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Doug Skaff, who for the past couple of years has served as leader of the Democratic caucus in the House of Delegates, today said he has changed his registration to Republican and will run statewide for Secretary of State.

Im not the first person to switch parties, and I wont be the last, Skaff said today on MetroNews Talkline.

Lets be honest, the Republican Party took the last two registrations by storm, but it wasnt because 100,000 Republicans just moved to West Virginia. These were hardcore West Virginians who were pro-life, pro-gun, pro-coal, pro-gas and they all switched parties. So like a lot of West Virginians, you know, my ideals never changed. I was always that way as well. I was registered a Democrat, and Im proud to be on the Republican team and just cant relate to the national party any more.

His party switch and candidacy received a skeptical response from the West Virginia Republican Party. A statement from state party chairwoman Elgine McArdle said the GOP welcomes people who join as a matter of priorities and principles. But McArdles statement questioned whether that applies to Skaff.

The West Virginia Republican Party recognizes the philosophical nuances that can exist within the Party and welcomes those who genuinely believe in our cause; however, Republican voters are sometimes tasked with differentiating between philosophical nuances and diametric ideological opposition. Now that Skaff is labeling himself as a Republican, despite his storied liberal record in the House, the upcoming primary is one of those times, McArdle stated.

The state Democratic Party also ripped into Skaff.

Skaff resigned from the House of Delegates last month, following his decision to step down as minority leader the prior month. All that surrounded speculation that Skaff, the president of HD Media, was considering a switch to the Republican Party and running for Secretary of State. But until now he would neither confirm nor deny the speculation

He now joins the race for Secretary of State that has an opening because the two-term incumbent, Mac Warner, is running for governor. That race also includes announced candidates Ken Reed, who is a former delegate from Berkeley County, current Delegate Chris Pritt of Kanawha County andPutnam County Clerk Brian Wood, all Republicans.

The Secretary of State is West Virginias chief elections officer and the office also has responsibilities for business licensing.

I want to use my past experience in the House of Delegates and look forward to putting my leadership style in place in government, Skaff said. The Secretary of States process is always one thats interested me. Its our elections process. Its always fascinated me.

He added, As Secretary of State you protect the freedom and the fundamental right to vote, and you want to maintain a secure, accessible, fair, efficient election process.

Skaff served in the House of Delegates as a Democrat from 2008 to 2012. In 2014, he ran for state Senate as a Democrat and was defeated by Republican Tom Takubo. He ran again for House of Delegates as a Democrat in 2018, winning, and remained in that chamber until his resignation. He was chosen to lead the Democratic caucus in the House in 2020.

Today, Skaff contended the national Democratic Party has drifted toward the left but he didnt make the same distinction about the state Democratic Party.

Its one of those things: the people of West Virginia, they were always called West Virginia Democrats or West Virginia Republicans. We were always kind of our own brand, so to speak. Our ideals, like mine and like many others, regardless of what you were registered, Skaff said on Talkline.

Those moderate Blue Dog Democrats, they helped make the Republican Party what it is today. Theyve all switched their party affiliation because their ideals and beliefs more align with the Republican Party.

The state Republican Party statement suggested that Skaff had key votes out of line with what the party believes.

During his tenure as the House Minority Leader, Skaff co-sponsored legislation to institute universal absentee voting, ballot drop boxes, and the elimination of signature match requirements for provisional ballots. Delegate Skaff voted to allow biological men to compete in womens sports, and he repeatedly voted against Republican, pro-life legislation, McArdle stated.

Skaff was a reliable vote for his caucus liberal agenda and a regular vote against many pieces of conservative Republican legislation that we now call law.

The West Virginia Democratic Party also blasted Skaff. Their statement contended Skaff led the Democratic caucuss opposition to strict abortion restrictions, allowing guns on college campuses and a bill that would have allowed discrimination based on sexual orientation through the exercise of religion.

While I appreciate Doug finally putting his cards on the table about his long-rumored, politically expedient party switch, Im surprised he would try to reinvent himself as a right-wing conservative in the process, stated West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Mike Pushkin, a delegate who sat just a few seats away from Skaff in the minority caucus.

I know Doug has long been intoxicated by the idea of winning a statewide office. Still, his candidacy could leave Republican primary voters with a hangover when they find out about his actual voting record. Nevertheless, we wish him well in all his affairs.

