2017 General Election Elected 60 – 40
Mike Mullin is a good example of a Virginia incumbent who could be endangered
These notes are written in support of candidates running for open seats or against endangered Republicans and in support of endangered Democratic incumbents. The focus is on races that are important for Democrats regaining the leadership of the country. Democrats gaining control of the House of Delegates in Virginia is important. It is also hard. Democrats have to flip 17 seats to achieve the goal. The election is in November. So far, the Notes about Virginia Delegate seats have only been about candidates opposing endangered Republicans or running for open seats. Two or three incumbents could be endangered. Here’s one. Mike Mullin. He is particularly interesting. He is also a distant relation of a friend.
Mike Mullin http://www.mullinforvirginia.com/ was elected last year. in a special election. He was and continues to serve as a Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Suffolk. He stresses his commitment to opposing gang violence and has been certified by the Virginia Gang Investigator’s Association as a Gang Investigator.
The Virginia Gang Investigator’s Association describes a very scary story about its reason for existence: “…established in 1997 [and] intensely focused on responding to the proliferation of street gangs in Virginia. … a phenomenon [that] exists in Virginia where well-established criminal street gangs hailing from the West Coast, Mid West, and South West have recently and increasingly joined the population of our existing gangs, bringing the potential of further criminal networking to a new and more threatening level.”
That’s not how the Commonwealth describes itself. The Commonwealth of Virginia describes itself as a benign environment: “Virginia’s violent crime rate was 186 per 100,000 people in 2015, the same rate as the year before… again ranking 3rd lowest in the nation. Like property crime, the violent crime rate in Virginia has been steadily decreasing since at least 2006, when it was 282. …. Virginia also led its peer states for low violent crime: In 2015, North Carolina saw a rate of 340, Tennessee was at 601, and Maryland posted a rate of 449.
Mike Mullin is a law and order guy. Is he conservative on at lot of issues? Does he exploit racial issues? Not so much.
Mike Mullin’s wants to end the school-to-prison pipeline. He wants the education system to focus on educating kids, not arresting them. He says he is “a strong advocate for Virginia women and families affected by domestic or sexual abuse.” He is endorsed by NARAL. The tough on crime perspective does show up with a law he sponsored (and was recognized for) to prevent felons from being eligible for first offender status when convicted under Virginia’s domestic violence law .
Mike Mullin’s website emphasizes progressive positions.
- He supports expanding Medicaid under the ACA to reach more than 400,000 Virginians and restore $2.5 billion dollars to the state budget.
- He has an environmental focus — clean up Chesapeake Bay, promote renewable energy, and seek legislation to encourage electric vehicles.
- His education focus is broad –– early childhood education, ending high stakes testing, and financial support for public schools not private ones.
- He is an advocate for women — for choice and for equal pay.
Mike Mullin is a law and order liberal — a politically effective position. Is he endangered? He is running against the candidate he beat in the special election to win this seat 54-47. She is a tea party Republican, opposed early childhood education for instance saying it is not possible at a time when financial austerity is needed. The 2016 electorate is different from the 2017 electorate. Mullin is running as if he is endangered. As Virginians attempt to flip their House of Delegates, they cannot afford to lose any seats. Help Mike Mullin http://www.mullinforvirginia.com/keep his seat. The election is in November. Every little bit helps.
A word about two special elections on Tuesday deeper in the South than Virginia. Kate Rehner surprised by getting into the runoff election for HD 102 in Mississippi. She lost by a 2-1 margin in this very Republican Hattiesburg district. In Birmingham, Alabama, thirty-six year old Randall Woodfin, supported by Bernie Sanders, upset the incumbent mayor by nearly a 3-2 majority. This was a contest of generations between two African-American Democrats.
