Shooting Stars

[NewYorkExpress]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Seventeen

Colorado

John Hickenlooper was term-limited as Governor, and widely believed to be exploring a bid for President in 2020. Democrats had a competitive primary between Former State Senator Mike Johnston, Former Treasurer Cary Kennedy, Congressman Ed Perlmutter and Congressman Jared Polis. Perlmutter and Polis earned the vast majority of endorsements in the race (with the exception of EMILY'S List, which went to Kennedy), and the race came down to the wire, with Polis winning, earning 32.77%, to Perlmutter's 32.03%, Kennedy's 22% and Johnston's 10% (Two other candidates earned a combined 3.8% of the vote). Republicans also had a contested primary between Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler, Larimer County Commissioner Lew Gaiter, Former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez, Former State Representative Victor Mitchell, Former State Representative J.Paul Brown, Former Colorado State University Athletic Director Jack Graham and Treasurer Walker Stapleton. Stapleton was the only statewide officeholder running, but he faced competition from Brauchler who prosecuted the Aurora mass shooting. Stapleton also had the problem of being a member (by marriage) of the Bush family, which was still relatively unpopular amongst Republicans in Colorado (especially those that voted for Trump). Still, he won the primary with 24% of the vote to Brauchler's 22%, Mitchell's 14%, Brown's 12%, Lopez's 12%, Graham's 11.5% and Lopez's 4.3%. With Trump unpopular, and Stapleton's connections to the Bush family unhelpful for everything except fundraising, Polis won easily 57-42.

Multiple Congressional seats drew attention in Colorado. First up was the district that Jared Polis was vacating to run for Governor. Democrats nominated Former Congresswoman Betsy Markey (60% of the vote against two other opponents, one of whom was 2014 Secretary of State nominee Joe Neguse), while Republicans nominated Former Hot Sulphur Springs Town Board Trustee Dan Nolan (He was up for re-election in 2018, and did not run in order to run for this seat). Markey had superior name recognition, and this district favored Democrats in any case, so Markey won easily 59-39.

Second was Scott Tipton's district. Democrats targeted Tipton for defeat, nominating Gunnison County Commissioner Jonathan Houck. Houck came under fire from progressives for opposing Colorado's marijuana legalization, causing his fundraising to tail off (he ended up raising only $1.15 million, most of that in the Spring of 2018, shortly after he announced), and as a result Tipton earned a key hold for Republicans 52-47.

Third was Doug Lamborn's district. Lamborn faced a primary challenge for not toeing the Trump line, much like Martha Roby, in the form of State Senator Owen Hill. Hill was a stronger opponent for Lamborn, than Dexter McLendon was for Roby, and he (Hill) ultimately won 54-45. Hill then defeated a weak Democrat (despite not receiving Lamborn's endorsement, unlike Roby in Alabama, who did endorse McLendon after losing to him) 60-39.

Fourth was Mike Coffman's district. Coffman was targeted by Democrats, who nominated Englewood City Councilwoman Laurett Barrentine. Barrentine was a decent recruit and Coffman was sitting in a district that had shifted to the left. Barrentine attacked Coffman for his votes in favor of the AHCA and Republican Tax Bill, giving Democrats another gain (for 25 gains against three losses, leaving Democrats just two short of majority with many California races yet to be called) 53-46.7%

Last was the District Ed Perlmutter was vacating to run for Governor. Democrats had a primary between State Senator Andy Kerr and State Representative Brittany Petersen. The race was close all the way through, but Petersen was able to stitch together a winning coalition and win 50-48.7. Republicans targeted the seat, nominating Former Party Vice-Chair Don Ytterburg. However, with President Trump unpopular, Petersen won 55-44.

Oregon

Kate Brown was running for a full term as Governor after winning a special election in 2016. Republicans nominated 2016 nominee Bud Pierce to face her. The race was never really in doubt, as Brown won easily 62-37.2%

None of Oregon's House Districts were competitive in November, though local Republicans talked about challenging Peter DeFazio, however they did not find a quality recruit.

[NewYorkExpress]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Eighteen

New Mexico

Martin Heinrich was a potential dark-horse candidate for President in 2020, and a potentially strong running mate for a Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Kloubchar or Kamala Harris. First however, he had to win re-election. Republicans sought to recruit Susana Martinez, however they failed, but they succeeded in getting a different statewide officeholder, Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez (who had been the nominee for Governor in 2002, getting blown out by Bill Richardson). Like his aborted 2012 Senate bid Sanchez had trouble raising money, only raising a total of $3.14 million from his announcement in September 2017 until Election Day, while Heinrich raised a total of $16 million. The money gap, plus the general dislike of President Trump, led to a 58-40.5% Heinrich victory.

Susana Martinez was term-limited, and speculation swirled that she would challenge Trump (or Pence) in 2020. Republicans nominated Congressman Steve Pearce. Democrats had a contested primary between Congresswoman Michelle Lujan-Grisham, State Senator Joe Cervantes and Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzalez. Lujan Grisham had the most name recognition, but Gonzalez made it interesting after earning the coveted Bernie Sanders endorsement. It wasn't quite enough as Lujan Grisham won the primary with 40% of the vote to Gonzalez's 38.65% and Cervantes 17%. The General Election was fiercely fought, but the prevailing mood was anti-GOP in New Mexico, and in any event Pearce was too far to the right for a statewide campaign. Lujan Grisham gave Democrats their tenth Gubernatorial pickup (against two defeats) 53-43.

Two House seats drew attention in The Land of Enchantment. The First was the seat that Michelle Lujan Grisham was vacating for her successful Gubernatorial campaign. Democrats had a crowded primary between, Albuquerque City Councilman Pat Davis, State Party Chair Deb Haaland (who was the nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2014, and lost to John Sanchez), State Representative Javier Martinez and State Senator Jacob Candelaria. Candelaria led in the polls all the way through (all two of them), and won the primary with 35% of the vote to 30% for Martinez, 21% for Davis and 12.8% for Haaland. Republicans meanwhile, nominated Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry. Berry faced problems because of the Albuquerque police department's use of excessive force. However he started with the lead, at least until President Trump's approval's completely collapsed. Candelaria won 52-45.

The other seat was the one being vacated as part of Steve Pearce's losing Gubernatorial bid. Republicans nominated State Representative Monica Youngblood, while Democrats nominated State Representative Doreen Gallegos. The anti-Trump and Anti-GOP mood was felt even here, as Gallegos defeated Youngblood 51-48, for another Democratic gain (leaving them currently one seat short of picking up the House).

Maryland

Ben Cardin announced he would retire from the Senate on Halloween 2017. Almost immediately Democrats had a contested primary between Congressman John Delaney and Former Congresswoman Donna Edwards. Like in 2016, Edwards was unable to bring home a victory in the primary, as Delaney won 55-45. Republicans nominated Worcester County Commissioner Theodore Elder. However, Maryland's Democratic lean was amplified in an anti-Trump midterm, as Delaney won 66-32.

Despite a cancer Larry Hogan was determined to win re-election. Democrats had a contested primary between Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker, Former NAACP President/CEO Benjamin Jealous, State Senator Richard Madaleno, Author and Former State Department official Alec Ross and Former Attorney General Doug Gansler. Gansler and Jealous led for most of the way, but Jealous had the advantage of Bernie Sanders's endorsement and a (mostly) united base, while Gansler faced a divided base (Baker drew equally from both Jealous and Gansler). Jealous won the primary with 32% of the vote to Gansler's 30.77%, Baker's 25.03%, Madaleno's 10% and Ross's 8.9%. The General Election was close, however President Trump's unpopularity, and Delaney's coattails weighed down Hogan, leading to a 50.47-48.96 Jealous victory, for Democrats eleventh Gubernatorial gain of the night (against still two losses).

Two House races drew attention in Maryland. First was Steny Hoyer's seat. Hoyer announced he would retire in January 2018 (delighting his longtime rival, Nancy Pelosi). Democrats nominated Charles County Commissioner Debra Davis, who decisively defeated a weak Republican 67-31.

The other seat was the one being vacated by John Delaney. Democrats nominated Fredrick County Councilwoman Jessica Fitzwater, while Republicans nominated Allegany County Sherriff Craig Robertson. While in a Republican wave Robertson might have been a strong candidate, this was not a Republican wave (in fact it was the opposite), and Fitzwater won 55-41.

[NewYorkExpress]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Nineteen

Ohio

Sherrod Brown was considered a candidate who could unite all factions of the Democratic Party in the 2020 Presidential Elections (except maybe certain minority groups-but they would probably hold their nose and vote for the Democrats anyways), which made defeating him a priority in 2018 for Republicans, especially in a state that President Trump won by just over eight points. Republicans nominated Treasurer Josh Mandel to face him (another candidate, investment banker Michael Gibbons was running, but he chose to drop out and instead run for Treasurer in Mid-October 2017, citing poor polling against Mandel, as well as bad matchups against Brown head-to-head...he would go on to lose in the primary). The race was defined by Mandel's errors, such as his inexplicable defense of two prominent alt-right conservatives (Mike Cernovich and Jack Psobicec, best known for their Pizzagate conspiracy theory), attacking the Anti-Defamation League in the process, refusing to campaign with any of the Republican candidates for Governor, even after a nominee had been determined, (turning off voters who believed in Party Unity), and calling for Governor Kasich and Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor to resign because they "didn't loyally back the President a thousand percent". Despite all of this, the race was relatively close, largely because of the campaign of Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, running as the Green Party nominee, and draining votes from Brown (Kucinich had briefly entertained a run for Governor as Democrat, before being drafted to run here as a Green, announcing his candidacy on Halloween Night in Cleveland, the city where he once served as Mayor). Brown still won an important hold for Democrats, however with 46% of the vote to Mandel's 44% and Kucinich's 9.1%.

