Democrats trying to unseat each other

[lpetrich]

Pelosi endorses Rep. Tlaib in primary fight, moves to help members of the ‘Squad’ - The Washington Post

Pelosi endorsed freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib on Wednesday, praising the Michigan Democrat after an outside group supporting her opponent, Brenda Jones, distributed a leaflet of Jones standing next to Pelosi, smiling.

The campaign flier suggested, without explicitly saying it, that Pelosi supported Jones. Pelosi wanted to ensure the district knows she stands behind Tlaib — public support that Tlaib allies believe could help her maintain her seat.

“Representative Rashida Tlaib is a tireless advocate for the residents of Michigan’s 13th Congressional District,” Pelosi said in the statement. “Rep. Tlaib never stops fighting for her district, which she is proud to represent. And I am proud to endorse her for reelection.”

The statement comes two weeks after Pelosi did something similar for Rep. Ilhan Omar, who also finds herself in a suddenly competitive primary. The speaker is currently in the process of filming a video endorsing the Minnesota Democrat, whose challenger, Antone Melton-Meaux, has been raising money from Omar critics around the nation, highlighting what he calls her history of divisive comments.

...
Pelosi’s move to assist both women is noteworthy given her runs-in with both in the past. ...

Since then, those rifts have mended, people in both camps say, and Pelosi views both women as an asset to the caucus because of their ideals and the perspective they bring as women of color: The pair constitute the first female Muslims to serve in the U.S. House, and Pelosi has always prided herself on diversity, viewing it as a strength of the party.

 

[lpetrich]

Clay touts record after 20 years in office; challenger Bush says it’s time for change | Political Fix | stltoday.com

Clay, running for his 11th term in Congress, points to his record of longtime support for Democratic policies and a senior ranking he says is necessary to bring federal dollars and support to the St. Louis region.

These times in the middle of a global health pandemic, with a cratering economy and people crying out for economic and social, racial justice — now is not a time for amateur hour,” said Clay, 64, Missouri’s senior congressman.

Bush, 44, a registered nurse, ordained minister and activist making her second bid for Congress, says Clay’s rank and time in office haven’t benefited everyday residents in the congressional district, which takes in the city of St. Louis and most of north St. Louis County.

Her background, including being a single mother, roots her in the real-world issues of the district, Bush said, and those issues haven’t improved for most people living in Clay’s district in his 20 years in office.

“This campaign is about equity, about changing the lives for the better for regular, working people,” Bush said.

Cori Bush on Twitter: "We see you voting against the @AOC amendment, @LacyClayMO1. That's not progressive. That's not what #MO01 needs.
We won't forget." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Suburban Lifestyle Dream on Twitter: "Justice Dems tripling their spending in MO-01 now " / Twitter
then
Alex Clearfield on Twitter: "I have to hand it to Cori Bush, her campaign has been miles better this time around than 2018. I was one of the few to cover that primary--she had very little money and didn't do a great job drawing distinctions/persuading voters to dump Clay. #MO01" / Twitter
then
Alex Clearfield on Twitter: "Of course, there was a structural disadvantage last time: AOC had won just weeks prior. This time progressive enthusiasm to take down incumbents was baked in." / Twitter
then
Alex Clearfield on Twitter: "Clay is still going to be tough to beat. His family has held the seat for 50 years and turnout is always high (10x higher than the AOC primary). And he hasn't made a soundbite gaffe like Engel." / Twitter
then
Suburban Lifestyle Dream on Twitter: "@AlexClearfield there’s also no demographic angle—Clay is a Black incumbent in a mostly Black district. and Clay’s not a huge ideological outlier like Lipinski or Cuellar. he’s the toughest kind of incumbent to beat. (which imo makes the implications of a Bush victory huge)" / Twitter

More from Clay touts record after 20 years in office; challenger Bush says it’s time for change | Political Fix | stltoday.com

ush has pointed to Clay’s payments over the years to the law firm of his sister, Michelle Clay of Silver Spring, Maryland, for campaign work. The FEC allows payments to candidates’ family as long as they are market-rate payments for legitimate work.

Clay paid the firm $210,000 since January 2019 in 27 disbursements for “community organizing,” “legal compliance” and “fundraising” work, according to FEC reports.

