Delaware Political Weekly: January 21-27, 2012
1. Financial Reports Online, and They Tell Some Interesting Tales.
Haven’t read all of them yet, but there are some interesting teasers:
(1) Anyone expecting Sen. Mike Katz (4th) to go gently into that good night against Greg Lavelle are bound to be disappointed. Katz already has almost $200 K in the bank, much of it from Delaware’s medical community, with $73K in the form of a personal loan. Lavelle has $82K, $25K of which is in the form of a personal loan. This is one race where finances will not do the Democrat in.
(2) Neither Dave Sokola nor Liane Sorenson are rolling in dough. Time to toss some $$’s Sokola’s way.
(3) Hard to figure how Bob Marshall is gonna run for mayor with the paltry sum he’s raised, I don’t think he will. His close-out balance shows less than $7K, although there is a $50K loan which is not figured in the final total. BTW, his committee is his State Senate committee, he has yet to file a committee for a mayoral run. Bill Montgomery has gotten a decent start on fundraising, about $19K in his coffers at year’s end, the vast preponderance of it local. Kevin Kelley has $15 K at his disposal, and Dennis P. Williams has a little over $10 K.
More fascinating fiscal tidbits to come. If you wish to navigate the user-unfriendly system at the Department of Elections, knock yourself out, and let us know what you find.
2. Bryan Townsend Challenges Tony DeLuca.
We’ve already covered that one, and the response has struck quite a chord with our readers. Looks like Evan Queitsch’s kitchen cabinet, did I say kitchen cabinet, I meant phone booth cabinet, have marshaled their paltry resources to organize an online illiterate response. Oh, and speaking of “The Q”, didja know that he has a balance of $979.09 in his year-end report, and that $600 of it came from Friends of Christine O’Donnell? You do now. BTW, does Queitsch rhyme with ‘kitsch’? Curious minds want to know.
3. Filings, We Have Filings!
Memo to NCC Department of Elections: Would it be possible to correct the spelling of Bryan Townsend‘s name between now and the primary? It’s not ‘Byran’. Thankyouverymuch. He has filed for the 11th District seat currently held by Tony DeLuca.
Charles Potter has indeed filed to seek the 1st RD seat currently held by Dennis P. Williams. You will recall that Potter ‘prematurely’ announced Williams’ candidacy for Mayor of Wilmington, and also said that Williams had endorsed Potter as his successor. Williams replied that he had not endorsed anybody. Something tells me that Potter will not be the only candidate seeking this office.
Karen Weldin Stewart has filed for reelection. MJ has already written a piece about her year-end financial report. Would it be cruel of me to point out that Mitch Crane has already outraised the incumbent?
Senators Margaret Rose Henry (2nd) and David B. McBride (13th) have filed for reelection. Let me say it again: An ambitious challenger could have a real shot at knocking off McBride. He doesn’t even live in the district any more, although he retains a legal residence there.
Rep. James Johnson (16th) has filed for reelection.
New Castle County Council members George Smiley (7th), John Cartier (8th), and Jea Street (10th) have filed. Would it be too much of an understatement to suggest to the residents of the 7th Councilmanic District that they can do better than George Smiley? Yes, yes it would be. Just drop into your local Dunkin’ Donuts and pick out someone at random. Instant upgrade.
It is quite possible, even likely, that candidates have filed their papers in either Kent or Sussex Counties. However, as of Friday, January 27th, 8:30 a.m., neither county even has a link you can click on for ‘2012 Ballot-Qualified Candidates’. Unprofessional and frankly pathetic. Is there a grown-up somewhere in state government who can do something about this?
And, for that matter, shouldn’t we have a ‘2012 Ballot-Qualified Candidates’ link on the State site? It’s a joke that we have to click on all three counties to see who has filed. Really, this stuff isn’t so tough. Get some high-school kids to volunteer for credit, or something.
4. Jack Markell’s Record $1.4 Million War Chest.
Covered in the News-Journal here (Read it while you still can). I was impressed that so many of the donors are from Delaware. Of course, he has donors from everywhere in the US. If Markell intended this to be a demonstration to party leaders of his fund-raising prowess, he has succeeded. I just hope that he remembers some of his Delaware allies as he divvies up some of the spoils.
OK, political junkies, what did I miss? See ya next Friday.
DD also posted here at DL about Markell’s War Chest, which you should link to if someone wants to see the discussion.
About 30% of Williams’ fundraising for Mayor is from identifiable lobbyists.
Potter’s fundraising for the 1st consists mainly of a 20K loan to himself.
Even though their wesbsite leaves something to be desired, the NCCo DOE is posting on Facebook when each candidate files.
Last I heard, the Dem and Rethug party chairs have yet to agree on filing fees down here.
Thanks, Cass. The real problems are in Kent and Sussex Counties. I can’t figure out how such incompetence can be countenanced.
MJ, I thought that each party set their own fees.
How much is $1.4 million really? O’Donnell v Coons may have reset the requirements for fund raising for a statewide race. Knowing that wingnuts millionaires can dump unlimited funds into the state through unaccountable super pacs changes things.
Jason: A Senate race will normally attract lots more outside attention, and money, than a governor’s race. O’Donnell got at least half that money from readers of conservative blogs who were told the future of the Republic depended on her defeating RINO Mike Castle.
El Som,
I read Miike Katz’s report as showing $126,000 in his war chest. I believe, the $73,000 in loans is already accounted for in the beginning balance. I could be wrong of course, as the finance reports are not particularly intelligible IMO.