John Kasich was term-limited, and had worn out his welcome with the Republican base (his approval ratings had slid to 39-47 by Election Day 2018), many of whom would not forgive him for his decision not to back President Trump (let alone run against him). He was considering a 2020 primary challenge against Trump (or Pence), but he knew the path ahead would be difficult at best. Republicans had a stacked primary to replace him however, with Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, Attorney General Mike DeWine (who had been elected Senator in the 1994 wave before being defeated by Sherrod Brown in 2006), Secretary of State Jon Husted and Congressman Jim Renacci. While the competition looked like an all-star primary on paper, not all was as it appeared. Taylor was under constant fire for her lack of support for President Trump (and the endorsement by Kasich, and call from Mandel to resign, made a month before the primary, really didn't help matters), while DeWine had serious liabilities including his prior support for an Assault Weapons Ban, and his support of Harriet Miers's nomination to the Supreme Court (over the objections of almost all conservatives). As a result, Taylor never got traction, and DeWine, despite starting with the lead, gradually dropped in the polls. Husted ultimately won the primary with 32% of the vote to Renacci's 30%, DeWine's 27% and Taylor's 15%. Democrats had a crowded primary, albeit with lesser lights running. They were, Former Wayne County Commissioner Dennis Keifer (who was the Republican nominee for a State House seat in 2016), Former Congressman Betty Sutton, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, State Senator Joe Schiavoni, Former State Representative Connie Pillich, and Former Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman. None of the candidates could really match the statewide profile of a Husted, DeWine or Taylor, but they had the advantage that Trump was steadily losing popularity in the Buckeye State (An Exit Poll measured his approval ratings at 43-49, significantly down from a similar poll taken roughly the same time in 2017 which showed Trump's approvals at 51-41). Sutton raised the most money ($10 million in the primary alone), and spent the most ($7 million), which allowed her to win with 44% of the vote to Coleman's 19%, Schiavoni's 15%, Pillich's 12%, Whaley's 7% and Keifer's 2.98%. The General Election was close, but Democrats scored another gain based on Trump's unpopularity (their twelfth, against still two losses), as Sutton defeated Husted 49.96-48.03.

Ohio had several competitive House races. First up was Steve Chabot's seat. Democrats nominated Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune to face him (Portune had considered a run for Governor, but declined). While the district favored Republicans, they also favored removing Trump and putting Pence in charge, and as a result Portune won 49.8-48.9, putting Democrats over the hump needed to retake the House, and presumably make Nancy Pelosi Speaker (with Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania and California still to have their results revealed).

Second, was Bob Latta's district. Latta faced a primary challenge from Van Wert County Commissioner Todd Wolfrum, which he dispatched easily, 60-29 (with a third candidate taking the remaining 11%). He then defeated a weak Democrat 71-27.

Third was David Joyce's district. Joyce faced a primary challenge from Former State Representative Matt Lynch (who had basically devolved into a perennial candidate), which he won 59-39. He then defeated a weak Democrat 66-33.

Fourth and Last was Jim Renacci's seat, which was being vacated for his Gubernatorial campaign. Republicans had multiple candidates running, in State Representative Christina Hagan, State Representative Tom Patton, State Representative Scott Wiggam, and Wayne County Commissioner Ron Amsutz. Amsutz started with a huge advantage due to his long (thanks to loopholes in the rules) tenure in the Ohio House and Senate, and he would never let go, winning the primary with 44% of the vote to Patton's 26%, Hagan's 18%, and Wiggam's 11%. Democrats, meanwhile, nominated former Parma Mayor Dean DePiero (88% of the vote against one opponent). Like against Chabot, the district was Republican turf (even more so, in fact), and there was a strong Democrat running. However, here the hill was just too steep to climb, and Amsutz ended up holding the seat for the Republicans by an uncomfortably close 53-46 margin.

[NewYorkExpress]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Twenty

Texas

Ted Cruz was one of the most controversial Senators in the country (along with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Marco Rubio and Mitch McConnell). As a result he faced not one, but two primary challengers, in Attorney Stefano de Stefano and Former Corpus Christi Mayor Dan McQueen. With some prominent Republicans (President Trump, Mitch McConnell and Rob Portman) backing McQueen, most beltway observers expected the primary to at least go to a runoff between Cruz and McQueen. They were right, as McQueen's relentless attacks on Cruz's obstructionism (he was one of only two nay votes in the Texas delegation against a bill that would rename a stretch of Interstate 35W in Burleson County after John Tower; the other no vote being Gene Green) appeared to be working. Cruz also angered the base by hinting he was considering running a primary challenge against  President Trump in 2020, something that other challengers like John Kasich, Rand Paul, Justin Amash and Nikki Haley were unwilling to do (he, however gave no details as to his plans as to what he would do if Pence were in office). With the endorsements and attendant money, McQueen led after the Primary with 43% of the vote to 41% for Cruz and 16% for de Stefano, meaning the Beltway's prediction's were right. For the first time a serious split appeared between President Trump and Vice-President Pence, as Pence countered Trump's endorsement of McQueen with an endorsement of Cruz, who also picked up endorsements from Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lee,  and Mia Love. McQueen meanwhile added endorsements from Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney to go with his earlier endorsements, and counter the fact that most of the Texas Republican delegation was backing Cruz (though Greg Abbott remained neutral). Cruz's incumbency powered him through his stiffest challenge yet (some said it was tougher than beating the phenomenon known as Donald Trump) in the runoff 51-49. Democrats had a much more quiet primary, with Congressman Beto O'Rourke defeating Small Business Owner Sema Hernandez 78-22 (and spending most of his time focusing on his Republican opponents). O'Rourke hammered Cruz further on his obstructionism, and was helped by continued division in the Republican Party, as President Trump refused to endorse Cruz after the runoff. O'Rourke stunned Cruz 50.6-48.9 for Democrats third pickup (against four losses). Most analysts (but especially Katrina Pierson, Charles Krauthammer and George Will)thought O'Rourke would lose when he next came up for re-election in 2024, as he was too far to the left of the state.

Greg Abbott was far more unanimously popular than Cruz. Democrats had a theoretically contested primary, as Former State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer defeated two other candidates (Businessman Jeffery Payne and Hospice Chaplain Tom Wakely-the nominee against Lamar Smith in 2016) with 62% of the vote. While Martinez Fischer ran a better campaign than Wendy Davis did four years prior, and appealed to Latinos, but Abbott was just too popular, and won 59-40.

Texas had several interesting Congressional battles. While a Federal Court had ruled that Texas's Congressional District lines were an unconstitutional violation of voting rights, the Texas Legislature refused to redraw the lines. First up was Sam Johnson's seat. Republicans nominated State Senator Van Taylor, while Democrats supported Businessman and Former North Texas Quarterback (though he was never a starter) Brent Osborn, who was running as an Independent over their nominee Adam Bell. Taylor had name recognition, and despite some clever campaigning from Osborn, Taylor won decisively with 53% of the vote to 32% for Osborn and 15% for Bell.

The second seat up was John Culberson's district. Culberson was vacating the seat to challenge the ethically scarred Ken Paxton in the race for Attorney General (a primary he won). Republicans nominated State Representative Sarah Davis, while Democrats tapped Former Houston Cougars Men's Basketball Guard Jamon Wilson after a crowded primary (he won in a runoff with Laura Moser 55-45). Despite Clinton doing well here in 2016, this seat was just too Republican, as Davis won 57-42.1

Third was Beto O'Rourke's seat, which was being vacated for O'Rourke's successful Senate bid. Democrats had a contested primary with "Former" El Paso County Judge (basically a County Executive) Veronica Escobar and "Former" El Paso School Board President Dori Fennenbock advancing from the runoff (The Former in quotations was due to Texas's resign to run law, which required local officials to resign if they sought higher office with more than a year and thirty days in their term). Escobar won the runoff 52-48. Republicans did not nominate a candidate, allowing Escobar to win unopposed.

Fourth was Lamar Smith's district. Smith sat in a district Hillary Clinton had done well in, and sensing danger, he announced he would retire in late September 2017. Republicans nominated former State Party Director Steve Munisteri (who was essentially carpet bagging over from Houston), while Democrats went to a runoff between Former Austin Mayor Will Wynn and Rixi Melton. Wynn used his superior name recognition and support from the DCCC to win the runoff 59-41. National Democrats put money into the race as Wynn drew closer largely due to the prevailing mood around the country, but this was too big a hill to climb in the end, as Munisteri earned a vital hold for Republicans 51-48.3.

Fifth was Will Hurd's district. Democrats targeted Hurd early, and nominated Former Congressman Pete Gallego for a third match (he defeated three opponents with 56% of the vote).This time the national mood carried Gallego to victory 50.8-48.3 for yet another Democratic gain (their twenty-sixth net gain).

Sixth was Henry Cuellar's district. Progressives pushed for a primary challenge to Cuellar, and they got their wish, as Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz mounted a late Primary bid against Cuellar. The DCCC did not take sides, which angered Cuellar, but the energy of Progressives, plus support from prominent progressives like Bernie Sanders and Tammy Baldwin (Elizabeth Warren, well aware of needing to not offend anyone in the "invisible primary" for the 2020 Presidential Race remained neutral). Saenz defeated Cuellar 52-48, then went on to win the general election unopposed.