Clay also has launched print advertisements attacking Bush for being evicted three times in recent years, failing to pay taxes and for her nursing license being suspended in 2013. Bush’s nursing license was suspended Sept. 28, 2013, after she failed to pay state taxes, but was restored Oct. 18 after she made necessary payments, according to state records.

The evictions and debts are “a struggle that I share with so many St. Louisans,” Bush said. “It resonates with them.”

“If he (Clay) feels like somebody who has less money than him, somebody who is working class, is not good enough to be able to run for office, that is shameful.”

 

[lpetrich]

In a TV ad, Lacy Clay claims that Cori Bush lies like Trump and rakes in big money.
Greg Giroux on Twitter: "Missouri's 1st District (D): 10-term Rep. @LacyClayMO1 with negative TV ad against primary challenger @ CoriBush ahead of Aug. 4 primary in St. Louis area. Rematch of 2018 primary that Clay won 57%-37%. #mo01 https://t.co/OoinwbqBWH" / Twitter
then
Kara Voght on Twitter: "The $22K @LacyClayMO1 slams @ CoriBush for taking is income that complies with FEC laws. Bush quit her job to run for office.
Clay attacked Bush in a mailer for losing her nursing license, which happened b/c she didn't pay taxes.
He is, in effect, criticizing her for being poor." / Twitter

Another LC anti-CB ad:

Cori Bush
Dark Money
Character Matters
And a pastor shouldn't lie.
Cori Bush claims to pastor a church that does not exist.
Corl Bush skimmed $22,120 contributions intended for her campaign and put it in her own pocket.
Cori Bush failed to pay her taxes five times: 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The State of Missouri has filed thousands of dollars in liens against her.
Cori Bush failed to account for $17,010 in unexplained expenses on her 2018 Federal Election Commission report.
Cori Bush claims to be a St. Louis community-funded candidate, but 86% of her donations come from out-of-state.
Cori Bush is actively supported by out-of state, dark money slush groups who deliberately target respected Members of the Congressional Black Caucus for defeat.
Cori Bush has been evicted three times.
Cori Bush's nursing license was suspended by the State of Missouri in 2013.
Cori Bush repeatedly lies about Congressman Clay's record because she has no accomplishments of her own.
Trust Matters
Congressman Clay is proud to run on his record...
Cori Bush is running away from hers.

Karishma Mehta for No Cops In Schools on Twitter: "Oop, someone’s scared of @ CoriBush. Here’s what it looks like when corporate sellouts like @LacyClayMO1 start feeling the fear of working-class champions who fight for living wages, safe home, clean air, and healthcare as a human right. Hope he takes the L better than the fight. https://t.co/t26XnKUJdH" / Twitter
then
The Election Center on Twitter: "Either the Clay campaign is sloppy or they are very worried about losing. Some of these points are cheap at best. Also notable Clay hides behind the congressional black caucus as an attack on Bush. Kind of weak. #MO01" / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Greg Giroux on Twitter: "Missouri's 1st District: @JusticeDems TV ad supporting @ CoriBush over Rep. @LacyClayMO1 says Democratic primary voters Tuesday "face a choice: the same old politicians who created this mess, or a new voice."
Rematch of 2018 primary Clay won 57%-37%. #mo01 https://t.co/pETpvMugC8" / Twitter
With video of that ad. Doesn't have the sharp visual contrast and bright colors of CB's own ad.


I checked on some other challengers of big-name Democrats. Jen Perelman is running against Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Jen Perelman heavy underdog for Wasserman Schultz seat | Miami Herald

“Twenty-sixteen was four years ago. It was pre-Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It was pre-Trump. It was pre-COVID. It was pre- a lot of things,” Perelman said. “We now have an additional four years of people watching the crumbling of our country.”

But unlike Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated longtime New York Congressman Joe Crowley in 2018, Perelman hasn’t had a string of high-profile progressive endorsements or millions in small-dollar donations. She has been endorsed by Yang and is a proponent of his signature policy idea, a universal basic income that is distributed to all Americans, but progressive groups that could deliver money and organizational muscle to the race have largely stayed away.

