TONIGHT'S CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES: PENNSYLVANIA AND MISSISSIPPI
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First Pennsylvania. Terrible news in a seat the Democrats should be able to pick up (PA-03)-- but probably won't. Less than 35,000 Republicans showed up to vote for their rubber stamp slob, Phil English, while over 86,000 Democrats voted. Unfortunately, they gave a plurality to a reactionary, anti-choice, quasi-Democrat, Kathy Dahlkemper (44.7%). The relative progressives, Mike Waltner and Tom Myers didn't break 30% between them both. Blue America has endorsed Independent Dr. Steve Porter and we'll be sticking with him through November.
In the 6th CD there were no primary challenges but Bob Roggio, the Democrat attracted 42,370 votes compared to the 20,895 for incumbent rubber stamp Jim Gerlach. Next door in the CD, freshman Joe Sestak attracted 75,499 voters and his GOP challenger managed to get 45,727 people to vote for him. Similar situation in PA-08 where 36,626 voted for Patrick Murphy and only 12,349 voted for his Republican challenger Tom Manion.
Up in the 10th CD Bush Dog/Blue Dog Chris Carney will have to face an even worse Republican, Chris Hackett. In my old CD-- the 11th-- incumbent Paul Kanjorski got 80,235 votes to the 24,854 for the heavily touted Mayor Lou Barletta, who makes Tancredo seem pro-immigration.
Best news of the night was that Blue America fave, Sam Bennett took 47,548 votes in her uncontested primary while the rubber stamp Republican lightweight incumbent Charlie Dent only managed to attacked 16,440 voters. Stick a fork in him.
In the hot Democratic primary to challenge Republican wingnut Tim Murphy (PA-18), Steve O'Donnell narrowly bested Beth Hafer, who was expected to win. His plurality was 45.3% to her 41.1%.
The race in Mississippi-01 to replace Rep. Roger Wicker, who was appointed to fill the rest of lobbyist Trent Lott's term, shouldn't have been a race at all, since it is one of the reddest and most backward districts in the U.S. John Kerry only took 37% of the vote there and the PVI is a whopping R+10 but... there will be a run-off on May 13. And the 2 Democrats in the free for all today won 50%. The biggest vote-getter was Democrat Travis Childers with 33,138 (49%) and #2 was Republican extremist Greg Davis with 31,066 (46%).
Labels: Mississippi, Pennsylvania, primaries
5 Comments:
Bob Roggio's a satisfactory Democrat. I looked on his website and he's all about fiscal responsibilility and making health care more affordable and all that...but he's also pro-choice. I like that.
Glad to see Sam Bennett getting way more votes than Dent. I wonder why there have been so many complaints about her. Would you rather Dent be replaced by an awful Democrat like Jason Altmire?
Dahlkemper has the best chance to unseat English. Sorry if she isn't "pure" enough to be considered a viable candidate, but the fact of the matter is, PA-03 is a Congressional District that supports the right to life cause. Porter, who you have endorsed, has the potential to be a spoiler in this race. So, kudos to you for potentially throwing the race. This is the best pickup opportunity for the seat since 1996. It might be worth taking a closer look at her positions.
Porter is an idiot and he's, frankly, doing the Republicans a favor by running as an independent. He has the potential of being a spoiler in a really close election. Isn't the textbook definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over in the hopes of getting a different result?
Can't really make much out of the results in the 11th, as the REP's did not have much to come out for. I did; however, find the difference between total DEM voters and the the total number of votes that Kanjorski received quite interesting. I think it will be a great race in November.
Republicans didn't have much of a reson to show up if their candidates were running unopposed. As tempting as it might be to interpret it in a way that benefits Dems across the board, I wouldn't read THAT far into it. I would give Kanjorski the upper hand as the incumbent though. I agree that it will make for an interesting race to watch.
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