Campaigns & Elections articles from July 2006

Campaigns & Elections archives from July 2006

Editor's note.
July 1, 2006... The headline, "Are Phones Obsolete?" on this month's cover is probably going to scare some of you. A lot of your business, after all, is intricately linked to the telephone. New technologies like Skype, an online phone company that is not...

Letters to the editor.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... Dear Editor, I was dismayed to read Waldo Jaquith's column in your May issue on the Democratic National Committee's National Voter Database Project. As Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party and President of the Association of State...

Music to campaigners' ears.(INSIDE POLITICS)
July 1, 2006... If you're a devoted Beatles fan, your cell phone might ring "Let It Be." Or maybe you like keeping up with new music, so you download a new ringtone for $3 a pop every time your favorite song of the month becomes available for download. In...

Best statehouse eats.
July 1, 2006... Georgia and Oklahoma have gubernatorial primaries this month, July 18 and 25 respectively, and the one in Kansas follows closely on Aug. 1. Atlanta, Georgia Manuel's Tavern, 602 N. Highland Ave. NE, 404-525-3447. This capital...

The top Republican chiefs of staff in the house.(INSIDE POLITICS)
July 1, 2006... A look at the most powerful Republican chiefs of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to politicos on and off the Hill. This is the second of two installments. Scott Palmer, U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. Personal:...

Alabama.(Don Siegelman )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman failed in his attempt to get re-elected in June, when he lost the Democratic primary to Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley. Siegelman had the uncomfortable position of campaigning between appearances in federal court to...

Alaska.(Frank Murkowski )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... After finally reaching an agreement with ExxonMobil, BP and ConocoPhillips on the Alaskan pipeline, Gov. Frank Murkowski was able to announce his candidacy for re-election. The Republican governor previously vowed he would not announce his...

Arizona.(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Arizona voters might get more than an "I Voted" sticker this November. They could be walking away with a shot at $1 million. An initiative to enter every voter into a lottery for unclaimed lottery winnings is likely to make it on to the...

Arkansas.(primary election)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Faulty software, equipment delays and a technician shortage caused problems in Arkansas' primary election, the Associated Press reported. County officials from across the state are blaming the company the state contracted to implement the new...

California.(gay marriage)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Last year the California Legislature was the first legislative body to pass a bill to legalize gay marriage. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger subsequently vetoed the bill. Now there is a bill making its way through the legislature that would require...

Colorado.(Bob Beauprez and Marc Holtzman)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Colorado Republican Party has seen a major split for more than a year now, with the religious right wing feuding with the more moderate elephants. That rift became a full-blown canyon after May's contentious state convention. Problems...

Connecticut.(convention's endorsement)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Connecticut Democrats endorsed their slate for the fall elections at a raucous, contentious convention May 19 and 20. U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman won the convention's endorsement by a wide margin, but challenger Ned Lamont of Greenwich won a...

Delaware.(election rules)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Delaware is one step closer to uniform election rules, the Delaware State News reported. State Rep. Gregory F. Lavelle (R) introduced a bill that would make most municipalities have a board of elections, appeal process and set rules for...

Florida.(gubernatorial elections)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... With less than three months left before party loyalists choose their nominees for governor, polls show a widening gap that favors Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Davis and Republican Attorney General Charlie Crist. A Quinnipiac University poll...

Georgia.(secretaries of state )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... During a debate on June 5, the three Republican candidates for Georgia Secretary of State only agreed on one thing: The state's electronic voting machines need to produce a paper trail. Fulton County Commission Chairman Karen Handel,...

Hawaii.(cap on the wholesale price of gasoline)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Hawaii's Democratic lawmakers believed they were leading the nation in establishing a cap on the wholesale price of gasoline last September. However, after the plan proved to be a dismal failure, they voted during the recent session to...

Idaho.(voter turnout)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Officials in Idaho are considering having a mail-in primary ballot because the turnout was so low in the recent primary, reported the Associated Press. Idaho's western neighbor, Oregon, already has a mail-in primary ballot. While the 38 percent...

Illinois.(Rod Blagojevich )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Gov. Rod Blagojevich has unveiled a new education plan that should boost school funding by selling the state's lottery. Illinois would sell its lottery for $10 billion dollars; then in the next four years, $4 billion of that would go to...