Jen Perelman is running against the former DNC chai

Jen Perelman Takes On Longtime Incumbent Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Perelman is running on a platform of demilitarizing the police, ending marijuana prohibition, abolishing for-profit prisons, and forgiving student loan debt. She also backs Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and affordable housing initiatives.

She is quick to point out that Wasserman Schultz’s political career has been funded by special interests opposed to these popular proposals. Wasserman Schultz opposes marijuana legalization, and that is likely because she has relied on money from political action committees tied to the alcohol industry.

Wasserman Schultz has served the interests of Big Sugar at the expense of cleaning up environmental degradation in the Everglades. She voted for farm bills in 2008 and 2014 that contained what Politifact described as “lucrative benefits” for major sugar companies.

In a bid to become the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, if she is re-elected, Wasserman Schultz promises to “establish an advisory panel to address systemic racism in federal funding.” However, according to Perelman, Wasserman Schultz’s past campaigns have relied on donations from police groups that have objected to proposals to address the killings of Black people by officers.

Wasserman Schultz has benefited from campaign contributions from Goldman Sachs, and she is one of several Florida lawmakers who defended a payday lending law that consumer advocates bashed because it “traps the poor in a debt cycle.” She also voted against a bill that Politifact concluded was “intended to provide clarity about the law on racial discrimination related to car loans.”

Yet another corrupt corporate Democrat.

 

[lpetrich]

Patriotic, Catholic and queer: Rebecca Parson's unorthodox run for Congress

I grew up as a Catholic and went to Catholic school, and as I got older, the rituals and practices started feeling empty. I just didn’t get them, so they didn’t carry much meaning for me. It was also hard for me to stick around as a queer woman because a large portion of the church was hostile to that. So I stopped going for a long time.

A couple of years ago, I started feeling an urge to reconnect with faith, and I came across a Catholic church that was LGBTQ-affirming. That blew my mind! I don’t know if you can imagine — I never, ever, ever thought that would be possible, and I had to ask myself, did the Church just undergo a complete makeover in the past 10-15 years since I had stepped away?

But from her platform, Rebecca Parson for Congress - Women's Rights contains "Safe, legal, affordable abortion, birth control, and family planning services as part of Medicare for All."

Rep. Kilmer Drops $601K on Ads to Defeat Progressive Challenger

“While Rep. Kilmer hasn’t publicly acknowledged my campaign or debated me, it’s clear he’s paying attention and taking our campaign seriously,” said Parson. “That’s good. The people of Washington’s 6th District deserve a choice in this election.”

“I don’t have millions of dollars to dump into misleading ads because I don’t accept campaign cash from corporate PACs or lobbyists,” Parson added. “What we do have is a powerful phone-banking operation that has made more than 700,000 calls to voters. We have raised more money than all of Kilmer’s opponents — from all parties — in the last three cycles combined, based on an average donation of $24. I am incredibly proud of our momentum heading into the August 4 primary.”

 

[lpetrich]

Blue Dog Coalition co-chairman O'Halleran faces Our Revolution-backed Putzova in Arizona primary | News | mdjonline.com

O'Halleran, who served eight years in the state legislature as a Republican before leaving the party in 2014, is co-chairman of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of House Democrats describing themselves as "pragmatic Democrats, appealing to the mainstream values of the American public." His endorsers include Everytown for Gun Safety, the League of Conservation Voters, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Putzova, an immigrant from former Czechoslovakia and a former member of the Flagstaff City Council, says she is running to limit the influence corporations have over policy. Putzova says she will fight for "freedom from illness and medical bills, freedom from crushing student loan debt, freedom to enjoy a healthy life on this planet." Former 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson (D), Brand New Congress, and Our Revolution each endorsed her.