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Doug Skaff, recently leader of legislative Democrats, is running ... - West Virginia MetroNews

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Opinion: A tribute to two distinguished Democrats | Columns ... - Post Register

As a general rule, temporary migrants are not eligible for most federal welfare benefits, but many cities and states make emergency assistance available to noncitizens out of their budgets. For instance, Maine allows homeless noncitizens who have just arrived to get vouchers for housing and food out of the general assistance budget that cities administer. Illinois has a Medicare-like health insurance program for undocumented adults. Like New York, Massachusetts is obligated by law to find shelter for certain unhoused migrant families with children. And California plans to be the first state in the nation to offer food assistance to undocumented adults.

In theory, under modest levels of migration, cities should be able to make these investments in newcomers who eventually integrate into society, find jobs and pay taxes, sometimes for government services like Social Security that they never collect. Migrants frequently start new businesses that inject new energy into the economy and often work harder for less than Americans. But during immigration surges, too many migrants can overwhelm the social safety net, risking a backlash against not only immigration but also the welfare state.

In Maine, about 3,500 people are getting general assistance for food and housing, most of whom are asylum seekers in Portland. Officials say the citys budget for social services grew from $9.9 million in 2019 to $36.8 million for 2024, and this summer leaders warned that without more help from the state, local taxes would have to go up or services could be cut. Illinois had to pause enrollment in its health program for most undocumented adults because costs were projected to surpass $1 billion next year. In Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey, a progressive Democrat, declared a state of emergency in August, saying the state is unable to house the number of families seeking emergency shelter, with those living in state-funded shelters having increased 80 percent from last year. She has asked state lawmakers for an additional $250 million to shore up the shelter system, an amount that has raised eyebrows in both parties as lawmakers question when or if this crisis will end. And California delayed its food assistance expansion, citing budget cuts.

Academics have long debated whether permissive immigration policies are compatible with a generous welfare state. Consider that Sweden, once one of the most generous and welcoming countries in Europe, radically tightened its immigration policies after 2015, when so many asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq arrived that towns ran low on housing and money for refugee stipends. It took three months for Swedens prime minister, Stefan Lofven, to go from fiercely defending migrants at a rally My Europe takes in refugees to reversing the countrys open-door policy, admitting, We simply cannot do any more. How long will it take the mayors of American cities?

The lessons are broader than managing limited budgets and public backlash. The 2015 surge of migrants in Europe is associated with the rise of far-right parties that want to curtail immigration or welfare benefits to noncitizens or both. Now that the border has come to cities like New York, theres a danger that something similar could happen here. Mr. Abbott would no doubt pat himself on the back.

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Opinion | Immigration Influx Puts Pressure on Democrats and the ... - The New York Times

Bob Wallace, the independent candidate who ran unsuccessfully for Baltimore mayor in 2020, made 2024s race a bit more interesting Thursday evening after he announced his 2024 candidacy as a Democrat.

He will join Mayor Brandon Scott and former Mayor Sheila Dixon in seeking City Halls top office, a race where roughly 30% of city Democrats say they havent made up their minds or want another choice besides Dixon and Scott, according to a recent poll from The Baltimore Banner and Goucher College.

Ive been a Democrat. Ive been Republican. Ive been an independent. Im not somebody who was hung up on party, Im hung up on solutions. Wallace said in an interview. Now, I see that the Democratic Party has better solutions for the problems I see in Baltimore.

He announced his campaign before a crowd of a few dozen older Black residents at Forum Caterers in Northwest Baltimore.

Wallace, a 67-year-old businessman who grew up in Cherry Hill and founded information technology and renewable energy companies, has hinted for months he would join the race and first announced his exploratory committee in May. He netted 20.2% of the 2020 general election vote to Scotts 70.5%. He announced his 2020 candidacy shortly before the June primary, where Scott came out on top of a crowded field of Democrats.

Running as anything other than a Democrat in deep-blue Baltimore is an uphill battle. Youve got to run how you got to run, unfortunately, and in Baltimore, thats as a Democrat, said Wallace campaign adviser Michael Eugene Johnson.

Bob Wallace speaks during his mayoral campaign launch event at The Forum Caterers in Northwest Baltimore on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. (Kylie Cooper/The Baltimore Banner)

But Wallace doesnt have to win over many primary voters to potentially impact the outcome of the election. Scott eked out a win over Dixon in a crowded field of Democrats in 2020, winning 29.6% of the electorate to Dixons 27.5%.