Indiana.(Indiana Equality)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Indiana Equality, a coalition of state gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy groups, has launched its Fairness 200 Campaign that raises money to defeat proposed state bans on gay marriage and gay adoption. The General Assembly is...

Iowa.(Joyce Schulte's run for federal office )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Democrat Joyce Schulte faces GOP U.S. Rep. Steve King this November--again. In 2004, she lost to King, who won in the 5th district with a whopping 63 percent of the vote. Schulte is the only female Iowan running for federal office this year as...

Kansas.(Mark Parkinson)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Former state GOP Chairman Mark Parkinson's party switch has politicos on either side of the aisle questioning his motives. Parkinson is now the running mate for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat. Members of her party said that Parkinson could...

Kentucky.(campaign funds)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Lt. Gov. Steve Pence has asked that any money Gov. Ernie Fletcher's re-election campaign raised before Pence dropped out of the race be returned to donors and the state Republican Party. Pence resigned in May after his boss was indicted for...

Louisiana.(C. Ray Nagin wins election)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin won another four-year term in office in May, when he beat Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu 52 percent to 48 percent. The mayor overcame adversity, criticism for his lack of hurricane preparedness, the slow post-Katrina...

Maine.(taxpayer bill)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Maine's highest court cleared the way in May for a Taxpayer Bill of Rights to appear on the November ballot. In overturning a lower court ruling, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that supporters of the initiative had met the...

Maryland.(Maryland Board of Public works approves a contract for electronic poll books)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Despite his opposition to the General Assembly's early voting legislation, Gov. Robert Ehrlich finally agreed to buy the computer equipment necessary for early voting, but only after warnings from officials that the state would not be ready for...

Massachusetts.(state budgets)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... As the state wrings itself out from record floods in Merrimack Valley and on its North Shore, next year's budget will consume the State House for the next month at least, bringing its own deluge of lobbyists and spending requests. Republicans...

Michigan.(welfare system)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... GOP lawmakers have launched an effort to tighten up Michigan's welfare system, since the federal government is threatening to apply sanctions that could cost the state more than $100 million. House Republicans have proposed accelerated training...

Minnesota.(party platform introduced)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Democratic-Farmer-Labor party candidates have introduced a new party platform that outlines the policies the party would like to see in the state and nation. Among the positions the party took a stance on were increased spending on early...

Mississippi.(gubernatorial elections)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... With statewide elections slated for 2007, the Mississippi rumor mill is working overtime. Former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D) is said to be seriously eying a run for lieutenant governor after deciding he doesn't want to run into Gov. Haley...

Missouri.(campaign finance reform bill passed in Legislature)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Missouri Legislature passed a controversial campaign finance reform bill that would eliminate the caps on contributions to candidates. Under current law, individual and business contributions are limited to $325 for state representative...

Montana.(ballot initiatives)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... This November, Montana voters have a lot to think about. A U.S. Senate and a U.S. House seat are up for grabs, along with the offices of secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor and lieutenant governor. Then there are 10 ballot...

Nebraska.(campaign finance violations lawsuit)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Nebraska Supreme Court is weighing whether an elected official can be removed for campaign finance violations that he or she made before taking office. The case was triggered in April when the legislature impeached University of Nebraska...

Nevada.(INSIDE POLITICS: ACROSS STATE LINES)(Committee for Tax and Spending Control filed a lawsuit against Nevadans for Nevada)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... After an ugly fight broke out between two groups circulating petitions, a judge stepped in to lay down rules for petition circulators. The Committee for Tax and Spending Control filed a lawsuit against Nevadans for Nevada, claiming that members...

New Hampshire.(John Lynch vetoes two bills)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, vetoed two bills within weeks of each other that would have required voters to show IDs before voting. The Republican legislature first sent him a bill that would require a complicated three-tiered process to prove...

New Jersey.(elections)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... None of New Jersey's six incumbent Democratic congressmen should have any difficulty winning reelection, but expect them to campaign hard. Rob Andrews (1st), Frank Pallone (6th), Bill Pascrell (8th), Steve Rothman (9th), Donald Payne (10th) and...

New Mexico.(voter identification cards)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... It's not even Election Day yet, and voters are already having problems with the voter ID cards the state now requires. Problems include wrong birth dates, political party affiliations and men being identified as women on cards because of the...