Slovak for Congress: Krupina native makes a splash on Arizona’s political scene - spectator.sme.sk (paywalled) - "Because of Trump’s dealings with Putin, all eastern Europeans are considered Russians because people don’t distinguish accents, says politician Eva Putzova"

 

[lpetrich]

RealClearPolitics - 2020 - Senate Election Polls

Poll Date Sample MoE Kennedy Markey Spread
RCP Average 4/27 - 7/30 -- -- 47.7 42.7 Kennedy +5.0
JMC Analytics 7/29 - 7/30 500 LV 4.4 41 44 Markey +3
Emerson 5/5 - 5/6 620 RV 3.9 58 42 Kennedy +16
UMLowell 4/27 - 5/1 531 LV 7.8 44 42 Kennedy +2

AOC has made an ad endorsing Sen. Ed Markey: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Ideas - YouTube

Ed Markey on Twitter: "Progressive leadership means taking on the tough fights, not because they're popular, but because they're right. https://t.co/fLr7Rkegvy" / Twitter

Sunrise Movement on Twitter: "Why @EdMarkey?
Take it from @AOC.
Join us this Sunday to make some Green New Dials for Ed: (links)" / Twitter

Shamus McGillicuddy on Twitter: "Ed Markey new campaign ad that is basically just @AOC telling voters that @SenMarkey is legit.
It’s amazing that AOC has this much political capital. When she was born, @SenMarkey had already been in Congress for 15 YEARS. https://t.co/GBwRfS57RP" / Twitter
 Ed Markey

• born on July 11, 1946 in Malden MA
• MA House of Reps: 1973-76
• US House of Reps: 1976-2013
• US Senate: 2013-

 

[lpetrich]

Spencer on Twitter: "TOP TEN REASONS TO VOTE FOR #EdMarkey ON SEPTEMBER 1 (1/11) #mapolitics" / Twitter

TOP TEN REASONS TO VOTE FOR #EdMarkey ON SEPTEMBER 1 (1/11) #mapolitics

1. Climate action and environmental justice are the centerpiece of Ed's campaign; if Ed loses, prioritizing climate change will be seen as "politically risky" and it will be a huge blow to the viability of climate legislation (2/11) #mapolitics

2. Joe Kennedy has repeatedly failed to articulate a reason for why he is running or why he should replace an effective incumbent Senator (3/11) #mapolitics

3. Ed Markey is the leading Senate sponsor of Rep. Ayanna Pressley's bill to eliminate qualified immunity and hold police officers accountable for depriving Americans of their civil rights (4/11) #mapolitics

4. Joe Kennedy will use his Senate seat as a launching pad to run against highly qualified women and people of color in future Democratic presidential primaries (5/11) #mapolitics

5. Ed Markey is the most progressive member of the US Senate, followed by future VP Kamala Harris. He also has the sixth lowest "Trump score" according to FiveThirtyEight. (6/11) #mapolitics

6. Taylor Swift's new album is exceptionally clear on the status of American dynasties: they're over. (7/11) #mapolitics

7. Ed Markey has consistently delivered for every single town in Massachusetts: see the "Markey Map" of his accomplishments. He's also the leading voice on Capitol Hill for finding a cure for Alzheimer's. (8/11) #mapolitics

8. Joe Kennedy is a relative lightweight on policy, and he's been a backbencher in Congress. In eight years, he's enacted six bills - three of which were honorary / commemorative. (9/11) #mapolitics

9. Ed Markey's endorsements span the full ideological spectrum of the Democratic Party, ranging from AOC to Elizabeth Warren to Cory Booker to Joe Manchin. (10/11) #mapolitics

10. Joe Kennedy has pushed a bizarre narrative of his campaign as a fight against the "white, well-off, well-educated status quo," but he and his family quite possibly represent the single purest embodiment of the status quo. (11/11) #mapolitics

"White, well-off, well-educated" -- what a great description of the Kennedy family.

 

[lpetrich]

Kennedy unloads on Boston Globe over endorsement snub - POLITICO
The Boston Globe has endorsed incumbent Ed Markey over challenger Joe Kennedy III.
JK's campaign manager Nick Clemons composed this response:

"If you are one of the Globe's disproportionately white, well-off, well-educated readers, the past few decades have been pretty good for you. The status quo has delivered. Ed Markey has done just fine," Clemons wrote. "But if you are one of the hundreds of thousands of normal, working people in this Commonwealth, if you are Black or Brown, if you are an immigrant or a veteran, if you are sick or struggling or suffering — you know that business as usual isn't working."

"White, well-off, educated" -- describes the Kennedy family so well.

The Globe cited Markey's advocacy on climate change as one reason for its endorsement, and suggested Kennedy "lacks the chops and track record" on climate change that Markey can provide as the co-author of the "Green New Deal." The newspaper's decision to back Markey was "something we fully anticipated," Clemons wrote in reaction to the endorsement.