Seventh was John Carter's district. Carter actually faced a serious challenge from Mary Jennings Hegar, a former Purple Heart winner. However the district was just too Republican for a Jennings Hegar victory as Carter won 57-40.

Eighth was Pete Session's District. This was another district that had swung towards Democrats, with Hillary Clinton doing well here. Democrats nominated Civil Rights Litigator and Former Baylor Bears Linebacker Colin Allred. While Allred did well early, he struggled at the various forums between the candidates, and made the mortal sin of calling for the ban of High School and College Football saying it was at fault for brain damage in Football players. As a result Sessions won 61-38.

Ninth, was Brian Babin's district. No one really expected Democrats to seriously compete here, even after they got a serious candidate in Radio and TV personality Dayna Steele. They were right, as Babin blew Steele out of the water 63-33.

[Kamala]

What about Sam Johnson's seat (TX-03)? He's retiring in 2018.

[NewYorkExpress]

What about Sam Johnson's seat (TX-03)? He's retiring in 2018.

I didn't forget about that one. Van Taylor won the seat for a GOP hold.

[NewYorkExpress]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Twenty One

Pennsylvania

Bob Casey was presumed vulnerable in 2018, largely because of President Trump's narrow victory two years prior. Nine Republicans filed to take him on, however only four held elected office. They were, Congressman Lou Barletta, State Representative Rick Saccone, State Representative Jim Christiana, and Berwick City Councilor Andrew Schektor. Barletta had the most name recognition, and convincingly won the primary with 44% of the vote to 12% for Christiana, 10% for Saccone and 10% for Shektor (with the remaining five opponents splitting 24% of the vote). Casey hammered Barletta on his votes in favor the AHCA and Republican Tax Reform bill, plus his record as Mayor of Hazelton, which could charitably be called anti-immigrant. Barletta also made several missteps, including most notably proposing invading Mexico to defeat the drug cartels there at a debate in Scranton on October 12. With all of these problems it was an easy victory for Casey, who trounced Barletta 59-39.

Tom Wolf was hoping to resume a trend of Keystone State Governors winning re-election since they first became allowed to do so (the lone exception was Tom Corbett in 2014). Republicans nominated State Senator Scott Wagner (another candidate, Businessman Paul Mango was running, but trailing in the polls, he dropped out to run for Wagner's now vacant State Senate seat in Early November 2017). However, Republicans, quickly regretted that choice, as Wagner made several controversial statements, calling George Soros a "Hungarian Jew who hates America" and suggesting that White Democrats were "race traitors" in a rally in Williamsport. Needless to say, Wolf demolished Wagner 60-38.

Many Congressional Districts were competitive in the Keystone State.

First was ethically scarred Bob Brady, who was under indictment for bribery, in regards to paying off a primary opponent to drop out of the 2012 race. He faced two primary challengers in Former Philadelphia Controller Jonathan Seidel and Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Nutter quickly became Brady's main challenger, with the incumbent's ethical woe's taking up most of his attention (he would be convicted of one count of bribery on January 14, 2018 and sentenced to twelve years in prison, just below the maximum sentence). Nutter won the primary with 50% of the vote to 33% for Brady and 26.85% for Saidel. Republicans nominated an unexpectedly strong candidate in Former State Senator Joseph Rocks, hoping to take advantage of Brady's ethical woes. There were three problems with this though. One was that Rocks was a rusty candidate having not run in any election since 1995 (when he lost a bid for Mayor of Philadelphia to Ed Rendell), the second was his age (he would be 71 on election day) and the third was that Brady was not the nominee. As a result, Nutter won by a closer than usual 62-37.

Second was Ryan Costello's district, which Democrats targeted. They nominated former Congressman Joe Hoeffel (who represented a neighboring district for eight years, and most recently served as Montgomery County Commissioner). Hoeffel was very liberal, and in many other years might have lost, but the anti-Trump tide, carried him, and Democrats to a gain as Hoeffel defeated Costello 52-45. The bright side for Republicans was that Hoeffel would be 69 by Election Day, and was unlikely to serve more than two or three terms.

Third was Pat Meehan's District. Democrats nominated State Senator Daylin Leach. Once again, the anti-Trump mood was more than enough to solve the riddle of the gerrymandered district, as Leach defeated Meehan 50-47.

Fourth was Brian Fitzpatrick's district. Democrats nominated Former State Representative Michael Gerber. Fitzpatrick put up a tough fight, but once again, the anti-Trump wave was enough for victory for the Democrats, as Gerber picked up the seat 49-48.1

Fifth was Tom Marino's district. Marino repeatedly rebuffed offers to join the Trump administration, and announced his retirement in Early September 2017. (He would take a position running a PAC opposing marijuana legalization). Republicans nominated State Representative Michael Peifer, while Democrats nominated Former State Representative James Wansacz (Who most recently was a member of the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners). While Wansacz was a strong candidate, the partisan lean of the district was just too strong and Peifer won 58-38.

Sixth was Lou Barletta's district, which was open because of Barletta's run for Governor. Republicans nominated Hazelton Mayor Jeff Cusat, while Democrats Nominated Former State Representative Todd Eachus. While Eachus was a strong candidate, the partisan lean of the district was simply too strong, and as a result Cusat won 61-38.

Seventh was Charlie Dent's District. Like Marino, Dent announced his retirement in early September 2017 (He would later resurface as a senior official in the Main Street Partnership, essentially replacing Jennifer LaTourette on the board of directors). Democrats sensed an opportunity, and immediately targeted this district. Democrats nominated Former State Representative Jennifer Mann, while Republicans nominated State Senator Pat Browne. Browne had significant name recognition, but the Anti-Trump mood was felt even here, as Mann upset Browne 51-48, for another gain for Democrats.

Eighth and last, was Matt Cartwright's district. Republicans targeted Cartwright early, nominating State Representative Mike Tobash to face him. While the district had shifted to the right, and in most cycles Tobash would have won, the mood was heavily against President Trump, and that secured Cartwright's victory, and another vital hold for Democrats. Cartwright defeated Tobash 52-45.

[NewYorkExpress]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Twenty Two

Michigan

Debbie Stabenow was considered potentially vulnerable for the same reason Tammy Baldwin and Bob Casey were...that President Trump had narrowly won the Wolverine State. Republicans had an explosive primary between Former State Supreme Court Justice (Chief Justice in fact) Robert Young Jr. , Music Superstar Robert Ritchie (better known by his stage name Kid Rock), and controversial Hard Rock Musician Ted Nugent. The Primary quickly erupted into an expensive duel between Ritchie and Nugent (a total of $39 million was spent, much of it self-funded). While the NRSC prayed that Young would win, he quickly became an irrelevant afterthought in the air wars. Nugent on the other hand had a propensity for saying crazy stuff and it only got worse, as he called John Conyers a "old decrepit fossil who needs to be put down like a dog", Nancy Pelosi a "Bimbo straight from San Francisco" and Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan "Traitors to Conservative values...something that should be punished with death, like in the old days"...all this in one rally in Ypslanti. Ritchie used his superior name recognition to win the primary with 49% of the vote, to 30% for Nugent and 17% for Young Jr. While Ritchie was able to self-fund (to the tune of another $50 million), Stabenow was able to use a relatively Anti-Trump feeling, plus much of the state's focus being on the Governor's race to earn 51-46 victory, for a key Democratic hold.

Rick Snyder was term-limited and very unpopular, largely because of the Flint Water crisis (which technically was still ongoing). Despite this, Republicans had a competitive, and somewhat crowded primary to replace him, between State Senator Patrick Colbeck, Attorney General Bill Schuette, Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley, and Macomb County Public Works Commissioner (and former Congresswoman from 2003-2016, and Secretary of State of Michigan from 1995 to 2003) Candice Miller. Schuette made headlines in early March 2018, by announcing the Attorney General's office was putting Snyder and several other administration officials before a Grand Jury on the Flint Water Crisis, and as a result Snyder's Chief of Staff and Snyder's Press Secretary for Perjury on April 2, but failed to result in any charges against Snyder himself. Needless to say both Calley and Schuette's standing in the polls dropped like rocks (Calley for his links to Snyder, Schuette, because Sndyer was popular with people answering polls). Ultimately Miller won the primary with 39% of the vote to 21% for Schuette, 20% for Calley, and 20% for Colbeck. Democrats also had a contested primary, but despite being in a better position to win the seat, they had weaker candidates. They were, Former Detroit Health Commissioner Abdul El-Sayed, Entrepreneur Shri Thanedar, Former State Senator Gretchen Whitmer, and Westland Mayor Bill Wild. While Whitmer started out the favorite, Abdul-Sayed parlayed the endorsement of Bernie Sanders into a victory in the primary with 40% of the vote to 38% for Whitmer, 12% for Thanedar and 6% for Wild. In the general, El-Sayed's momentum simply proved too hard to stop, as he defeated Whitmer 52-46 for Democrats thirteenth gain of the night (against two losses, with California yet to be revealed).

Multiple Congressional Districts were of interest in Michigan.

First up was Justin Amash's district. Amash expressed no secret about his dislike for President Trump, and some thought he might challenge the incumbent in 2020. Trump was determined to knock Amash out of the ring, and he got part of his wish, as  Barry County Commissioner Jon Smelker challenged Amash in the primary. Amash turned back the challenge 53-45, and then faced Former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell in the General. Perhaps fortunately for Trump, Amash defeated Heartwell, who was running as the Democratic nominee 55-44.

