 cycle, compared to just nine for Republicans. Ten of the Democratic seats are in states that Trump won last year.

Tennessee is not especially high on the list of potential pick-ups for Democrats right now, with more attention instead going toward Arizona and Nevada. But the fact that there are candidates willing to come out and run in places like Tennessee or Texas, where Rep. Beto ORourke (D) has announced hell challenge Sen. Ted Cruz (R) has been encouraging to Democrats.

Democrats in Tennessee are energized and have been since the election. ... There has been a huge response to James Macklers announcement as a candidate for Senate, many people already asking where they can volunteer and donate money, said Mary Mancini, chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party. Sen. Corker has spent too much time in Washington and has lost touch with the people he serves in Tennessee. ... Its time for him to retire.

Want more updates from Amanda Terkel? Sign up for her newsletter, Piping Hot Truth, here.

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Iraq War Vet Is First Democrat To Jump Into Tennessee Senate Race - Huffington Post

AUSTIN In advance of a hearing on the Texas House's bathroom bill, the chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus called on the NFL commissioner Wednesday to clearly oppose the measure.

In a letter to Commissioner Roger Goodell, Rep. Chris Turner of Arlington laid out the league's prior opposition to North Carolina's so-called bathroom bill, which legislators recently watered down after a NCAA boycott of the state.

"Under your leadership, the NFL has taken a strong stance against discrimination, and you are to be commended for that. In keeping with this stance, it seems natural you would also strongly oppose HB 2899," Turner wrote. "This measure is antithetical to the NFLs stated goals of tolerance and inclusiveness and is inconsistent with your leagues policies."

House Bill 2899, authored by Rep. Ron Simmons, R-Carrollton, would prohibit school districts and cities from creating policies that would protect groups from discrimination in bathrooms or changing facilities, aside from the classes already protected by state or federal law. The bill would invalidate portions of nondiscrimination ordinances in five Texas cities, including San Antonio, which updated its ordinance in 2013 to include sexual orientation, gender identity and veteran status.

"We both agree that discrimination against any group of people has no place in American society and efforts to discriminate must be categorically rejected," Turner wrote.

House Republicans have decided to take up the bill in committee instead of Senate Bill 6, which would have regulated bathroom use based on the gender on a person's birth certificate in public schools, universities and government buildings. Gov. Greg Abbott came out Tuesday in support of HB 2899, after months of remaining largely mum on the issue.

Earlier on Wednesday, Equality Texas, the Texas Freedom Network, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Human Rights Campaign held a joint press conference opposing HB 2899 and Senate Bill 892, legislation they said would "effectively codify discrimination against LGBT Texans."

SB 892 would strengthen the ability of child welfare providers to decline making referrals or providing services if it conflicted with their religious beliefs. Advocates fear the legislation would allow welfare agencies to prevent LGBT couples from becoming foster or adoptive parents.

Rebecca Robertson, legal and policy director for ACLU of Texas, said HB 2899 would place cities and schools in a difficult position.

"Either they can comply with HB 2899 and risk litigation by transgender individuals and others because of the discrimination that they face, or they can follow federal law and uphold their duty to enforce our constitution and they can face litigation from our states attorney general," Robertson said. "I dont know why the legislature would want to put local government actors in that terrible position."

Also on Wednesday, the Texas Association of Business released a new economic impact study that said passing legislation similar to SB 6 could cost the state $5.6 billion through 2026. Commissioned by AngelouEconomics, the study estimated that such legislation could lead to annual losses between $26.1 million and $52.5 million from canceled conferences and events in Texas cities. Previous TAB projections, completed by business graduate students, were debunked as inaccurate.

Earlier this week, a study commissioned by Visit San Antonio and the San Antonio Area Tourism Council estimated that a bathroom law could cost the state more than $3 billion annually in lost tourism business.

Committees will hear debate on the two bills this afternoon.

lcaruba@express-news.net

Link:
Democrat leader urges NFL to publicly oppose Texas' proposed - mySanAntonio.com

NewsBusters (blog)

GMA Hails 'Emotional Victory' for Democrat Who Didn't Win Special Election NewsBusters (blog) Despite falling short of the 50% of votes needed to win Tuesday night, ABC's Good Morning America crowned Democratic hopeful Jon Ossoff as the victor of last night's special election in Georgia. Correspondent Cecilia Vega and anchor George ... and more »

Excerpt from:
GMA Hails 'Emotional Victory' for Democrat Who Didn't Win Special Election - NewsBusters (blog)