JK seems to have been a nobody in the House for all the 8 years that he has been there.

 

[lpetrich]

Ocasio-Cortez Takes Aim at Crowley and Kennedy For Challenge to Green New Deal Co-Champion Ed Markey | Common Dreams News - October 8, 2019 - "Joe Kennedy thinks that with the backing of the establishment and the old guard of the Democratic Party that he can beat a progressive champion for justice. Let's show Kennedy that he's wrong."


Insurgency Vs. Staying Power: Bush-Clay Rematch Latest Bout In National Democratic Conflict | St. Louis Public Radio

For more than 50 years, Lacy Clay and his father, Bill, have represented Missouri’s 1st Congressional District ...

Cori Bush is hoping to be the candidate who finally beats Clay. With more money and more notoriety at her disposal than when she ran against Clay in 2018, Bush wants to ride a wave of progressive candidates to Washington.

Bush is questioning the conventional wisdom that seniority in Congress trickles down to St. Louis and St. Louis County residents who live in the 1st District.

“No more of the mediocre politics in our region,” Bush said. “People who are marginalized, people who are disadvantaged, under-resourced, and just St. Louis as a whole our population should be going up, not down.”

CB was featured in "Knock Down The House" along with AOC, Paula Jean Swearengin (now running for WV-SEN), and Amy Vilela (now supporting other candidates).

LC's father was friends with the late John Lewis when JL was pushing for civil rights in the 1960's, and that activism led him to run for Congress, becoming the first Black Congressmember from his state. LC himself has been in public office since 1983.

While Bush is trying to run at him from his left flank, Clay notes he’s consistently voted for progressive issues — including embracing the Green New Deal, Medicare for All and impeaching President Donald Trump.

“I'm one of the more progressive members of Congress since my first day — I'll put my record up against anyone who calls himself a progressive,” Clay said. “I mean, that's why I have the endorsement of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.”

 

[lpetrich]

Cori Bush has much more money this time around than previously.

“Last time, a lot of people left the polls saying, ‘Oh my goodness, I thought you were a white man,’” Bush said. “Because they didn't see my face on our billboards. So now we have that, but that takes a lot more money.”

Bush is once again taking issue with Clay’s decision to accept money from political action committees. Clay said he’s proud to receive support from local companies like Boeing and Express Scripts — especially since 1st District constituents contribute to those groups.

Among other things, Clay also criticized how Bush is using some of the campaign donations to take a candidate salary, a practice that the FEC legalized nearly two decades ago under certain circumstances.

Bush said she had to give up full-time work to run for office, adding she has “been fully compliant with FEC guidelines and transparent with my team, my supporters, and my community in every aspect of my campaign.”

LC is being endorsed by Nancy Pelosi and Kamala Harris; LC had endorsed KH's unsuccessful Presidential campaign.

BC is being endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Jamaal Bowman and Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats.

AOC is staying quiet, likely because she doesn't want to primary one of her bosses.

The candidates agree that the race will come down to whether Black voters want to stick with Clay — or desire a new representative.

While Bush prevailed in a number of either majority white or integrated areas of the 1st District in 2018, Clay dominated in a number of Black city wards and county townships. When he ran for president in the Democratic primary earlier this year, Biden swamped Sanders in largely Black parts of the 1st District — one of the reasons why the former vice president won such a dominating victory in Missouri.

 

[lpetrich]

Cori Bush on Twitter: "Today, I hosted a press conference in response to recent attacks from @LacyClayMO1. ..." / Twitter

Today, I hosted a press conference in response to recent attacks from @LacyClayMO1.

My full statement is threaded below. Lacy Clay, you have some explaining to do.

It is an outrage that at this moment in our nation’s history when we have a President who openly divides us by race, we in St. Louis are represented by a Black man who seeks to denigrate me for being a Black woman. Lacy Clay has some explaining to do. He denigrates me in the most cynical way by altering my photo in his campaign mailer, causing my skin to look darker than it did in the original photo. He demeans me for being a working, single-mother who has faced economic hardships but who cares so much about getting our country on a better track that I’m willing to put aside my career to run for Congress–and do my part to make our government work for the people. Apparently, Lacy Clay thinks that only the wealthy and well-connected should run for Congress, since they’re the only people I can think of who could give up a salary to run for office.