New York.(primaries)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Long gone are the days when the major parties could avoid the splintering effects of a primary campaign in New York, and the immediate future looks no different. Republicans and Democrats go to the polls in September to choose their...

North Carolina.(gubernatorial elections)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick has announced that she won't be running for governor in 2008. The Republican from Charlotte had been rumored for months as a possible gubernatorial candidate. A busy schedule of speaking engagements and other appearances...

North Dakota.(participation of youth candidates for gubernatorial elections)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Anyone who laments the indifference that young people have for the electoral process should visit North Dakota. The state has a full slate of young candidates including Ben Hanson, 21, who is running for the Fargo Park Board, Kristin Hedger,...

Ohio.(tax expenditures)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... With an eye toward the governor's seat five months down the road, the GOP-led legislature delivered Republican nominee Ken Blackwell a pre-season win before the summer recess. Lawmakers assisted Secretary of State Blackwell in his efforts to...

Oklahoma.(new law for office term)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... In 2004, a law limiting state House and Senate members to 12 years took effect. The law forced 41 members out of office at the time. While this law won't affect as many offices this cycle, it will still have impact since candidates that were...

Oregon.(Ray Bradbury, secretary of state )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Secretary of State Ray Bradbury has embroiled himself in what some consider an ethical controversy. Providence Health System and the Local 49 of the Service Employees International Union were in the midst of a fight, and Bradbury convened the...

Pennsylvania.(legislators' salaries )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... In what one newspaper called an "Earthquake in Pennsylvania," primary voters who were angry over a recent attempt to increase legislators' salaries voted out Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer and Senate Majority Leader David...

Rhode Island.(voter status)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Board of Canvassers has declared one out of 20 voters in East Providence inactive. The Rhode Island Secretary of State has to verify voter status, and these non-voters were identified after state mailings were returned marked undeliverable....

South Carolina.(primaries )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Primaries have taken center stage in South Carolina, as political missteps have dominated the two hottest campaigns. In the GOP primary for lieutenant governor, incumbent Andre Bauer has come under fire for several speeding tickets. Mike...

South Dakota.(ballot issues )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... With an abundance of initiatives, referendums and constitutional amendments on the ballot in November, state leaders worry that voters will reject or altogether skip the initiatives they are not familiar with. Ballot issues include...

Tennessee.(Randy Tyree running for Knox County Sheriff)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Despite debate over his eligibility, Democrat Randy Tyree remains on the August ballot in the race for Knox County Sheriff. The issue at hand was the method that landed Tyree on the ballot. He missed the filing deadline for the May primaries,...

Texas.(Carole Keeton "Grandma" Strayhorn)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Name recognition can make or break a campaign. So why would someone run for office under three different names? We don't know, but that's what Independent Carole Keeton "Grandma" Strayhorn plans on doing. In fact, this will be the fourth name...

Utah.(Bruce Funk, county clerk)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Former Emery County Clerk Bruce Funk's honesty and integrity have attracted much attention. He was the only election official leery enough of the security of voting machines to invite his voting machines to be examined. When a major security...

Vermont.(senatorial campaigns)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The campaign season has gone into high gear. Republican Rich Tarrant kicked off his bid for the U.S. Senate before more than 1,200 supporters, which represents one of the biggest such events in state history. U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders (I) also...

Virginia.(Thelma Drake, Jim Webb and Harris Miller)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Jim Webb and Harris Miller, Virginia's contestants for the Democratic nomination for Senate, engaged in a very testy televised debate May 19, as both tried to discredit the other's Democratic bona fides. The confrontation was very terse, with...

Washington.(Ed Murray gay member of State Senate)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Washington State Senate may soon have its first openly gay member. Democratic Rep. Ed Murray of Seattle is the candidate, and he is running in a very Democratic district. Murray may be best known as author of the state's new law banning...

West Virginia.(Betty Ireland )(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Secretary of State Betty Ireland has a lot on her plate before the November elections. Ireland must challenge Election Systems and Software Co. for its faulty electronic voting equipment. After the software that was supposed to ease the voting...

Wisconsin.(touch-screen voting machines)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Advocates for people with disabilities in Wisconsin are working to make sure that people with physical and cognitive disabilities can successfully vote on touch-screen voting machines. A guaranteed ride to the polls may be even more important,...