Second was Dan Kildee's district. Kildee was targeted by the Republicans, who nominated Howell City Councilman Robert Ellis. However it was just too big a stretch for Republicans to conceive of playing ball here, and Kildee defeated Ellis 56-42.

Third was Tim Walberg's District, which was being targeted by Democrats. They nominated Former Lieutenant Governor John Cherry (who did not actually live in the district), but this district was always going to be a tough row to hoe for Democrats. Cherry made it interesting, but he still lost, 52-47.

Fourth was Mike Bishop's district. Democrats nominated Lansing Mayor Virgil Bernero (who was their nominee against Snyder in 2010...needless to say he lost), and went on the attack immediately against Bishop's votes in favor of the AHCA, and Republican Tax Reform Bills. Bernero defeated Bishop 49-47.7 for another Democratic gain.

Fifth was Sander Levin's District. With the seat being targeted by the Republicans, Levin announced he would retire in January 2018. Democrats quickly rallied around Oak Park City Councilwoman Keisha Speech, while Republicans chose Former Lieutenant Governor Dick Posthumus. While in most years Posthumus might have at least made the race competitive, the fact neither Trump nor Snyder were popular sealed his fate, and allowed Speech to hold the seat for Democrats 51-48.6.

Sixth was Dave Trott's district. Trott was targeted by Democrats, who nominated State Representative Tim Greimel. While Greimel was attacked for not living in the district, Trott was hit for his support of the AHCA and Tax"Reform" packages. Greimel ultimately won 50-49.2, to give Democrats yet another pickup.

Seventh and finally was John Conyers's District. Conyers, while he didn't retire, did face a primary challenge largely centered on his age from Entrepreneur Ashley Qualls (who would turn 25 in June of 2018). Many also speculated race played a part, as Conyers was black, and Qualls was White, but both Qualls and Conyers denied this. As it was, Conyers, defeated Qualls 70-29.7, and won the General Election unopposed, though he hinted to his supporters that this upcoming term could be his last.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Who won the Michigan governor's race? I assume El Sayed, but still.

[NewYorkExpress]

Who won the Michigan governor's race? I assume El Sayed, but still.

Whoops..forgot to add that... El-Sayed did indeed pick up the seat for Democrats.

[NewYorkExpress]

2018 Midterm Elections- Part Twenty Three

California

Dianne Feinstein was one of the oldest Senators in the Senate, and many speculated that she would retire. However she chose to run for re-election, and faced a challenge from the younger (and more progressive) Hedge Fund Manager Tom Steyer in the top-two primary, along with six other Democrats (including John Melendez, a Radio Personality who spent time on the Howard Stern Show), three Republicans, and seven Independents (including Michael Eisen, a UC Berkeley professor, who was a favorite of many progressives, and won the support of the Green Party). Steyer came out ahead after the top-two primary with 30% to Feinstein's 22% and Eisen's 10%, but most expected Fenisten to pull through at the end of the day. However, Steyer's constant suggestions that Feinstein should be replaced by someone younger (She was 85, he was 60), and his willingness to spend Rauner-like levels of money (he spent $98 million total), led to his shocking Feinstein 52-48. Fortunately for Democrats, the seat remained in their hands (though Elizabeth Warren openly complained about two rich plutocrats joining the Senate: Steyer and Rick Scott).

Jerry Brown was term-limited and broadly popular. Some even wanted him to run for President (despite the fact he would be 82 in 2020). Several prominent Democrats were running in the top-two primary, those being Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Treasurer John Chiang, Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Delanie Eastin and Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Republicans had one notable candidate running in State Representative Travis Allen, who was hoping to use a divided Democratic vote to advance out of the top-two primary. In the most expensive Gubernatorial primary in California history (a total of $287 million was spent between all candidates), Newsom and Villiaraigosa advanced out of the top-two primary with 20% and 19% of the vote, to  17% for Chiang, 7% for Allen and 6.3% for Eastin. In the general, which Republicans dreaded because it ruined their hopes downballot (and was hugely expensive, as an another $67 million was spent between Newsom and Villaraigosa), Villiaraigosa stunned Newsom, who had been leading the whole way, 50.7-49.3, though the race was wasn't called for sixteen days.

Many Congressional seats were up for grabs in the Golden State.

First up was Ami Bera's district. Bera had survived two narrow re-election bids in 2014 and 2016 and was again being targeted by Republicans. Advancing out of the top-two primary to face Bera was Former Congressman Doug Ose (who also was the 2014 nominee for this district, losing to Bera in the General Election). Ose spent about $3.75 million on the race, mostly on ads attacking Bera's father's ethical issues (he pled guilty to election fraud in August 2016). The ads didn't play well, and the conditions at the top of the ballot favored Bera, who won 52-48 for a Democratic Hold.

Second was Jeff Denham's District. Democrats targeted Denham, and had high hopes of picking up the seat despite a usual dropoff in turnout in California's Central Valley. Advancing to face Denham after the top-two primary, was Modesto City Councilman Tony Madrigal (who was running as a Moderate Democrat). The NRCC triaged the seat shortly after the primary, and Madrigal defeated Denham 55-45, allowing Democrats to pick up another seat.

Third was Nancy Pelosi's seat. Pelosi was delighted by Steny Hoyer's retirement, and her odds of becoming Speaker of the House once more. However, Pelosi faced a challenge in the Top-Two primary from San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu, who attacked Pelosi as being the root cause of the Democrat's losses in 2010 and 2014, and saying a change at the top was needed (she personally supported Keith Ellison). Pelosi and Chu advanced out of the primary with 46% and 45% respectively, then Pelosi won the General in a snoozer 63-37, however it was her lowest score in a General Election ever.


Fourth was David Valadao's district. Valadao sat in a Democratic district, and was as such targeted for defeat by the Democrats. Facing him after the top-two primary was Hanford City Councilman Justin Mendes (whose term was up in 2018, and as such was not running for re-election). The district's dynamics, plus the situation at the top of the ballot was enough for a Mendes to defeat Valadao 51-49, giving Democrats another gain.

Fifth was Devin Nunes's District. Nunes was controversial for his handling of the Russiagate investigation as chair of the House Intelligence Committee. While multiple Democrats and Republicans ran here, Democrats, ultimately failed to place a candidate in the top-two primary. Nunes's opponent was State Assemblyman Jim Patterson, a Republican. Patterson attacked Nunes for his handling of the Russia investigation and said he would "keep an open mind" on impeaching President Trump. Despite predictions that this would hurt him in the general, Patterson defeated Nunes 53-47.

Sixth was Kevin McCarthy's District. Like Steve Scalise and Paul Ryan, McCarthy provoked conservative anger as the House Majority Leader. Like Scalise (but unlike Ryan), McCarthy's toughest foe was a fellow Republican, Ridgecrest City Councilwoman Lindsey Stephens. McCarthy turned back the challenge 59-41.

Seventh was Steve Knight's District. Democrats targeted Knight, running Former Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo. Delgadillo was a strong, if a bit rusty candidate, having not run for any office since 2005. The conditions at the top of the ballot, however were simply too strongly against Knight, and as a result Delgadillo won 53-47 in both the Top-Two primary and the General Election for another Democratic gain

Eighth was Ed Royce's District. Democrats targeted Royce, who faced State Assemblywoman Autumn Burke after the top two primary. Burke who was the daughter of Congresswoman Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke was seeking to become the rare Mother-Daughter pair in Congress- at the same time. She succeeded, as the conditions atop the ballot allowed her to win 52-48 for another Democratic gain.

Ninth was Lucille Roybal-Allard's district. Roybal-Allard was vacating the seat to run for Treasurer. While many Democrats filed for the seat, only two had the connections and resources to compete. They were Former Los Angeles City Councilman Felipe Fuentes and Former State Assemblyman Fabian Nunez. While Nunez was on paper the stronger candidate (he was Speaker of the Assembly from 2004 to 2008), he hadn't won a statewide race since 2006, and had flaws relating to the use of his influence to gain a commutation for his son, who had pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter in 2010. As a result Fuentes won the top-two primary 33-22, and the General 55-45.

Tenth was Mimi Walters's district. Advancing from the top-two primary to face Walters was State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva. Once again, the poor conditions for Republicans atop the ballot, led to a gain for Democrats as Quirk-Silva defeated Walters 51-49.

Eleventh was Dana Rohrabacher's district. Rohrabacher was blatantly pro-Russian, and some on the left were suggesting trying him for treason. Democrats ran several candidates to face him, but they blundered the opportunity. The candidate facing Rorhabacher in the general election was State Senator John Moorlach, a Republican. Moorlach called Rohrabacher a traitor, and the voters responded giving him a 54-46 victory over Rohrabacher.

Twelfth was Darrell Issa's seat. Facing Issa after the Top-Two Primary was 2016 nominee Doug Applegate. While Issa once again spent huge sums from his fortune on the race (a total of $25 million), the poor conditions atop the ballot, plus President Trump's unpopularity led to an Democrat gain, as Applegate defeated Issa 52-48.

