Political Note #173 Senate Summary
This Political Note describes the situation for US Senate candidates shortly before the 2018 election.
Political Note #172 Carolyn Bordeaux GA CD 07
Carolyn Bordeaux was the Director of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State -- a kind of university think tank. She went to Yale, to USC for an MPA, to Syracuse for a doctorate. Her principal qualification for a run for Congress is her work for the Georgia State Senate. She was the Director of the Georgia Senate Budget and Evaluation Office - a non-partisan job in a body with a Republican majority. She helped the Georgia Senate respond to the 207/2008 recession.
Political Note #171 Kristen Carlson FL CD 15
After graduating from the University of Florida and Stetson College of Law, Kristen Carlson worked as a prosecutor in Pasco County. After that, she worked for the Florida Department of Citrus in Lakeland as a Senior Attorney and General Counsel for 12 years. She left government work to head an orange juice trade association. That made her a lobbyist. Not a popular role these days, but good experience in learning how to get things done in Congress.
Political Note #170 Linda Coleman NC CD 02
Linda Coleman is one of ten children. She worked in the tobacco fields to earn clothing money for school. She went to North Carolina AT&T University and studied education. She taught school, then left for the University of Pittsburgh to get a Master's in Public Policy. She was elected as a Wake County Commissioner before becoming the Director of Human Resources for the Departments of Agriculture and Administration and later Personnel Director for the Department of Community Colleges. She was elected a state representative. Now she is running for the US Congress.
Political Note #169 Laura Kelly KS Governor
Eighteen years as Executive Director of the Kansas Recreation and Parks Association, lobbying the legislature on behalf of parks. she was elected to the state Senate in 2004. She experienced the disaster of the Brownback experiment, has the support of moderate Republicans as well as Kansas's Democrats, and could be elected governor.
Political Note #168 Andrew Gillum FL Governor
Andrew Gillum was President of the student body of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) -- an Historically Black University. He was elected to a one year term as a City Commissioner, then to a regular four year term after that. He was elected to two more four year terms after the first one. As a Commissioner, he focused on kids. He brought technology to youth and to the schools, opened a teen center, created a focus on restorative justice for youth, and supported the creation of a downtown park. He was elected Mayor with 76% of the vote.
Political Note #167 Ned Lamont CT Governor
Ned Lamont is the grandson of Thomas Lamont -- former chairman of the JP Morgan Company. He is the grandnephew of former American Civil Liberties Union Director Corliss Lamont. Ned's father worked for FDR on the Marshall Plan and for Nixon at Housing and Urban Development. In 2006, Ned Lamont beat Joe Lieberman in the Democratic Primary for the Senate -- opposing him because of his support for the Iraq War. Lieberman then ran as an independent and won the general election. Mostly, Ned Lamont went away. He ran for Governor in 2010, but Dan Malloy beat him in the primary. Ned Lamont went away again. To make money. Now he’s back.
Political Note #166 Mary Barzee Flores FL CD 25
She grew up just outside of Miami's Little Havana. Her dad, a store manager, sickened, lost his job, his health insurance, and died while Mary was in high school. She learned what it was like when life is tough. She worked in fast food. She worked as a maid, dishwasher, waitress, bartender. She remembers the low wages, she remembers the sexual harassment. She was fortunate in her mother -- who was a military veteran and could provide some support. She was fortunate in her talent and her drive. She went to the University of Miami intending to learn how to conduct an orchestra. She got a law degree instead. She become a federal public defender She was elected to Florida's state court -- the state's eleventh circuit.
Political Note #165 Diane Mitsch Bush CO CD 03
Diane Mitsch Bush has, however, become a figure in Colorado. People in Colorado know her as an effective legislator. She was a County Commissioner from 2007 to 2012. She was a state representative from 2013 to 2017. As a state rep she won awards: Most effective freshman legislator, the Farmers Union's most effective legislator, the Livestock Association's most effective legislator, Conservation Colorado's Legislator of the year. Rural groups that don't necessarily agree with each other agree on her.
Political Note #164 Leslie Cockburn VA CD 05
Leslie Cockburn is a journalist and a film maker. She has been attacked for a 1991 book "Dangerous Liaison: The Inside Story of the US-Israeli Covert Relationship." Her critics say the Cockburns always see Israel as a menace. Her opponent has been attacked for agreeing to join the Tea Party caucus in Congress if elected in order to get the nomination. He denies that there was any such a deal.