Archive for the ‘Democrat’ Category

Balderas election coffer beats Riedels by 8-to-1

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SANTA FE With the election less than a month away, Democrat Hector Balderas holds a more than 8-to-1 campaign cash advantage over Republican Susan Riedel in New Mexicos race for attorney general.

Balderas spent nearly $334,825 in the past month, with three-fourths of it for television advertising, according to the latest campaign finance reports.

Balderas had cash on hand of $601,692 as of last week, and Riedel had a balance of $69,627. Her campaign spent more than $161,527, with about 90 percent for ads.

Balderas is a two-term state auditor, and Riedel is a former prosecutor and district judge from Las Cruces.

The reports filed with the Secretary of States Office cover contributions and spending from Sept. 2 through Oct. 6.

The reports due Tuesday provide a look at the financing available to candidates as they enter a critical stage of the campaign season and early voting gets underway this weekend at locations across the state.

Balderas collected $114,129 in contributions, including $5,200 each from the Sandia Pueblo and the National Education Association. Riedel raised $52,857, including $22,400 from oil and gas producers and their family members.

Here are campaign finance summaries for other offices:

Secretary of state: Democratic challenger Maggie Toulouse Oliver spent $163,792, with advertising accounting for nearly 90 percent of the total. Republican incumbent Dianna Duran spent $9,389 and had cash on hand of $206,159 for the final stretch of the campaign. Toulouse Oliver had a balance of $148,863 in her campaign account and had raised $91,828, including $10,400 from unions. Duran received $51,950 in contributions, including at least $19,000 from the oil and gas industry.

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Balderas election coffer beats Riedels by 8-to-1

Sheriff candidates clash: Kramer, Mayes spar over issues past and present

The race for Kane County sheriff between Republican Don Kramer and Democrat Willie Mayes is not only a contest between two experienced, educated lawmen, but also carries an undercurrent of past issues between Kramer and current Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez, a Democrat, extending to Perezs endorsement of Mayes over Kramer for the Nov. 4 general election.

Perez beat Kramer for the sheriffs post in 2010. Perez is not seeking a third term.

Kramer said Mayes is a lieutenant because Perez wanted to position him to run for sheriff, not because Mayes earned it.

It was a political promotion, Kramer said.

In a candidate forum, Mayes had said his promotion in May 2014 was the result of his hard work as a sergeant since 2003.

Sheriff Perez was consistent in promoting from within, Mayes said. The sheriff has promoted from within in other divisions. And so, Mr. Kramer can make an accusation, but he is out of touch.

Perez said Kramer is wrong.

For Don to say that, this is a man who lives in glass houses throwing stones, Perez said. I promoted [Mayes] because he was deserving of promotion. He took over the planning and training division ... a vital part of our organization.

Kramer had said at a forum that Perez endorsed Mayes because the sheriff did not want his former opponent to be in that office.

I wouldnt want my opponent to be somebody who worked at the office. I might hold that against them, Kramer had said.

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Sheriff candidates clash: Kramer, Mayes spar over issues past and present

Democrat McLauchlan hopes to wrest bluish seat from incumbent Brandes

ST. PETERSBURG Floridas Senate District 22 has a rare blue tinge to it, something from which Democrats are trying to benefit in this years elections.

In their quest to defeat Republican incumbent Sen. Jeff Brandes, Democrats have placed their hope in Judithanne McLauchlan, a political science professor at University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

The contrast between the two is visible something the attack ads running on eachs behalf are trying to exploit but each espouses a populist message in an election year where standing next to a utility giant like Duke Energy amounts to political poison.

Shaped like a sideways capital T, the district, at its widest, runs from Belleair Shore to Tierra Verde. It traverses the Pinellas Peninsula between Seminole and central St. Petersburg, cutting across the bay into South Tampa.

It leans Democrat, but Brandes was elected to the seat in 2012 after serving in the state House for two years.

Brandes, a multimillionaire heir to his familys Tibbetts Lumber Co. (formerly Cox Lumber), is a relatively high-profile lawmaker. The 38-year-old Army veteran and father of three led the fight against red light cameras and has sought to make ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft legal in the state.

He has supported higher speed limits and more aggressive adoption of Google Cars, while opposing the Greenlight Pinellas transit overhaul initiative. He was the only state senator to vote against Medicaid expansion in the state.

An investor in Green Bench Brewing Co., a keystone in Tampa Bays craft beer boom, he vocally opposed a 2014 law that would have hurt Floridas craft beer industry.

On the campaign trail, the utility industry namely, Duke Energy has been a major focal point. He has heavily criticized the energy giant for charging consumers for a nuclear power plant that never will be built.

While he has received campaign money from Duke, he has said that he is not beholden to the company or anyone else who contributes. He has said he would prefer to deregulate utilities to promote competition, thereby driving down prices for consumers.

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Democrat McLauchlan hopes to wrest bluish seat from incumbent Brandes

Democrat John Hickenlooper threatens to grant clemency to mass shooter if he loses – Video


Democrat John Hickenlooper threatens to grant clemency to mass shooter if he loses
Democrat John Hickenlooper threatens to grant clemency to mass shooter if he loses.

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Democrat John Hickenlooper threatens to grant clemency to mass shooter if he loses - Video

USA: Ferguson ‘Moral Monday’ protesters target Democrat fundraiser – Video


USA: Ferguson #39;Moral Monday #39; protesters target Democrat fundraiser
Video ID: 20141014-001 C/U Woman with hands on her head chanting M/S Three men with hands on their heads chanting C/U Man with hands on his head chanting W/S Protesters squaring off against ...

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USA: Ferguson 'Moral Monday' protesters target Democrat fundraiser - Video