Thirteenth was Duncan Hunter's district. Hunter was under a Department of Justice investigation involving the use of campaign funds for personal expenses, however the investigation had not conclude as the campaign began (and still hadn't concluded by Election Day). Hunter, under pressure from GOP leadership, announced he would retire on New Year's Eve 2017. Advancing out of the Top Two primary was San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond and Former State Assemblyman Carl Fletcher, A Republican and A Democrat (albeit a former Republican). The scandal, plus the Democrat's strength at the top of the ticket was enough for a Fletcher win 50.25-49.75, though the race wasn't called until December 12. Republicans had the bright side, that with the district being so tilted in their favor, Fletcher was unlikely to serve more than one or two terms (likely just one).

[NewYorkExpress]

Rest of November 2018

In International news, Theresa May announced she would stand down as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, due to negotiations over the Brexit deal taking longer than anticipated, on November 10. On November 20, the Conservative Party announced their new leader, and by extension, Prime Minister to be Boris Johnson after he won a landslide vote of their party's membership (he didn't really face serious opposition, as no one wanted the job of negotiating a Brexit deal with the European Union). The next evening, Johnson announced his replacement as Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary would be Liam Fox, currently Secretary of State for International Trade.

In more domestic news Former President George H.W Bush passed away at 94 years of age of natural causes in his home in Houston on November 19. Every current and former President except Jimmy Carter (who was suffering from his own poor health), and Donald Trump attended the funeral (Rick Perry and Steven Mnuchin represented the Administration). Many world leaders attended the funeral, with obvious exceptions of Kim Jong-Un, and Bashar Al-Assad. Also notably absent were new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Queen Elizabeth II represented the Government), and Vladimir Putin (who tried to come, but Rex Tillerson's State Department refused to let him in the country, much to Trump's fury- Dimitry Medvedev represented the Russian Government, as Tillerson tried to keep him out, but failed).

The Democratic Field for President got a little clearer as Hillary Clinton confirmed on Anderson Cooper 360 that she would not make a third attempt for President. Also bowing out was Tim Kaine, who reiterated in an interview with the Washington Post that he was more interested in serving on in the Senate.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Homeland Security, John Kelly, frustrated with President Trump's erratic behavior, and his softer and softer and softer line towards Russia, resigned on November 10. Trump nominated retired General Brantz Craddock (whose last posting was at European Command, alongside being head commander of NATO, from 2006 to 2009) on November 14. The Senate Homeland and Government Affairs Committee approved Craddick's nomination 10-8(Heitkamp, having lost re-election, seemed checked out, and missed the hearing) on November 19 and the full nomination 52-48 (Murkowski and Collins voting with the Democrats) on November 29.

[UWS]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Twenty

Texas

Ted Cruz was one of the most controversial Senators in the country (along with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Marco Rubio and Mitch McConnell). As a result he faced not one, but two primary challengers, in Attorney Stefano de Stefano and Former Corpus Christi Mayor Dan McQueen. With some prominent Republicans (President Trump, Mitch McConnell and Rob Portman) backing McQueen, most beltway observers expected the primary to at least go to a runoff between Cruz and McQueen. They were right, as McQueen's relentless attacks on Cruz's obstructionism (he was one of only two nay votes in the Texas delegation against a bill that would rename a stretch of Interstate 35W in Burleson County after John Tower; the other no vote being Gene Green) appeared to be working. Cruz also angered the base by hinting he was considering running a primary challenge against  President Trump in 2020, something that other challengers like John Kasich, Rand Paul, Justin Amash and Nikki Haley were unwilling to do (he, however gave no details as to his plans as to what he would do if Pence were in office). With the endorsements and attendant money, McQueen led after the Primary with 43% of the vote to 41% for Cruz and 16% for de Stefano, meaning the Beltway's prediction's were right. For the first time a serious split appeared between President Trump and Vice-President Pence, as Pence countered Trump's endorsement of McQueen with an endorsement of Cruz, who also picked up endorsements from Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lee,  and Mia Love. McQueen meanwhile added endorsements from Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney to go with his earlier endorsements, and counter the fact that most of the Texas Republican delegation was backing Cruz (though Greg Abbott remained neutral). Cruz's incumbency powered him through his stiffest challenge yet (some said it was tougher than beating the phenomenon known as Donald Trump) in the runoff 51-49. Democrats had a much more quiet primary, with Congressman Beto O'Rourke defeating Small Business Owner Sema Hernandez 78-22 (and spending most of his time focusing on his Republican opponents). O'Rourke hammered Cruz further on his obstructionism, and was helped by continued division in the Republican Party, as President Trump refused to endorse Cruz after the runoff. O'Rourke stunned Cruz 50.6-48.9 for Democrats fourth pickup (against four losses). Most analysts (but especially Katrina Pierson, Charles Krauthammer and George Will)thought O'Rourke would lose when he next came up for re-election in 2024, as he was too far to the left of the state.

Greg Abbott was far more unanimously popular than Cruz. Democrats had a theoretically contested primary, as Former State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer defeated two other candidates (Businessman Jeffery Payne and Hospice Chaplain Tom Wakely-the nominee against Lamar Smith in 2016) with 62% of the vote. While Martinez Fischer ran a better campaign than Wendy Davis did four years prior, and appealed to Latinos, but Abbott was just too popular, and won 59-40.

Texas had several interesting Congressional battles. While a Federal Court had ruled that Texas's Congressional District lines were an unconstitutional violation of voting rights, the Texas Legislature refused to redraw the lines. First up was Sam Johnson's seat. Republicans nominated State Senator Van Taylor, while Democrats supported Businessman and Former North Texas Quarterback (though he was never a starter) Brent Osborn, who was running as an Independent over their nominee Adam Bell. Taylor had name recognition, and despite some clever campaigning from Osborn, Taylor won decisively with 53% of the vote to 32% for Osborn and 15% for Bell.

The second seat up was John Culberson's district. Culberson was vacating the seat to challenge the ethically scarred Ken Paxton in the race for Attorney General (a primary he won). Republicans nominated State Representative Sarah Davis, while Democrats tapped Former Houston Cougars Men's Basketball Guard Jamon Wilson after a crowded primary (he won in a runoff with Laura Moser 55-45). Despite Clinton doing well here in 2016, this seat was just too Republican, as Davis won 57-42.1

Third was Beto O'Rourke's seat, which was being vacated for O'Rourke's successful Senate bid. Democrats had a contested primary with "Former" El Paso County Judge (basically a County Executive) Veronica Escobar and "Former" El Paso School Board President Dori Fennenbock advancing from the runoff (The Former in quotations was due to Texas's resign to run law, which required local officials to resign if they sought higher office with more than a year and thirty days in their term). Escobar won the runoff 52-48. Republicans did not nominate a candidate, allowing Escobar to win unopposed.

Fourth was Lamar Smith's district. Smith sat in a district Hillary Clinton had done well in, and sensing danger, he announced he would retire in late September 2017. Republicans nominated former State Party Director Steve Munisteri (who was essentially carpet bagging over from Houston), while Democrats went to a runoff between Former Austin Mayor Will Wynn and Rixi Melton. Wynn used his superior name recognition and support from the DCCC to win the runoff 59-41. National Democrats put money into the race as Wynn drew closer largely due to the prevailing mood around the country, but this was too big a hill to climb in the end, as Munisteri earned a vital hold for Republicans 51-48.3.

Fifth was Will Hurd's district. Democrats targeted Hurd early, and nominated Former Congressman Pete Gallego for a third match (he defeated three opponents with 56% of the vote).This time the national mood carried Gallego to victory 50.8-48.3 for yet another Democratic gain (their twenty-sixth net gain).

Sixth was Henry Cuellar's district. Progressives pushed for a primary challenge to Cuellar, and they got their wish, as Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz mounted a late Primary bid against Cuellar. The DCCC did not take sides, which angered Cuellar, but the energy of Progressives, plus support from prominent progressives like Bernie Sanders and Tammy Baldwin (Elizabeth Warren, well aware of needing to not offend anyone in the "invisible primary" for the 2020 Presidential Race remained neutral). Saenz defeated Cuellar 52-48, then went on to win the general election unopposed.

Seventh was John Carter's district. Carter actually faced a serious challenge from Mary Jennings Hegar, a former Purple Heart winner. However the district was just too Republican for a Jennings Hegar victory as Carter won 57-40.

Eighth was Pete Session's District. This was another district that had swung towards Democrats, with Hillary Clinton doing well here. Democrats nominated Civil Rights Litigator and Former Baylor Bears Linebacker Colin Allred. While Allred did well early, he struggled at the various forums between the candidates, and made the mortal sin of calling for the ban of High School and College Football saying it was at fault for brain damage in Football players. As a result Sessions won 61-38.

Ninth, was Brian Babin's district. No one really expected Democrats to seriously compete here, even after they got a serious candidate in Radio and TV personality Dayna Steele. They were right, as Babin blew Steele out of the water 63-33.

As former Mayor of New York, I'm not sure that Rudy Giuliani would have endorsed Cruz after his controversial remarks on "New York values".

[America Needs R'hllor]

Tenth was Mimi Walters's district. Advancing from the top-two primary to face Walters was State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva. Once again, the poor conditions for Republicans atop the ballot, led to a gain for Democrats as Walters defeated Quirk-Silva 51-49.

You mean Quirk-Silva defeated Walters?
Great TL!

[NewYorkExpress]

Tenth was Mimi Walters's district. Advancing from the top-two primary to face Walters was State Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva. Once again, the poor conditions for Republicans atop the ballot, led to a gain for Democrats as Walters defeated Quirk-Silva 51-49.

