Last night’s election results show that the public was definitely in an anti-establishment mood, not necessarily an anti-Democrat mood. Last night’s results:
In PA-Sen, Congressman Joe Sestak defeated Senator Arlen Specter for the Democratic nomination by a surprisingly comfortable margin of 8%.
Sestak 54% 562,037
Specter 46% 479,934
Pat Toomey stomped Peg Luksik, so it will be former Rep. and former Club for Growth president Pat Toomey against retired Admiral and current Congressman Joe Sestak.
In my opinion, it was this ad that won the election for Sestak. It’s just devastating.
I really hope the Coons campaign is studying the Sestak-Specter race as an example of what they can do to win against Castle. Can Coons make a similarly devastating ad (or series of ads) about Castle?
In the PA-12 special election (to replace John Murtha) both candidates were establishment picks. PA-12 was supposed to be seen as a bellweather for the Republican wave coming in November (despite the fact that PA-12 voted for McCain). Despite that, the Democratic candidate Mark Critz beat Tim Burns by a comfortable margin. I think everyone was suprised by this.
Burns R 45% 60,167
Critz D 53% 70,320
Now Democrats will want to use this one as a bellweather while Republicans say never mind.
I think the KY-Sen race was the most interesting of the night. On the Republican side, Rand (son of Ron) Paul trounced Mitch McConnell’s handpicked candidate Trey Grayson.
Grayson 35% 124,238
Paul 59% 206,159
On the Democratic side, Jack Conway won in a squeaker over ConservaDem Daniel Mongiardo.
Conway 44% 226,773
Mongiardo 43% 221,269
Look at those vote totals. The second place Democrat has more votes than Rand Paul. The turnout on the Democratic side was obviously high (Kentucky has more registered Democrats than Republicans). The KY-Sen race is definitely winnable for the Democrats. For one, Rand Paul has some whacked-out ideas – like repealing the Americans with Disabilities Act:
Paul was asked whether he supports the Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark 1990 legislation that established a prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability. Paul said he advocates local governments to decide whether disabled individuals deserve rights. Requiring businesses to provide access to disabled people, Paul argued, isn’t “fair to the business owner.”
Paul also wants to abolish the Federal Reserve and the Department of Education. Also, he’s an asshole.
After winning Kentucky’s Republican primary Tuesday night, Bowling Green ophthalmologist Rand Paul refused to take the call of congratulations from opponent Trey Grayson, according to Grayson’s campaign manager Nate Hodson.
Hodson did not elaborate, except to say “it happened.”
“This is truly a classless act in politics,” said Marc Wilson, a Republican lobbyist and friend of Trey Grayson.
Go Jack Conway!
Mitch McConnell’s handpicked candidate in the KY-03 Republican primary (to take on John Yarmuth) came in third place. The primary was won by the Tea Party candidate.
In Arkansas, there will be a June 8th run-off primary. Lincoln barely squeaked by with a plurality, and was well under 50%.
Halter (runoff) 43% 138,477
Lincoln (runoff) 45% 144,989
Morrison 13% 42,317
The winner of the primary will take on Rep. John Boozman.
I hope the establishment is listening. People really do want change and I know it sounds trite, but they don’t want the “politics as usual.” For Democrats that means quit watering down good legislation. I’m not sure what it means for Republicans. They are selecting far right candidates with out-of-the-mainstream ideas. Do GOP primary voters want Republicans to say no harder, like shut down the government?