Idaho State Treasurer Candidates, Democrat Primary
Deborah Silver is one of two Democrats vying for the chance to take on incumbent Republican Idaho State Treasurer Ron Crane. Silver is a CPA with auditing experience who is running against...
By: Idaho Statesman
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Idaho State Treasurer Candidates, Democrat Primary - Video
Margo Davidson made history four years ago when she became the first Democrat, the first female, and the first African American state representative in her Delaware County district.
But since that election, the political landscape has changed. The district's lines have been redrawn and it is now solidly Democratic. Perhaps more significantly for Davidson, who is considered a somewhat unconventional Democrat, she has two challengers from her own party.
Billy Smith, 39, a defense attorney and former Lansdowne Borough councilman, is campaigning against Davidson's vote to increase restrictions on abortion clinics and her support for school vouchers.
Dafan Zhang, 37, a University of Pennsylvania law student who lives in East Lansdowne, is running a low-budget campaign and has stayed out of a battle over Davidson's record.
With redistricting in 2012, the 164th District changed to include Lansdowne and parts of Yeadon in addition to parts of Upper Darby Township, East Lansdowne, and Millbourne.
The winner of the Democratic primary will oppose Republican Saud Siddiqui, CEO of the Upper Darby Caring Foundation. But "the real election might be the primary," said Randall Miller, a history professor at St. Joseph's University, because the district is firmly Democratic.
Smith said he decided to run after researching Davidson's record. He has cast himself as the pro-choice and anti-school-voucher candidate.
"I bring these points up . . . to say, 'Is this who you want, Mr. and Mrs. Democrat in the 164th District, representing your interests?'" Smith said in an interview.
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Incumbent Delco Democrat faces challenges in primary
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) Republican Shelley Moore Capito and Democrat Natalie Tennant will face off in Novembers general election, when West Virginia will elect a woman to the U.S. Senate for the first time.
Capito is favored to win Novembers contest in a state that hasnt elected a Republican to the Senate since the 1950s. A Capito victory could help the GOP take control of the Senate for the final two years of President Barack Obamas tenure.
Tennant and Capito easily won their respective party primaries Tuesday, setting up a general election showdown to succeed Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat who is retiring after nearly three decades serving in the upper chamber.
Obama is deeply unpopular with many West Virginians, who take his administrations proposed pollution rules on coal-fired plants, among other regulations, as an affront to the coal industry. Coal is not only a key facet of the states cultural identity its a major economic driver. A statue of a coal miner stands in front of the state Capitol.
Republicans clearly want to use Obamas poor standing to their advantage. For months, motorists in Charleston could see a billboard displaying a picture of Tennant at a 2008 Obama rally. Natalie Tennant (hearts) Obama, the billboard read.
The stakes are high, Capito said Tuesday night. She said her priorities as a senator would be ending the war on coal and rolling back Obamacares devastating effect on small businesses.
With more than $4 million in the bank, Capito has built a 4-to-1 cash advantage over Tennant by running as a moderate from the polarized, GOP-controlled House. She avoided a tea party-fueled challenge from the right, despite less-than-enthusiastic reviews of her voting record by well-funded conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity and the Heritage Foundation.
West Virginias coal industry backs Capito, 60, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $200,000 promoting her late last year, federal campaign finance records show.
Capito was first elected to the House in 2000. She defeated Tennants husband, state Sen. Erik Wells, in a 2004 House race.
Tennant has the backing of unions and abortion rights groups, and she has tried to distance herself from the president by vowing to be an independent voice on energy issues.
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Capito, Tennant to face off in W.Va. Senate race
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - San Diego Democrat Toni Atkins, whose Appalachian roots have given her a powerful affinity for the plight of the working poor, was sworn in Monday as the 69th speaker of the state Assembly.
Atkins assumes the reins of the 80-member chamber amid negotiations over a nearly $107 billion state budget and an $11 billion water bond that all sides want to change before it goes to a statewide vote in November. She praised the states efforts to retain businesses and a recent deal brokered by the governor and legislative leaders to revamp a rainy day fund to save money and pay down debt.
At the same time, the native of Virginias poor mountain region also implored lawmakers to invest in education and opportunity for poor and lower-income Californians. That is expected to cause tension in budget negotiations as lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown weigh restoring social services and paying down debt.
We cannot forget that too many Californians have not made it out of the recession, Atkins said in remarks after her swearing-in. Theyve been holding on with white knuckles, with so much at stake. Their dreams have been put on hold.
She identified affordable housing and ending homelessness as top personal priorities.
Atkins, 51, becomes the first open lesbian to lead a California legislative chamber and succeeds Los Angeles Democrat John Perez, who was the first openly gay lawmaker in the role. She was sworn in by U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, the first Democratic woman to lead the California Assembly, during a ceremony that was attended by the governor and Atkins wife, Jennifer LeSar, who consults on affordable housing.
In remarks on the floor before the swearing-in, Assemblyman Rich Gordon, D-Menlo Park, said Atkins rise to one of the most powerful positions in state government would be an inspiration.
There are many in the state today who are struggling to come to grips with their sexual orientations, he said. They will see in you hope and possibility.
Atkins was elected to the Assembly in 2010 after serving on San Diegos city council and will be termed out in two years. Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway of Tulare issued a statement seeking bipartisan cooperation and noting that Atkins rise marks the first time a California legislative body had two female leaders.
Atkins takes office in a time when two Democratic state senators face federal corruption charges, prompting a flurry of reform legislation including a partial fundraising blackout during the legislative session and whistleblower protection for staff.
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Democrat Atkins sworn in as Assembly speaker
Vitter Continues Push to Authorize VA Clinics, Blocked by Senate Democrat
By: Senator David Vitter
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Vitter Continues Push to Authorize VA Clinics, Blocked by Senate Democrat - Video