The Banner-Goucher poll surveyed 537 registered Democrats by landline and mobile about the mayors race from Sept. 19-23. The poll has a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.

Among the Democrats surveyed, 39% said they would vote for Dixon if the primary election were held today, while 27% chose Scott. Another 23% prefer some other candidate.

Im looking at how many people didnt want either, Wallace said. And I really think we overestimate how deep and how wide Ms. Dixons base is. I think we can take some of those votes. And I think we can dig into Mr. Scotts base as well.

Johnson, who served as the nights emcee, praised Wallace as a self-made man who the youth could stand to learn a thing or two from.

They need to see a man thats a stand-up man, who dont wear his pants where they dont need to be, whos been married to the same beautiful woman for 45 years, he said.

Wallace pledged his first priority in office would be education, saying he would replace Sonja Santelises as Baltimore City schools CEO and replace the schools board. Two members of the board are elected; the rest are appointed by the mayor.

Reducing crime would also be a top priority.

We will not negotiate with criminals, he said, adding that does not mean he would suspend Safe Streets and Roca but take a very detailed look at their relationship with the city.

The elderly are prisoners in their own homes. They need to feel like they did when I was a kid, that they can walk to the corner store without getting harassed, he said.

As mayor, he said, he would go up to Wall Street and Im going to get investors to invest in this big, massive, public project to rebuild Baltimore using minority and women-owned businesses, and train our kids in all schools to be the carpenters, electricians, the plumbers.

He also said he would create a business district to honor the contributions of people from the African diaspora to Baltimore.

The fundamental question, said pollster and Goucher political science professor Mileah Kromer, is what voting groups Wallace may be able to capture.

Right now, the public doesnt know enough about him to answer that, and we dont even know if the lane of undecided voters is a coherent set of people, she said. Theyre a highly diverse bunch with many different demographic backgrounds.

Johnson told event attendees to Pay attention to when the media says that theyre going to have a debate forum and these are the only two people theyre going to invite, he said, referring to Dixon and Scott. The hell you dont invite the candidate who got 50,000 votes as an independent. When that happens, youve got to pick up the phone.

Wallace ran a largely self-financed campaign: He loaned himself about $300,000 during the 2020 election; his wife Carolyn Green loaned him $50,000.

Campaign finance reports from January 2023, the most recent available, show a discrepancy between his campaigns bank account balance and cash balance; the former lists a $975 balance, while the latter lists a $13,181 balance.

Dixon had just under $5,000 in her campaign account. A prominent fundraising group created a super PAC to benefit her over the summer, but it has not yet reported any fundraising or expenditures. Scott reported having nearly $451,000 on hand.

Bob Wallace speaks at a rally for 2022's ballot item Question K outside Baltimore City Hall. (Emily Sullivan/Emily Sullivan)

Wallace said he would consider funding his campaign again, but that he is hoping to fundraise through grassroots donations.

Im capable of funding my campaign and I will see what what I need to do, he said.

Regardless of how much money Wallace raises or loans his campaign, it will be a challenge to go up against Scott and Dixon, who as an incumbent and former mayor, respectively, have high name recognition throughout the city. He remained largely out of the headlines since 2020, though he teamed up with organizers supporting a ballot measure that established term limits for city politicians that was funded by a ballot issue committee with financial ties toward Sinclair Broadcast Group.

It may be a challenge for someone like Wallace, who has not been a part of establishment Democratic politics, to hire a solid fundraiser, make ads, and strategize what doors to knock this late in the game, Kromer said: Thats not to say theres not talented people out there, but most people are booked and busy.

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Bob Wallace will join Baltimores mayors race as a Democrat - The Baltimore Banner

I would like to know why Biden gave $6 billion to Iran? He did and now they attacked Israel. How right was that to give it to a country that hates everyone? Well I just want you to know that I think we will be next. We are asleep at the wheel letting all these illegal aliens into our country. We are just asking for trouble.

What are they thinking? I just hope and pray to God he protects us. We should not be worried about Ukraine. We need to worry about our own country not Ukraine. Have you ever heard of charity begins at home? Think about that. We are wasting money, money like drunken sailors. I say enough. Let us take care of our own country. No open borders. Send all illegals back home. Our resources are being choked to a point where we are all left behind in healthcare, education and every other resources we have.

Biden and Harris need to go. This is scary. All need to open their eyes. Enough already. Democrats are destroying our country. God Bless America!

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Democrats are destroying our county | Letters to the Editor ... - Citrus County Chronicle