You mean Quirk-Silva defeated Walters?
Great TL!

Whoops... my fault, Quirk-Silva did defeat Walters. I will rewrite that.

[NewYorkExpress]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Twenty

Texas

Ted Cruz was one of the most controversial Senators in the country (along with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Marco Rubio and Mitch McConnell). As a result he faced not one, but two primary challengers, in Attorney Stefano de Stefano and Former Corpus Christi Mayor Dan McQueen. With some prominent Republicans (President Trump, Mitch McConnell and Rob Portman) backing McQueen, most beltway observers expected the primary to at least go to a runoff between Cruz and McQueen. They were right, as McQueen's relentless attacks on Cruz's obstructionism (he was one of only two nay votes in the Texas delegation against a bill that would rename a stretch of Interstate 35W in Burleson County after John Tower; the other no vote being Gene Green) appeared to be working. Cruz also angered the base by hinting he was considering running a primary challenge against  President Trump in 2020, something that other challengers like John Kasich, Rand Paul, Justin Amash and Nikki Haley were unwilling to do (he, however gave no details as to his plans as to what he would do if Pence were in office). With the endorsements and attendant money, McQueen led after the Primary with 43% of the vote to 41% for Cruz and 16% for de Stefano, meaning the Beltway's prediction's were right. For the first time a serious split appeared between President Trump and Vice-President Pence, as Pence countered Trump's endorsement of McQueen with an endorsement of Cruz, who also picked up endorsements from Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lee,  and Mia Love. McQueen meanwhile added endorsements from Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney to go with his earlier endorsements, and counter the fact that most of the Texas Republican delegation was backing Cruz (though Greg Abbott remained neutral). Cruz's incumbency powered him through his stiffest challenge yet (some said it was tougher than beating the phenomenon known as Donald Trump) in the runoff 51-49. Democrats had a much more quiet primary, with Congressman Beto O'Rourke defeating Small Business Owner Sema Hernandez 78-22 (and spending most of his time focusing on his Republican opponents). O'Rourke hammered Cruz further on his obstructionism, and was helped by continued division in the Republican Party, as President Trump refused to endorse Cruz after the runoff. O'Rourke stunned Cruz 50.6-48.9 for Democrats fourth pickup (against four losses). Most analysts (but especially Katrina Pierson, Charles Krauthammer and George Will)thought O'Rourke would lose when he next came up for re-election in 2024, as he was too far to the left of the state.

Greg Abbott was far more unanimously popular than Cruz. Democrats had a theoretically contested primary, as Former State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer defeated two other candidates (Businessman Jeffery Payne and Hospice Chaplain Tom Wakely-the nominee against Lamar Smith in 2016) with 62% of the vote. While Martinez Fischer ran a better campaign than Wendy Davis did four years prior, and appealed to Latinos, but Abbott was just too popular, and won 59-40.

Texas had several interesting Congressional battles. While a Federal Court had ruled that Texas's Congressional District lines were an unconstitutional violation of voting rights, the Texas Legislature refused to redraw the lines. First up was Sam Johnson's seat. Republicans nominated State Senator Van Taylor, while Democrats supported Businessman and Former North Texas Quarterback (though he was never a starter) Brent Osborn, who was running as an Independent over their nominee Adam Bell. Taylor had name recognition, and despite some clever campaigning from Osborn, Taylor won decisively with 53% of the vote to 32% for Osborn and 15% for Bell.

The second seat up was John Culberson's district. Culberson was vacating the seat to challenge the ethically scarred Ken Paxton in the race for Attorney General (a primary he won). Republicans nominated State Representative Sarah Davis, while Democrats tapped Former Houston Cougars Men's Basketball Guard Jamon Wilson after a crowded primary (he won in a runoff with Laura Moser 55-45). Despite Clinton doing well here in 2016, this seat was just too Republican, as Davis won 57-42.1

Third was Beto O'Rourke's seat, which was being vacated for O'Rourke's successful Senate bid. Democrats had a contested primary with "Former" El Paso County Judge (basically a County Executive) Veronica Escobar and "Former" El Paso School Board President Dori Fennenbock advancing from the runoff (The Former in quotations was due to Texas's resign to run law, which required local officials to resign if they sought higher office with more than a year and thirty days in their term). Escobar won the runoff 52-48. Republicans did not nominate a candidate, allowing Escobar to win unopposed.

Fourth was Lamar Smith's district. Smith sat in a district Hillary Clinton had done well in, and sensing danger, he announced he would retire in late September 2017. Republicans nominated former State Party Director Steve Munisteri (who was essentially carpet bagging over from Houston), while Democrats went to a runoff between Former Austin Mayor Will Wynn and Rixi Melton. Wynn used his superior name recognition and support from the DCCC to win the runoff 59-41. National Democrats put money into the race as Wynn drew closer largely due to the prevailing mood around the country, but this was too big a hill to climb in the end, as Munisteri earned a vital hold for Republicans 51-48.3.

Fifth was Will Hurd's district. Democrats targeted Hurd early, and nominated Former Congressman Pete Gallego for a third match (he defeated three opponents with 56% of the vote).This time the national mood carried Gallego to victory 50.8-48.3 for yet another Democratic gain (their twenty-sixth net gain).

Sixth was Henry Cuellar's district. Progressives pushed for a primary challenge to Cuellar, and they got their wish, as Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz mounted a late Primary bid against Cuellar. The DCCC did not take sides, which angered Cuellar, but the energy of Progressives, plus support from prominent progressives like Bernie Sanders and Tammy Baldwin (Elizabeth Warren, well aware of needing to not offend anyone in the "invisible primary" for the 2020 Presidential Race remained neutral). Saenz defeated Cuellar 52-48, then went on to win the general election unopposed.

Seventh was John Carter's district. Carter actually faced a serious challenge from Mary Jennings Hegar, a former Purple Heart winner. However the district was just too Republican for a Jennings Hegar victory as Carter won 57-40.

Eighth was Pete Session's District. This was another district that had swung towards Democrats, with Hillary Clinton doing well here. Democrats nominated Civil Rights Litigator and Former Baylor Bears Linebacker Colin Allred. While Allred did well early, he struggled at the various forums between the candidates, and made the mortal sin of calling for the ban of High School and College Football saying it was at fault for brain damage in Football players. As a result Sessions won 61-38.

Ninth, was Brian Babin's district. No one really expected Democrats to seriously compete here, even after they got a serious candidate in Radio and TV personality Dayna Steele. They were right, as Babin blew Steele out of the water 63-33.

As former Mayor of New York, I'm not sure that Rudy Giuliani would have endorsed Cruz after his controversial remarks on "New York values".

And, why would Giuliani want O'Rourke to win the seat, which is what he thought would happen if Cruz lost the primary.

[UWS]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Twenty

Texas

Ted Cruz was one of the most controversial Senators in the country (along with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Marco Rubio and Mitch McConnell). As a result he faced not one, but two primary challengers, in Attorney Stefano de Stefano and Former Corpus Christi Mayor Dan McQueen. With some prominent Republicans (President Trump, Mitch McConnell and Rob Portman) backing McQueen, most beltway observers expected the primary to at least go to a runoff between Cruz and McQueen. They were right, as McQueen's relentless attacks on Cruz's obstructionism (he was one of only two nay votes in the Texas delegation against a bill that would rename a stretch of Interstate 35W in Burleson County after John Tower; the other no vote being Gene Green) appeared to be working. Cruz also angered the base by hinting he was considering running a primary challenge against  President Trump in 2020, something that other challengers like John Kasich, Rand Paul, Justin Amash and Nikki Haley were unwilling to do (he, however gave no details as to his plans as to what he would do if Pence were in office). With the endorsements and attendant money, McQueen led after the Primary with 43% of the vote to 41% for Cruz and 16% for de Stefano, meaning the Beltway's prediction's were right. For the first time a serious split appeared between President Trump and Vice-President Pence, as Pence countered Trump's endorsement of McQueen with an endorsement of Cruz, who also picked up endorsements from Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lee,  and Mia Love. McQueen meanwhile added endorsements from Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney to go with his earlier endorsements, and counter the fact that most of the Texas Republican delegation was backing Cruz (though Greg Abbott remained neutral). Cruz's incumbency powered him through his stiffest challenge yet (some said it was tougher than beating the phenomenon known as Donald Trump) in the runoff 51-49. Democrats had a much more quiet primary, with Congressman Beto O'Rourke defeating Small Business Owner Sema Hernandez 78-22 (and spending most of his time focusing on his Republican opponents). O'Rourke hammered Cruz further on his obstructionism, and was helped by continued division in the Republican Party, as President Trump refused to endorse Cruz after the runoff. O'Rourke stunned Cruz 50.6-48.9 for Democrats fourth pickup (against four losses). Most analysts (but especially Katrina Pierson, Charles Krauthammer and George Will)thought O'Rourke would lose when he next came up for re-election in 2024, as he was too far to the left of the state.

Greg Abbott was far more unanimously popular than Cruz. Democrats had a theoretically contested primary, as Former State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer defeated two other candidates (Businessman Jeffery Payne and Hospice Chaplain Tom Wakely-the nominee against Lamar Smith in 2016) with 62% of the vote. While Martinez Fischer ran a better campaign than Wendy Davis did four years prior, and appealed to Latinos, but Abbott was just too popular, and won 59-40.