In response to that comment, I have been told by a state Democratic Party official that Kent and Sussex Counties have not yet set their filing fees yet. It is not something that they are required to do by law until July 2nd. I am told that Kent and Sussex County will be setting the fees shortly.
Say you’re a visitor to the state Department of Elections’ website, clicking around and trying to find some information on the candidates. You try out a few of the links in the left-hand column. There’s one labeled “Media Information.” Sounds promising. Surely information for the media would be the most up-to-date, right?
Well, here’s what you get.
http://elections.delaware.gov/information/electionresults/pdfs/2006_Election_Day-Book.pdf
A sideways PDF book with information on the 2006 general election.
That’s two-zero-zero-six. As in, six whole years ago. We’ve had two whole election cycles since then, entering our third.
Does Elaine Manlove even have an embarrassment gene?
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DelDem is correct – they have until July 2. See the calendar: http://elections.delaware.gov/pdf/2012ElectionCalendar.pdf
I owe an apology then to the Kent and Sussex Departments of Elections. I apologize, I was wrong. I now know that you have to wait for the parties to set their fees. I thought that, when the D’s recently set them, they set them for the entire state, not just for NCC.
Hey, I know that I’m wrong sometimes, although I try hard not to be. My apologies to all concerned.
Ha, ha.. for a second I thought I saw the chance to put Lavelle away for good. Still, after thinking it over, it’s worth the shot…
If you don’t mind me asking…. What’s wrong with George Smiley? He seems like a stand up guy. He’s at a lot of community meetings. Is there something I don’t know?
He’s a union thug, and acts as the “muscle” behind Paul Clark on council. And he’s no brighter than a red brick.
He also tried to sell his constituents down the river on a proposed massive project in his district.
He’s made clear that his interests lie with the moneyed interests that line, at the very least, his campaign coffers, not his constituents.
Headed off to Al’s show, but if interest persists, I’ll dig up the appropriate links when I get back. It’s not pretty.
Looks like The Jack is in the 1% of all politicians in this here once fair state. So where are the Occupy loney-toons to rally against The Jack for being TOO rich ?
Regardless, why is that you guys rail like rabid bandits against big money, unless, of course, the big money is in your pockets (e.g. Markell $1.4M and Obama $1B in campaign contributions and John Kerry’s $300M networth vs. Romney’s $200M networth)?
QP: You don’t get it. It’s not about how much money someone has. It’s about whether they care about the rest of society or not. Once you’re smart enough to understand that, you’ll be smart enough to stop being a conservative.
Oh, so its the “caring” that matters. So who gets to decide what “caring” actually is and to whom it benefits? You?
Please, Geezer, leave your sanctimoniety at the door. You and you’re people on here are not the arbiters of all that is righteous.
After all if “caring”, by your standards, was the be all and end all, then why do you all love Joe Biden so much? After all, the skin-flint doesn’t care to donate much to charity, whereas a Romney or a Bush donates millions via a high percentage of their incomes. Despite both earning six-figures during the 1990’s, the Obamas weren’t very charitable (as a percentage) either. So stick that in your bloviating windpipe!
Oh, I get it! It’s because mere upper-income, skin-flint hundred thousand-aires like the Bidens and the Obamas choose to “care” with the collective aggregation of money commandeered from the populace, rather than with their own money. (And what, sacrifice getting that ‘big house’ neither could truly afford, but were certainly entitled to.)
“Caring” with other peoples’ money, now THAT’S liberalism!
Romney gives all his money to an oppressive religious institution that, until 1973 was horribly racist. can you imagine the uproar if Obama had ever given a penny to his pre-school in Indonesia?
omg QP i LOLed! I suppose Romney’s money came not from the “populace” (which other people earned, and he took by getting them fired) but just grew by a tree in his back yard. I promise i wont try and out you anymore for the Colbert-type performance artist you are.
“… imagine the uproar if Obama had ever given a penny to his pre-school in Indonesia?”
Or gave a penny to that racist, black nationalist church that he attended for 20 years, but yet, never heard a peep of a controversial sermon that cause his good friend Oprah to leave.
Try again, Benny.
Ben, you truly must not understand how the private sector works.
The populace is not REQUIRED to pay for/buy goods and services that Romney’s companies were offering, but they are REQUIRED to pay taxes to the government.
“why do you all love Joe Biden so much?”
I don’t. I never have.
And I don’t care whether they actually care. I care about whether their policies have that effect.
“the Bidens and the Obamas choose to “care” with the collective aggregation of money commandeered from the populace, rather than with their own money.”
Call the wahmbulance. You know what happens when you leave caring to charity? Ask that Ron Paul aide, the one who racked up $400,000 in hospital bills before dying. Paul took a collection among his supporters and gathered less than $40,000.
Out of curiosity, how much of your income — in dollars, now — did the government “commandeer” from you last year? Was any of it earned by repeating your tired criticisms of Obama, or is that what you do for “fun” over in Conservoworld?
And, rhetorically, are you this stupid and subservient to the rich naturally, or did you have to send in matchbook covers and take a course?
“The populace is not REQUIRED to pay for/buy goods and services that Romney’s companies were offering, but they are REQUIRED to pay taxes to the government.”
Uh-oh, a double-wahmbulance call. You should move to Africa. The taxes there are very low.
QP – are you really this stupid or did the doctor actually smack your head when you were born instead of your butt? You’re the poster child for Dan Quayle’s “what a waste it is to lose one’s mind.”
When idiots like que pasa start polluting our discussions, I suggest that we ignore them. Don’t even respond Let’s not allow the retune trolls to derail our constructive dialogue. From now on–no feeding the trolls!