Swing State Project (Free subscription) | 11/20/2009
? CA-Sen : Rasmussen piggybacked another California Senate poll on their gubernatorial poll from yesterday. Despite finding some gains for Meg Whitman yesterday, they don't see any improvement for Carly Fiorina or Chuck DeVore. Barbara Boxer leads Fiorina 46-37 (it was 49-39 in September) and DeVore 46-36 (previously 46-37). ? DE-Sen : Mike Castle's fundraising was weak earlier this year (in fact,...
The Daily Politics (Free subscription) | 11/18/2009
Former Gov. George Pataki's longtime friend, fundraiser and economic development czar Charles Gargano called in this morning to set the record straight about where he stands on the 2010 election. I noted yesterday that Gargano , who served as finance chairman for Pataki first campaign for governor in 1994, was listed as an honorary co-chair for an upcoming Long Island fundraiser for GOP gubernatorial...
The Daily Politics (Free subscription) | 11/16/2009
It looks like it's going to take more than a multimillion-dollar TV ad campaign to resurrect Gov. David Paterson's political future. Today's Siena poll found Paterson's favorable/unfavorable ratings have improved slightly over the past month, creeping up from 27-61 in October to 33-56 today. His job performance is virtually unchanged, hovering at 21-79. The governor continues to trail far behind his...
Ednotes Online - The Blog (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009
Leonie Haimson wrote at nycednews: Michelle (Take no prisoners) Rhee, head of DC schools and former medi a darling, is now in hot water, given her mismanagement of the budget, teacher layoffs, and the li k e. Rhee also recently announced her engagement to Kevin Johnson, former NBA player, charter school head and current mayor of Sacramento. (see http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/11/michelle_rhee_kevin...
Swing State Project (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
? FL-Sen : It looks like the Club for Growth has decided to weigh in on the Florida Senate primary, and they're doing so with a vengeance, with a TV spot going after Charlie Crist's embrace of the Obama stimulus package. Crist himself has been trying for the last few days to walk back his stimulus support -- despite statements on the record from February saying that if he'd been in the Senate, he'd...
Gothamist (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Days after the Republican candidate dropped out of the race , Democrat Bill Owens won the special election for the 23rd Congressional District in upstate New York—a seat that had been held by Republicans since the 19th century. The NY Times called it "a setback for national conservatives who heavily promoted a third candidate in what became an intense debate over the direction of the Republican...
Gothamist (Free subscription) | 11/01/2009
With Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava suddenly dropping out of the 23rd Congressional District race in upstate New York yesterday, Election Day will see a battle between Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman and Democrat Bill Owens. But Politico points out that people shouldn't have been shocked, " Over the past decade or so the New York Republican Party has emerged as the political gang...
The Daily Politics (Free subscription) | 10/31/2009
Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava's decision not to endorse either of her opponents after suspending her bid for ex-Rep. John McHugh's seat was a tactical move made in concert with Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman's campaign, a source close to Scozzafava confirmed. There was some concern that supporters of Scozzafava's more moderate brand of Republicanism would be so turned off if she publicly announced...
Swing State Project (Free subscription) | 10/30/2009
PINCH HITTER EDITION. ? AR-Sen : A new R2K poll for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy For America is yet another bad omen for Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln: she's only beating state Sen. Gilbert Baker by a 41-39 margin. ? NC-Sen : An Elon University poll fins GOP Sen. Richard Burr with crappy re-elects (19-42), while the latest Civitas poll shows Burr leading Democrat Elaine...
The Daily Politics (Free subscription) | 10/30/2009
George Pataki's decision to back Doug Hoffman over Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava in NY-23 was no spur of the moment decision, and it hints that the former governor is indeed still mulling a political comeback - perhaps with a challenge to Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2010. State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long told me this morning that he has been lobbying Pataki for weeks - starting...
The Daily Politics (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009
While much of the Republican establishment is still waiting, with ever-dwindling hope, that Rudy Giuliani will run for governor next fall, declared gubernatorial hopeful Rick Lazio is slowly building support for his candidacy. A second GOP county chairman is poised to announce his endorsement of Lazio today. Bill DeProspo, head of the Orange County Republican Party, said he believes the former Long...
The Daily Politics (Free subscription) | 10/27/2009
Nervous Democrats are pulling out all the stops in the fight to retain the Queens seat that will soon be vacated by Councilman Tony Avella, who took a pass on seeking re-election in favor of a failed long-shot mayoral bid. Worried that the Republican candidate, Dan Halloran, has a good shot at winning in a district that has seen GOP victories in the past, the Democrats have called in some heavy artillery...
The Daily Politics (Free subscription) | 10/27/2009
Gov. Paterson, a die-hard Mets fan known to call sports radio to discuss the team, said he will have no problem rooting for the cross-town rival Yankees to beat the hated Phillies in the World Series. “I am with the Yankees," Paterson told me over the weekend. "Just the sight of the Phillies uniform makes me a Yankee fan." The governor said another reason he will be cheering on...
North Country Gazette (Free subscription) | 10/24/2009
COMMENTARY © By June Maxam The First Amendment guarantees all of us the right to free speech. So why is former New York Gov. George Pataki muzzling Daniel Wiese, the former head of his security detail and supposedly, one of his closest friends? What’s more important to Pataki, his image and political aspirations or friendship? Perhaps the bigger question is [...]
The Daily Politics (Free subscription) | 10/22/2009
Ex-Gov. George Pataki is very close to making a decision on whether he will challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand next year, with an announcement possible before the Nov. 3 election, the DN’s Michael Saul reports. The former governor will announce his intentions “certainly before the end of the year and possibly before the election,” said Pataki spokesman David Catalfamo. "He's...
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