Political Note #41 Debbie Stabenow MI US Senate

Post published:July 6, 2017
Post category:Federal Elections Win General Election US Senate 2018 Year Result State Type of Election Political Notes Michigan

Debbie Stabenow trained to be a social worker and it shows. She is a work horse Senator. She takes on unglamorous jobs. She was chair and is now the ranking member of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. When she was chair and orchestrating the writing of the farm bill, she focused on supporting clean energy, local food systems, specialty crops that would reinvigorate the economies of small towns and rural communities as well as cutting-edge research and bio-based manufacturing. The food and farm legislation while she was chair had bipartisan support

Political Note #40 Jon Tester MT US Senate

Post published:July 3, 2017
Post category:Federal Elections Win General Election US Senate 2018 Year Result State Type of Election Political Notes Montana

Weighing in at 300 pounds or so, measuring well above six feet tall, it is pretty hard to imagine Jon Tester being bullied by Donald Trump shaking his hand (even if Trump tried to shake Jon Tester's left hand which has only two fingers). Grandson of a homesteader, Jon Tester took over the family farm in 1978. Even while farming he taught music in an elementary school and at Big Sandy High School to supplement his farm income. became a thoroughly successful politician. He moved quickly into leadership positions in the state Senate. He was minority leader and was even, briefly, the Senate President. Term limited, he changed districts and then, twenty years after taking over the family farm, ran for the US Senate. He beat the favored Democrat in a primary and beat the Republican incumbent who had been weakened by his own primary and by the Jack Abramoff scandal. In the Senate, Jon Tester,has been an advocate for transparency and ethics reform.

Political Note #32 Doug Jones AL US Senate

Post published:June 4, 2017
Post category:Federal Elections Win Alabama US Senate Election Run off Year 2017 Result State Special Election Type of Election Political Notes

Doug Jones is a distinguished attorney in Birmingham. His practice includes white collar criminal litigation and civil litigation. Since 2004 he has served as the appointed master for the environmental clean up of PCB’s in the Anniston, Alabama area. Five months after taking office as US Attorney under President Bill Clinton, Doug Jones received national attention when a bomb exploded at a Birmingham women’s health clinic, killing a police officer and maiming a nurse. While he was US Attorney, he coordinated the task force (the FBI, local police, and other law enforcement) that eventually led to Eric Rudolf being captured and pleading guilty... . Jone has prosecuted murderers who opposed the Civil Rights movement and murderers who opposed the women's rights movement.

Political Note #29 Beto O’Rourke TX US Senate

Post published:May 23, 2017
Post category:Federal Elections General Election US Senate Lose 2018 Year Result State Type of Election Political Notes Texas

Beto O'Rourke is just plain interesting as a candidate for the US Senate. He's not a liberal Democrat or a conservative one. He favors infrastructure, supported rebuilding downtown El Paso, and was accused of ties to his father-in-law's construction plans. In Congress, he has urged reconsideration of the War on Drugs and supports the legalization of marijuana. He has proposed legislation supporting children in foster care and education for veterans. He not only pressed for a vote on modest gun control legislation, but joined the Democratic sit-in to attempt to force a vote. When the Republican leadership turned off C-SPAN's coverage of the sit in, BetoO'Rourke was one of two congressmen to transmit cellphone videos to C-SPAN so it could continue coverage.

Political Note #28 Tammy Baldwin WI US Senate

Post published:May 20, 2017
Post category:Federal Elections Win General Election US Senate 2018 Year Result State Type of Election Political Notes Wisconsin

Tammy Baldwin is Wisconsin's Democratic Senator. Her political career is a reminder that Wisconsin was and may again be a home of liberalism. As she moved from the Wisconsin legislature to the House of Representatives to the Senate, Tammy Baldwin was notable for two things: 1) Until very recently she was one of very few openly gay politicians 2) She has been among the most liberal members of each legislative body that she has been in.

Political Note #15 Jacky Rosen NV CD 03

Post published:April 4, 2017
Post category:Federal Elections Win General Election US Senate US Congress Withdraw 2018 Year Result State Type of Election Political Notes Nevada

Jacky Rosen won the election for her open seat Congressional seat in 2016 -- by a scant 3943 votes out of just under 311,000 cast, the second smallest margin for a Democratic winning House candidate. In winning this election, Rosen became Ms. Smith goes to Washington; that is when Smith is a Jewish name. Wife of a radiologist, mother of an adolescent, Jacky Rosen had no thought about a political career until Harry Reid encouraged her to run for the open and swingy congressional seat held by Republican Joe Heck since 2011. Rosen was so successful, Reid encouraged her to withdraw from the Congressional race and run for the US Senate, which she did successfully.

Political Note #11 Joe Donnelly IN US Senate

Post published:March 23, 2017
Post category:Federal Elections General Election US Senate Lose 2018 Year Result State Type of Election Political Notes Indiana

Joe Donelly is running for reelection to the US Senate. He came to Indiana from Long Island to go to college at Notre Dame.And stayed. He graduated from Notre Dame Law School in 1981, practiced law for fifteen years before opening a printing business. He served on a Catholic School Board and on the state election board. He ran for Attorney General in 1988 but did not get the nomination. He ran for Congress in 2004 and lost to the Republican. He ran again in 2006 and won and was elected to the US Senate in 2012. Joe Donnelly is not in it for the money. His financials show him as being in Joe Biden territory.

Political Note #9 Claire McCaskill MO US Senate

Post published:March 15, 2017
Post category:Federal Elections General Election US Senate Lose 2018 Year Result State Type of Election Political Notes Missouri

Claire McCaskill is the incumbent senior Senator from Missouri and is seeking her third term as Senator. She is a moderate Democrat Senator McCaskill has had a particular interest in the military in the Senate -- advocating for veteran's services and also criticizing wasteful spending by the armed services. She is the ranking member of the Homeland Security committee and described Donald Trump's initial immigrant ban as based on bias and ungrounded fears.

Political Note #4: Heidi Heitkamp ND US Senate

Post published:February 19, 2017
Post category:Federal Elections General Election US Senate Lose 2018 Year Result State Type of Election Political Notes North Dakota

Heidi Heitkamp is the incumbent junior Senator from North Dakota. She is completing her first term after winning the closest Senate race of 2012. She has been an office holder for some time. She has served as North Dakota's Tax Commissioner and then Attorney General and has worked in the private sector.