Wyoming.(voting machines)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Despite its new electronic and optical-scan voting machines, Wyoming may have trouble complying with the Help America Vote Act because it does not have the required statewide voter registration system. Wyoming had contracted with Accenture to...

Angel Enterprises.(Jessica Marks appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Angel Enterprises has hired Jessica Marks as a new public affairs specialist. Most recently, Marks managed internal and external events for Democracy Data and Communications, a bipartisan PAC and public affairs firm in Alexandria, Va., ...

Campaign Legal Center.(Eva Howe and David Vance appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The nonprofit, non-partisan Campaign Legal Center has added a lawyer and hired a communications director. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eva Howe is associate legal counsel, a new position. Prior, she worked for the Democratic members of the...

Fleishman-Hillard.(Kelly Gannon appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Kelly Gannon has been named senior vice president for Fleishman-Hillard's public affairs division in Washington. Most recently, Gannon was vice president of communications for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. She also worked in...

Dutko Worldwide.(Christina Culver appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Public affairs firm Dutko Worldwide has hired Christina Culver as a new vice president. Culver will work on expanding the firm's education practice. Most recently, Culver was managing director of foundations, external affairs and regional...

M+R Strategic Services.(Ayelet Hines appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Ayelet Hines recently became a senior consultant for M+R Strategic Services, where she will work with the Atlantic Philanthropies to get older people involved in the civic process. This is a new position for the consulting firm's Washington...

Artemis Strategies.(Joe Davis appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Joe Davis is the new Senior Vice President for Artemis Strategies. Most recently, Davis was the Chief of Strategic Communications for NASA. Davis also worked as the Department of Energy's Principal Deputy Director of Public Affairs. He has also...

Crosby-Volmer International Communications.(Annie Laurie Walters appoiinted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Crosby-Volmer International Communications has announced that Annie Laurie Walters has left to work on Capitol Hill. Walters was a Vice President at the firm. She has been replaced by Larry Farnsworth. Farnsworth will be an account supervisor...

Hill & Knowlton.(Becky Relic appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... PR firm Hill & Knowlton has hired Becky Relic as a senior vice president and director of the firm's public affairs division. Most recently, Relic worked as a deputy assistant secretary at the Treasury Department. Before working at the Treasury...

HSP Direct.(Jeffrey Kruszyna appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... HSP Direct, a Herndon, Va.-based direct mail firm, has hired Jeffrey Kruszyna as a copywriter. Kruszyna most recently worked as an associate at Long Island, N.Y.-based Roosevelt Strategy Group. Roosevelt Strategy Group has not yet named a...

Chesapeake Government Relations.(acquired by Dutko Group)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Dutko Worldwide has also announced the acquisition of Chesapeake Government Relations, an Annapolis, Md.-based public affairs firm. Chesapeake was set up in 2002 after Maryland Gov. Bob Erlich became the first Republican governor in the state...

Cutter Media Group.(Stephanie Cutter's own communications firm)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Stephanie Cutter has opened her own communications firm, the Cutter Media Group. Cutter is a former adviser to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and U.S. Sen. Ed Kennedy (D-Mass.). Cutter also worked as communications director for John...

The Northfields Group.(Dominic Pangallo's own firm providing general consulting and campaign management, message development, targeting and writing services)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Dominic Pangallo has opened his own shop in Salem, Mass. The Northfields Group will focus primarily on polling and research for Democratic campaigns in the New England region. The firm will also provide general consulting and campaign...

The Republican Party of Arkansas.(opened three new offices)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The Republican Party of Arkansas opened three new offices during the spring. They are Jonesboro, Fayetteville and El Dorado. With the main office in Little Rock, the GOP now has a presence in each of the state's four districts.

Nebraska Democratic Party.(Eric Fought appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Eric Fought is the Nebraska Democratic Party's new communications director. He replaced Amanda McGill, who is running for the state legislature. Most recently, Fought was regional director for U.S. Navy Recruiting. In the past, he had his...

Ryan O'Barto, a former Pennsylvania Republican operative, has joined the Washington state Republican Party's political division.(PARTY LINES)
July 1, 2006... Ryan O'Barto, a former Pennsylvania Republican operative, has joined the Washington state Republican Party's political division. O'Barto has been named political assistant and voter registration director. O'Barto replaces Tim Kovis, who left to...