Texas had several interesting Congressional battles. While a Federal Court had ruled that Texas's Congressional District lines were an unconstitutional violation of voting rights, the Texas Legislature refused to redraw the lines. First up was Sam Johnson's seat. Republicans nominated State Senator Van Taylor, while Democrats supported Businessman and Former North Texas Quarterback (though he was never a starter) Brent Osborn, who was running as an Independent over their nominee Adam Bell. Taylor had name recognition, and despite some clever campaigning from Osborn, Taylor won decisively with 53% of the vote to 32% for Osborn and 15% for Bell.

The second seat up was John Culberson's district. Culberson was vacating the seat to challenge the ethically scarred Ken Paxton in the race for Attorney General (a primary he won). Republicans nominated State Representative Sarah Davis, while Democrats tapped Former Houston Cougars Men's Basketball Guard Jamon Wilson after a crowded primary (he won in a runoff with Laura Moser 55-45). Despite Clinton doing well here in 2016, this seat was just too Republican, as Davis won 57-42.1

Third was Beto O'Rourke's seat, which was being vacated for O'Rourke's successful Senate bid. Democrats had a contested primary with "Former" El Paso County Judge (basically a County Executive) Veronica Escobar and "Former" El Paso School Board President Dori Fennenbock advancing from the runoff (The Former in quotations was due to Texas's resign to run law, which required local officials to resign if they sought higher office with more than a year and thirty days in their term). Escobar won the runoff 52-48. Republicans did not nominate a candidate, allowing Escobar to win unopposed.

Fourth was Lamar Smith's district. Smith sat in a district Hillary Clinton had done well in, and sensing danger, he announced he would retire in late September 2017. Republicans nominated former State Party Director Steve Munisteri (who was essentially carpet bagging over from Houston), while Democrats went to a runoff between Former Austin Mayor Will Wynn and Rixi Melton. Wynn used his superior name recognition and support from the DCCC to win the runoff 59-41. National Democrats put money into the race as Wynn drew closer largely due to the prevailing mood around the country, but this was too big a hill to climb in the end, as Munisteri earned a vital hold for Republicans 51-48.3.

Fifth was Will Hurd's district. Democrats targeted Hurd early, and nominated Former Congressman Pete Gallego for a third match (he defeated three opponents with 56% of the vote).This time the national mood carried Gallego to victory 50.8-48.3 for yet another Democratic gain (their twenty-sixth net gain).

Sixth was Henry Cuellar's district. Progressives pushed for a primary challenge to Cuellar, and they got their wish, as Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz mounted a late Primary bid against Cuellar. The DCCC did not take sides, which angered Cuellar, but the energy of Progressives, plus support from prominent progressives like Bernie Sanders and Tammy Baldwin (Elizabeth Warren, well aware of needing to not offend anyone in the "invisible primary" for the 2020 Presidential Race remained neutral). Saenz defeated Cuellar 52-48, then went on to win the general election unopposed.

Seventh was John Carter's district. Carter actually faced a serious challenge from Mary Jennings Hegar, a former Purple Heart winner. However the district was just too Republican for a Jennings Hegar victory as Carter won 57-40.

Eighth was Pete Session's District. This was another district that had swung towards Democrats, with Hillary Clinton doing well here. Democrats nominated Civil Rights Litigator and Former Baylor Bears Linebacker Colin Allred. While Allred did well early, he struggled at the various forums between the candidates, and made the mortal sin of calling for the ban of High School and College Football saying it was at fault for brain damage in Football players. As a result Sessions won 61-38.

Ninth, was Brian Babin's district. No one really expected Democrats to seriously compete here, even after they got a serious candidate in Radio and TV personality Dayna Steele. They were right, as Babin blew Steele out of the water 63-33.

As former Mayor of New York, I'm not sure that Rudy Giuliani would have endorsed Cruz after his controversial remarks on "New York values".

And, why would Giuliani want O'Rourke to win the seat, which is what he thought would happen if Cruz lost the primary.

Okay, so his choice was based on electability, on who had the best chance to keep the seat.

[NewYorkExpress]

2018 Midterm Elections-Part Twenty

Texas

Ted Cruz was one of the most controversial Senators in the country (along with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Marco Rubio and Mitch McConnell). As a result he faced not one, but two primary challengers, in Attorney Stefano de Stefano and Former Corpus Christi Mayor Dan McQueen. With some prominent Republicans (President Trump, Mitch McConnell and Rob Portman) backing McQueen, most beltway observers expected the primary to at least go to a runoff between Cruz and McQueen. They were right, as McQueen's relentless attacks on Cruz's obstructionism (he was one of only two nay votes in the Texas delegation against a bill that would rename a stretch of Interstate 35W in Burleson County after John Tower; the other no vote being Gene Green) appeared to be working. Cruz also angered the base by hinting he was considering running a primary challenge against  President Trump in 2020, something that other challengers like John Kasich, Rand Paul, Justin Amash and Nikki Haley were unwilling to do (he, however gave no details as to his plans as to what he would do if Pence were in office). With the endorsements and attendant money, McQueen led after the Primary with 43% of the vote to 41% for Cruz and 16% for de Stefano, meaning the Beltway's prediction's were right. For the first time a serious split appeared between President Trump and Vice-President Pence, as Pence countered Trump's endorsement of McQueen with an endorsement of Cruz, who also picked up endorsements from Rand Paul, Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lee,  and Mia Love. McQueen meanwhile added endorsements from Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney to go with his earlier endorsements, and counter the fact that most of the Texas Republican delegation was backing Cruz (though Greg Abbott remained neutral). Cruz's incumbency powered him through his stiffest challenge yet (some said it was tougher than beating the phenomenon known as Donald Trump) in the runoff 51-49. Democrats had a much more quiet primary, with Congressman Beto O'Rourke defeating Small Business Owner Sema Hernandez 78-22 (and spending most of his time focusing on his Republican opponents). O'Rourke hammered Cruz further on his obstructionism, and was helped by continued division in the Republican Party, as President Trump refused to endorse Cruz after the runoff. O'Rourke stunned Cruz 50.6-48.9 for Democrats fourth pickup (against four losses). Most analysts (but especially Katrina Pierson, Charles Krauthammer and George Will)thought O'Rourke would lose when he next came up for re-election in 2024, as he was too far to the left of the state.

Greg Abbott was far more unanimously popular than Cruz. Democrats had a theoretically contested primary, as Former State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer defeated two other candidates (Businessman Jeffery Payne and Hospice Chaplain Tom Wakely-the nominee against Lamar Smith in 2016) with 62% of the vote. While Martinez Fischer ran a better campaign than Wendy Davis did four years prior, and appealed to Latinos, but Abbott was just too popular, and won 59-40.

Texas had several interesting Congressional battles. While a Federal Court had ruled that Texas's Congressional District lines were an unconstitutional violation of voting rights, the Texas Legislature refused to redraw the lines. First up was Sam Johnson's seat. Republicans nominated State Senator Van Taylor, while Democrats supported Businessman and Former North Texas Quarterback (though he was never a starter) Brent Osborn, who was running as an Independent over their nominee Adam Bell. Taylor had name recognition, and despite some clever campaigning from Osborn, Taylor won decisively with 53% of the vote to 32% for Osborn and 15% for Bell.

The second seat up was John Culberson's district. Culberson was vacating the seat to challenge the ethically scarred Ken Paxton in the race for Attorney General (a primary he won). Republicans nominated State Representative Sarah Davis, while Democrats tapped Former Houston Cougars Men's Basketball Guard Jamon Wilson after a crowded primary (he won in a runoff with Laura Moser 55-45). Despite Clinton doing well here in 2016, this seat was just too Republican, as Davis won 57-42.1

Third was Beto O'Rourke's seat, which was being vacated for O'Rourke's successful Senate bid. Democrats had a contested primary with "Former" El Paso County Judge (basically a County Executive) Veronica Escobar and "Former" El Paso School Board President Dori Fennenbock advancing from the runoff (The Former in quotations was due to Texas's resign to run law, which required local officials to resign if they sought higher office with more than a year and thirty days in their term). Escobar won the runoff 52-48. Republicans did not nominate a candidate, allowing Escobar to win unopposed.

Fourth was Lamar Smith's district. Smith sat in a district Hillary Clinton had done well in, and sensing danger, he announced he would retire in late September 2017. Republicans nominated former State Party Director Steve Munisteri (who was essentially carpet bagging over from Houston), while Democrats went to a runoff between Former Austin Mayor Will Wynn and Rixi Melton. Wynn used his superior name recognition and support from the DCCC to win the runoff 59-41. National Democrats put money into the race as Wynn drew closer largely due to the prevailing mood around the country, but this was too big a hill to climb in the end, as Munisteri earned a vital hold for Republicans 51-48.3.

Fifth was Will Hurd's district. Democrats targeted Hurd early, and nominated Former Congressman Pete Gallego for a third match (he defeated three opponents with 56% of the vote).This time the national mood carried Gallego to victory 50.8-48.3 for yet another Democratic gain (their twenty-sixth net gain).

Sixth was Henry Cuellar's district. Progressives pushed for a primary challenge to Cuellar, and they got their wish, as Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz mounted a late Primary bid against Cuellar. The DCCC did not take sides, which angered Cuellar, but the energy of Progressives, plus support from prominent progressives like Bernie Sanders and Tammy Baldwin (Elizabeth Warren, well aware of needing to not offend anyone in the "invisible primary" for the 2020 Presidential Race remained neutral). Saenz defeated Cuellar 52-48, then went on to win the general election unopposed.