Lacy Clay has lost his way. He’s presided over 19 years of decline and according to the Huffington Post, he appears to have spent more energy enriching his sister and brother-in-law, who he pays $18,000 A MONTH to perform tasks usually worth a few thousand a month. It’s been well reported that Lacy Clay has transferred more than $1.2M in campaign funds to his sister’s law firm, which has no listed address or website. And what’s more, Lacy Clay is his sister’s only client.

Lacy Clay also pays a company called Evolving International Technology, which is owned by his brother-in-law, Anthony Michael Alexis. Evolving International Technologies is a Maryland-based company that’s listed as “not in good standing” with the state. Well, why is that? Because, since it was founded in 2017, they haven’t paid a single dime in taxes or filed any requests for extensions. What exactly does the Law Offices of Michelle C. Clay, LLC do for Clay’s campaign? What does Evolving International Technologies do? The questions raised by Clay’s financials beg an even more important question: aside from enriching his family, what has Lacy Clay done for St. Louis during his 20 years in office?

The City has experienced a 14% population decline over the past twenty years. In 2010, the violent crime rate was roughly 1,750 violent crimes per 100,000 St. Louis residents. It has grown by 3% since. STL City cops shot a yearly average of more than five people per 100K residents from 2010 to 2016. From '13 to '19, the City is #1 in police killings.

Given the current eviction crisis unfolding across this nation, what is Clay doing RIGHT NOW to provide the relief we need?

The question the voters must ask themselves this Tuesday is: who can better represent them in Congress? When voters ask themselves that question, I have no doubt that they will decide that Cori Bush is the answer, because I’ve been an active fighter for ALL of us my whole life.

 

[lpetrich]

Rebecca Parson for Congress (WA-06) on Twitter: "My opponent took money from an asteroid mining company and then wrote a bill to privatize all asteroids in the Solar System.
Help me flip this seat from corporate to progressive, so we have a representative serving the people, not asteroid miners. https://t.co/ELii022gJQ" / Twitter


Kilmer-backed bill sets sights on space with promotion of asteroid mining | Peninsula Daily News
Asterioid Mining Bill Introduced in Congress to Protect Private Property Rights | U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer of Washington's 6th District

Rep. Bill Posey, R-Florida announced on Thursday that he was introducing a bill along with Rep, Derek Kilmer, D-WA called the American Space Technology for Exploring Resource Opportunities in Deep Space (ASTEROIDS) Act of 2014. The act is designed to protect the private property rights for entities mining asteroids and to otherwise encourage asteroid mining. The bill is in apparent reaction to efforts by companies like Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries to locate and mine Earth approaching asteroids for their resources.

H.R.5063 - 113th Congress (2013-2014): ASTEROIDS Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

I'm totally skeptical, because launch costs continue to be high and because asteroids are unlikely to contain any ore bodies. The processes that make ore bodies on our planet are processes that don't occur in the asteroid belt, with the exception of Vesta having been melted very early in the Solar System's history.  Ore Genesis It is also evident from meteorites, pieces of asteroids that have fallen on us -- no evidence of ore bodies in any that have been found.

Gold in Meteorites And in the Earth's Crust (USGS, 1968) The most that one finds is about 9 parts per million in some iron meteorites.

 

[lpetrich]

Still counting votes in NYC. No word on NY-12 or NY-15, or, for that matter, NY-14.
For last Saturday: Manual Canvass as follows: Democratic Party County Committee - 85/87

Inside the anti-LGBTQ candidate loss, declared win for gay candidate in NY-15 - 2020 July 28

With Ritchie Torres declaring victory in the Democratic primary for New York’s 15th congressional district, the New York City Council member appears on his way to becoming one of the first openly gay black men elected to Congress — but progressive advocates say that took a dedicated campaign to flip the script on his anti-LGBTQ, anti-abortion opponent.

Claims the New York City Council is “controlled by the homosexual community” and LGBTQ people are “cursed” were among the anti-LGBTQ views Bronx City Council member Ruben Diaz Sr. have expressed, making him a rare breed among Democrats.