The North Carolina Democratic Party.(Derwin Dubose appointed)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... The North Carolina Democratic Party has named Derwin Dubose as the Director of Constituent Services. Dubose will coordinate the party's outreach efforts and work on building relationships with minority groups. Dubose is a 2006 graduate of the...

Unity08.com.(political party)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... A bipartisan group of politicos launched a new organization in hopes of creating a viable third political party. Unity08.com was founded by former Carter administration aides Hamilton Jordan and Gerald Rafshoon, Doug Bailey (a former media...

Majority Action.(fundraising group)(Brief article)
July 1, 2006... Democrats have formed a new 527 fundraising group, Majority Action, in an attempt to win back the House. The leaders of the group are working with Fresh Start America, which is focused on winning back the Senate. Mark Longabaugh is the...

Ten questions for John Dunagan: the secrets to public affairs consulting.(INSIDE POLITICS: MOVERS AND SHAKERS)(Interview)
July 1, 2006... John Dunagan is the principal managing director at Crosslink Strategies, a Republican-leaning public affairs firm that specializes in managing national persuasion campaigns. He worked on the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign as the executive director of...

Ten questions for Larry Ceisler: the secrets to public affairs consulting.(INSIDE POLITICS: MOVERS AND SHAKERS)(Interview)
July 1, 2006... Larry Ceisler is a principal at Ceisler-Jubelirer, a media and issues advocacy group in Philadelphia. He grew up in Western Pennsylvania and is a frequent commentator on Pennsylvania politics. He started Snowline Communications, a marketing and...

Inside politics: campaign consultant sign-ups.(Directory)
July 1, 2006... Adelstein Liston/D -- media Alexi Giannoulias, IL, state Treasurer '06 Bobby Rush (in), IL, H01 '06 Melissa Bean (in), IL, H08 '06 Dan Seals, IL, H10 '06 Judy Aydelott, NY, H19 '06 Monica Lindeen, MT, H01 '06 ...

The race is on: a look at three competitive Senate races.(FEATURE)
July 1, 2006... On a macro level, the difficulties plaguing both the Bush White House and the Republicans in Congress give Democrats hope that 2006 will be their year. Yet, on a state-by-state basis, in both the House and the Senate, winning the seats...

Are phones obsolete? The evolution of telephone consulting.
July 1, 2006... Campaigners for Patrick Murphy were staring the May 16 Democratic primary in the teeth. In 48 hours, voters in Pennsylvania's 8th District would go to the polls. There were plenty of volunteers to make get-out-the-vote calls, but not enough...

Fairness in a sometimes unfair profession: secretaries of state often oversee their own races.(FEATURE)
July 1, 2006... It's the day after Election Day; and the ballots are still being counted. You ran for governor and now the results hang in the balance--it's up to the voters or perhaps it isn't. Although running for governor, you are also the secretary of...

The texting phenomenon: countries across the world use text messaging to help with campaigns.(INTERNATIONAL POLITICS)
July 1, 2006... In the Philippines, over 100,000 people's cell phones received the same message, it told them to go and support the cause they were fighting for. It was one of the first successful examples of text messaging gone political. Countries...

This month around the world.(parliament election in Bolivia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Macedonia and Sao Tome and Principe)
July 1, 2006... BOLIVIA Election: Parliament Date: July [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bolivia's bicameral Congreso Nacional (National Congress) consists of a chamber of senators and a chamber of deputies. The 27-seat chamber of senators is elected...

Hillary's potential hurdle to the White House.(Hillary Rodham Clinton)
July 1, 2006... Democrats are headed for a major train wreck in just 18 months. This train wreck will not only prevent voices and ideas across the full spectrum of their party from being heard on the national stage, but it could even derail taking back the...

Late money.(Richard Norman's opinion on political fund raising)
July 1, 2006... It's midsummer. Is fund raising over for the 2006 cycle? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Direct mail specialist Richard Norman told an audience at the June C & E conference that, as far as his medium was concerned, it was too late to raise...

The customer is always right.(voting machines )
July 1, 2006... Months ago, state officials were scrambling to select voting equipment to meet deadlines for this year's mid-term primary. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Now, it is the voting machine companies who are rushing to meet orders, with one company,...