Seventh was John Carter's district. Carter actually faced a serious challenge from Mary Jennings Hegar, a former Purple Heart winner. However the district was just too Republican for a Jennings Hegar victory as Carter won 57-40.

Eighth was Pete Session's District. This was another district that had swung towards Democrats, with Hillary Clinton doing well here. Democrats nominated Civil Rights Litigator and Former Baylor Bears Linebacker Colin Allred. While Allred did well early, he struggled at the various forums between the candidates, and made the mortal sin of calling for the ban of High School and College Football saying it was at fault for brain damage in Football players. As a result Sessions won 61-38.

Ninth, was Brian Babin's district. No one really expected Democrats to seriously compete here, even after they got a serious candidate in Radio and TV personality Dayna Steele. They were right, as Babin blew Steele out of the water 63-33.

As former Mayor of New York, I'm not sure that Rudy Giuliani would have endorsed Cruz after his controversial remarks on "New York values".

And, why would Giuliani want O'Rourke to win the seat, which is what he thought would happen if Cruz lost the primary.

Okay, so his choice was based on electability, on who had the best chance to keep the seat.

Correct...not that it helped...as O'Rourke won anyways.

[NewYorkExpress]

December 2018- Part One

Tradition was changed, when House and Senate leaders (especially Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer) announced that leadership elections would be held during Freshman orientation, from November 30 to December 7. For House Democrats, there was only one position up, that of Majority Leader, which Jim Clyburn won easily, with only one Congressman (Debbie Wasserman Schultz) voting against him. House Republicans had a much more interesting time of it, as outgoing Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy had no desire to be Minority Leader. Minority Whip Steve Scalise easily was elected Minority Leader, setting off a battle between Mia Love and Steve King for the position of Minority Whip. King won by three votes (While several Republicans instead voted for Carlos Lopez Cantera). In the Senate Democrats had no real leadership struggle as everyone was returned to their positions with ease (though Tom Steyer voted for Elizabeth Warren over Chuck Schumer for Minority Leader). Senate Republicans had a slightly different story, as Mitch McConnell faced a challenge from Mike Lee for Majority Leader, testing relationships among Republicans. McConnell defeated Lee 25-19 (With Johnny Isakson voting for John Thune instead).

The Democratic field for President grew by one, as outgoing Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced he had filed to run for President in Aspen on December 21. Hickenlooper was middle of the pack in Iowa and New Hampshire (though he was running ahead of the only other declared candidate, Tom Daschle), and he led in early polls that included him in his home state of Colorado, plus Wyoming and Utah (both by less than 1%).

[UWS]

December 2016- Part One

Tradition was changed, when House and Senate leaders (especially Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer) announced that leadership elections would be held during Freshman orientation, from November 30 to December 7. For House Democrats, there was only one position up, that of Majority Leader, which Jim Clyburn won easily, with only one Congressman (Debbie Wasserman Schultz) voting against him. House Republicans had a much more interesting time of it, as outgoing Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy had no desire to be Minority Leader. Minority Whip Steve Scalise easily was elected Minority Leader, setting off a battle between Mia Love and Steve King for the position of Minority Whip. King won by three votes (While several Republicans instead voted for Carlos Lopez Cantera). In the Senate Democrats had no real leadership struggle as everyone was returned to their positions with ease (though Tom Steyer voted for Elizabeth Warren over Chuck Schumer for Minority Leader). Senate Republicans had a slightly different story, as Mitch McConnell faced a challenge from Mike Lee for Majority Leader, testing relationships among Republicans. McConnell defeated Lee 25-19 (With Johnny Isakson voting for John Thune instead).

The Democratic field for President grew by one, as outgoing Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced he had filed to run for President in Aspen on December 21. Hickenlooper was middle of the pack in Iowa and New Hampshire (though he was running ahead of the only other declared candidate, Tom Daschle), and he led in early polls that included him in his home state of Colorado, plus Wyoming and Utah (both by less than 1%).

You mean December 2018.

[NewYorkExpress]

December 2016- Part One

Tradition was changed, when House and Senate leaders (especially Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer) announced that leadership elections would be held during Freshman orientation, from November 30 to December 7. For House Democrats, there was only one position up, that of Majority Leader, which Jim Clyburn won easily, with only one Congressman (Debbie Wasserman Schultz) voting against him. House Republicans had a much more interesting time of it, as outgoing Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy had no desire to be Minority Leader. Minority Whip Steve Scalise easily was elected Minority Leader, setting off a battle between Mia Love and Steve King for the position of Minority Whip. King won by three votes (While several Republicans instead voted for Carlos Lopez Cantera). In the Senate Democrats had no real leadership struggle as everyone was returned to their positions with ease (though Tom Steyer voted for Elizabeth Warren over Chuck Schumer for Minority Leader). Senate Republicans had a slightly different story, as Mitch McConnell faced a challenge from Mike Lee for Majority Leader, testing relationships among Republicans. McConnell defeated Lee 25-19 (With Johnny Isakson voting for John Thune instead).

The Democratic field for President grew by one, as outgoing Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper announced he had filed to run for President in Aspen on December 21. Hickenlooper was middle of the pack in Iowa and New Hampshire (though he was running ahead of the only other declared candidate, Tom Daschle), and he led in early polls that included him in his home state of Colorado, plus Wyoming and Utah (both by less than 1%).

You mean December 2018.

Yep...that will be edited.. I'm impressed so many people are reading this and are able to correct me when I do make an error.

[NewYorkExpress]

December 2018-Part Two

After holding an Independence referendum on December in which the people voted 71-29 in favor of Independence (with 90% turnout, despite the Spanish Government declaring the referendum illegal), Catalonia, led by Carles Pugidemont declared Independence on December 3. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy responded by sending 389,000 troops into Catalonia to crush the rebellion, with 75,000 entering Barcelona. World Leaders were were divided, with Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson supporting Rajoy, while Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump (though less vocally than Putin, and in fact Trump originally stated that he supported Rajoy, before switching sides, ostensibly on the instigation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, something Democrats in the House and Senate, would roundly criticize him for) supported Pugdiemont (Angela Merkel, for her part, merely said that both sides should be willing to negotiate, which both Pugidemont and Rajoy summarily rejected). After two weeks the rebellion was put down, with 877 civillians killed. Pugidemont was arrested and placed on trial for treason (while Rajoy wanted to place every politician in Catalonia on trial, his advisers persuaded him to reduce the number of enemies tried to just Pugidemont), and was sentenced to life in prison in May of 2018. The upheaval affected many parts of Spanish life, but most heavily affected football (soccer to Americans), as UEFA expelled Spanish and Catalonian teams from their competitions (Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were expelled from the Group Stage of the Champions League, while Valencia and Sevilla were expelled from the Group Stage of the Europa League).

In NFL news, Bill Belichick announced that the 2018-2019 season would be his final season as a Head Coach (his Patriots were 8-7, and second in the AFC East, trailing the Buffalo Bills, while they held one of the two wild card spots in the AFC, with the other being held by the 9-6 Oakland Raiders). While many believed Belichick was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, largely because of his five Super Bowl rings as Head Coach, while others (like Skip Bayless and Rex Ryan) believed that he didn't belong in the Hall of Fame at all, largely due to Spygate and Deflategate, and his perceived roles in those scandals.

While all the attention was focused on the Democrats, it quickly became clear President Trump would face some sort of primary challenge, as Former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory announced he would challenge President Trump in the primaries on December 16 in Chapel Hill (he did not say whether he step aside for Vice-President Pence, or any other Republican). McCrory had not been polled, but most expected him to be competitive in North Carolina and South Carolina, and at least get to 30% in Iowa.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Ew... I'd rather have Trump than McCrory.

[NewYorkExpress]

Ew... I'd rather have Trump than McCrory.

I haven't said whether Trump is running for re-election yet...

[NewYorkExpress]

January 2019-Part One

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price announced his resignation, pending the confirmation of a successor on January 3, to become President of Mercer University. On January 7, President Trump nominated Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini to replace Price. However Bertolini ran into a wall of opposition from all sides, with Democrats (especially Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders), angry about Bertolini's refusal to release tax returns for 2014-2017, and the fact Trump had nominated another CEO to join the cabinet. Republicans (especially Rick Scott, Mike Lee, Rand Paul and Todd Rokita...a which of these things is not like the others situation...were angry about Bertolini's lack of support for a repeal of Obamacare...which really didn't matter, as by this point both Trump and McConnell had other priorities). On January 12, the Health, Education and the Workforce Committee rejected Bertolini's nomination by a 14-8 vote (with Paul, Rick Scott and Tim Scott voting with the Democrats). On January 18, President Trump tried again, nominating Former OMB Director (and Former Congressman) Jim Nussle. Nussle cleared the Health Education and the Workforce Committee by a party line 12-10 vote on January 23, and passed a full Senate vote 54-45 on January 28 (Chuck Grassley, who Nussle had called an "old fart" the previous summer voted no, while Jack Markell was absent (apparently he was attending a fundraiser for a candidate for Mayor of New Castle)), and was sworn in the next day, allowing Price to take his new job.

In lighter news, the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Texas Longhorns in the College Football Playoff Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana by a score of 24-20. In his postgame press conference Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart announced he was leaving to coach the NFL's Cleveland Browns (who had gone 2-14, held the number one overall pick in the draft, and was dealing with a trade demand from star Defensive End Myles Garrett, due to the teams lack of direction, and persistent losing), after their Head Coach Hue Jackson was fired in mid-season.