As a state senator in New York, Diaz Sr. was the chief Democratic opponent of legalizing marriage equality in 2011. In addition, Diaz Sr. called New York the “abortion capital of the United States” and voted against pro-choice bills.

RT's lead over the next one grew from 4516 to 7803 as absentee ballots were counted, though I've yet to see anything on when official numbers might be announced.

Progressive groups trumpeted the declared win by Torres as a victory for their values, asserting grassroots and digital efforts were responsible for changing the outcome of the race, which by early indications looked like a win for Diaz Sr.

...
Lucas Acosta, a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, said the social media post from the campaign had 1.1 million imprints and 417,000 on Facebook alone.

The amount of money allocated for the campaign, Acosta said, was a “5-figure buy and our largest expenditure in any race outside the presidential this cycle,” but he declined to give an exact figure.

...
Needham said with primary voters disaffected with Diaz Sr., they naturally were drawn to Torres, in part because of the charismatic way he engaged with the district amid civil unrest over the death of George Floyd.

“I think if you just saw Ritchie Torres out in the streets with advocates, calling for reforms to the policing and saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ really sort of resonated with voters in that district,” Needham said. “And so I think it was a combination of everything, but I do think that we had to tell the story of Diaz’s record but also tell the story of why Ritchie Torres was the better choice.”

...
While a change in the trajectory of the NY-15 primary is apparent, which factors exactly are responsible for the result are up for debate. One political analyst had a different take on the primary and said the fall of Diaz Sr. was more the result of his ties to President Trump, rather than his anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice views.

...
Whatever the combination of causes, Diaz Sr. has acknowledged defeat in the primary and announced shortly afterward he’d retire from politics, saying he’d “follow the example of my two sons,” one biological, one figurative, who both declared the end to their political careers.

According to the news website AMNY.com, Diaz Sr. in his parting message said in the past three years he “had to defend my principles, values and faith, while being a ‘punching bag’ by friends and foes alike.”

So NY-15 dodged the bullet of vote-splitting.

 

[lpetrich]

NY-15 poll sources:
Data for Progress:
Memo: The State of the Democratic Primary in NY-15
Bronx United:
BU-External-Polling-Memo-FINAL-1.pdf
Bronx-United-NY-15-Primary-Memo.pdf

DfP - vote w/o and w/ leans:
Ruben Diaz 22 29, Ritchie Torres 20 22, Ydanis Rodriguez 6 8, Melissa Mark-Viverito 6 7, Michael A. Blake 6 7, Samelys Lopez 2 3, Julio Pabon 1 2, Jonathan Ortiz 1 1, Tomas Ramos 1 1, Chivona R. Newsome 0 0, Marlene J. Tapper 0 0, Not sure 34 19

BU - vote w/o and w/leans, won't vote
Ruben Diaz 27 32 34, Ritchie Torres 13 14 12, Michael Blake 8 10 13, Melissa Mark-Viverito 5 7 18, Ydanis Rodriguez 5 7 14, Samelys Lopez 3 4 13, Tomas Ramos 0 1 14, Marlene Cintron 0 1 16, Eric Stevenson 0 0 18, Jonathan Ortiz 0 0 13, Not sure 38 24

BU - after presenting negative info about Ruben Diaz
Ritchie Torres 24 24 9, Michael Blake 16 16 9, Ruben Diaz 12 13 60, Samelys Lopez 9 10 7, Ydanis Rodriguez 7 7 9, Melissa Mark-Viverito 6 8 15, Tomas Ramos 1 1 8, Eric Stevenson 1 1 13, Marlene Cintron 0 1 9, Jonathan Ortiz 0 0 7, Not sure 24 18

The first seven candidates were in the order of the in-person vote results, and also the unofficial combined vote results. Assuming even distribution of the not-sure votes and adding the in-person and unofficial combined result, I get:
Ritchie Torres 29 29 30 32, Michael Blake 20 20 19 18, Ruben Diaz 15 16 15 14, Samelys Lopez 11 12 13 14, Ydanis Rodriguez 9 9 11 11, Melissa Mark-Viverito 7 10 4 4, Tomas Ramos 1 1 3 2

The first five were predicted quite well, while MMV got less and TR got more than expected.

 

[lpetrich]

Seven Takeaways from New York State’s June 23rd Democratic Primaries | EMPIRE REPORT NEW YORK 2020® NEW YORK'S 24/7 NEWS SITE

There already appears to be a battle brewing between the DSA and the WFP for who deserves more credit for orchestrating these progressive victories.

The Working Families Party (WFP) and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and perhaps the Justice Democrats, may already be squabbling over who deserves more credit for the progressive victories in this year’s legislative contests. The progressive blogs and twitter accounts are already in turmoil over who should get the credit. ...

Old men like me will remember those battles diminishing the early success of the reformers “Beat the Bosses” campaigns form the early 1960’s and the anti-war politics of the Vietnam era. Serious historians would remind us that these internecine battles have weakened the American left politically going back to the Abolitionist era. In his renowned biography of Frederick Douglass, David Blight astutely observed in describing a dust up on a speaking tour among abolitionists in 1843that,” The seemingly ludicrous dustup was typical of others to follow…. these earnest radicals, like those in virtually all such movements before and since, turned on each other playing out jealousies, fatigue, ego wars, personality conflicts and ideological differences.”

The sort of thing that Monty Python satirized in "Life of Brian".

 

[lpetrich]

'She shows what's possible': Mondaire Jones on AOC and his path to Congress | US news | The Guardian - "Jones, set to be one of the first openly gay, Black members of Congress, will likely join growing group of diverse Democrats"

Jones said seeing openly gay candidates win elected office, such as fellow New Yorker Ritchie Torres – with whom he is friends and who is also expected to make history in November running for Congress in the Bronx – and the Colorado governor, Jared Polis, shifted his perspective.

He was also inspired by “young people of colour defying the political establishment” such as Ocasio-Cortez and her 2018 defeat of the 10-term Democrat Joe Crowley, without which he does not think he would have run. “She showed me what is possible with a movement behind you.”

Mondaire Jones on Twitter: "It’s true. Had ⁦@AOC⁩ not run for Congress in ‘18, I doubt I would’ve announced my own long-shot bid last summer. She shows us what’s possible, against conventional wisdom. The best leaders in American politics are able to will things into existence. https://t.co/hf3iDyosfH" / Twitter

Justin Allen on Twitter: "The NYC BOE is certifying their results tomorrow, so you have to assume the court will rule on the invalidated ballots today. Haven't seen anything so far. #NY12" / Twitter
No source, however.

 

[lpetrich]

U.S. judge orders election boards to extend count of absentee ballots in New York state primary - Reuters

A U.S. judge late on Monday ordered all local boards of election in New York state to count “thousands” of absentee ballots received the day after a congressional primary held last June 23 but previously disqualified because of postmark problems.

According to the ruling by Judge Analisa Torres of Federal District Court in Manhattan, the absentee ballots are to be counted “without regard to whether such ballots are postmarked by June 23.” Carolyn Maloney, the Democratic Party incumbent, got 40.29% of votes previously counted, while challenger Suraj Patel received 38.43%.

The ruling also ordered ballots received on June 25 be counted, as long as such ballots are not postmarked later than June 23. It wasn’t immediately clear exactly how many ballots were affected.

Media had reported that about 12,000 ballots were disqualified. About 1.2 million New York voters, including 414,582 in New York City, voted by absentee ballot in the primary, the ruling said.

This is six weeks after the primary election, and four weeks after the start of the absentee-ballot counting. New York City is an embarrassment.

 

[lpetrich]

Judge orders that NY ballots on House primaries be counted | TheHill

A federal judge has ordered the New York Elections Board to count more than one thousand disqualified absentee ballots in the primary race between House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and challenger Suraj Patel.

It appears that the limited ruling will not be enough to impact the outcome of the race. The New York Times estimates the ruling will affect 1,200 ballots. Maloney leads Patel by about 3,700 votes.

Maloney declared victory in a statement and called on Patel to concede.

After 6 Weeks, Victors Are Declared in 2 N.Y. Congressional Primaries - The New York Times

Although city elections officials certified the results, they did not release updated vote totals; The Associated Press, which typically declares election results, has not done so in either race.

Six weeks and no official numbers.