The Montana Senate Seat is Up For Grabs!

You may remember that the seat was held by Democrat John Walsh. But, he dropped out after reports surfaced that he'd plagiarized parts of his final thesis at the US Army War College. Walsh was appointed to the seat when Max Baucus left to become Ambassador to China. The Cook Political Report rates this seat as leaning Republican. http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Montana,_2014

Steve Daines is the Republican candidate. Amanda Curtis is the new Democratic candidate chosen by the Montana Democratic party on August 16.

Curtis is currently a Democratic member of the Montana House of Representatives (76th district). If you'd like to know more about Curtis, please see this: http://ballotpedia.org/Amanda_Curtis

Some may dismiss her candidacy but CNN has an interesting article about her and her chances to join Senator Jon Tester on Capital Hill. http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/26/politics/curtis-montana-senate/

If you'd like to help Curtis become the next Democratic Senator from Montana, please go to her campaign website here: http://www.amandaformontana.com/

Also, check out the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee information on the Montana race here:  http://www.dscc.org/races/montana

Please help #GOTV for Amanda Curtis. We need her voice for Democrats in Washington DC.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack on Twitter @PDMFNB

Travis Childers is the Democratic Nominee Challenging Thad Cochran in Mississippi

Childers was formerly a Democratic Representative from the 1st district of Mississippi. If you remember Thad Cochran had a strong challenger in the Primary from Chris McDaniel and did not get the required 50% of the vote. Then in the run-off primary Cochran beat McDaniel. As of August 14 McDaniel has challenged Cochran's win in the court. http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Mississippi,_2014
The Mississippi election commission has Cochran as the Republican Senate nominee.

If you'd like to know more about Travis Childers, like how he's voted in Congress and who has funded him, then please go here: http://ballotpedia.org/Travis_Childers

If you'd like to help turn this Senate seat from Red to Blue, please go to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee website and sign up to help: http://www.dscc.org/races/mississippi or your can go to Childers campaign website: http://childersforsenate.com/

Please pick a candidate and do what you can to help them get elected. This 2014 midterm is vital to retain the Senate in Democratic Control.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack On Twitter at @PDMFNB

Former Maine ACLU Executive Director Shenna Bellows is the Democratic Senatorial Candidate for Maine

Shenna Bellows ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on June 10. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee information on Bellows states:  "Shenna Bellows, the former head of the Maine ACLU, has spent her career fighting for the people of Maine. Bellows is an energetic leader who has fought for women’s rights, civil rights, individual freedoms, environmental protections, and an economy that works for everyone. The daughter of a carpenter, Bellows has centered her campaign around middle class values, work ethic, and political courage. In the fourth quarter, Bellows outraised Susan Collins, bringing in $332,000 with nearly 82% from small dollar donors. While most of the state has shifted toward Democrats, the Tea Party has gained tremendous influence among the dwindling Republican ranks with the election of Tea Party Governor Paul LePage. The combination of the two could equal trouble for Senator Collins in a general election." http://www.dscc.org/races/maine  You can sign up to help her campaign at that site or  here: http://bellowsforsenate.com/

If you'd like to know more about Bellows, please see the Ballotpedia information here:  http://ballotpedia.org/Shenna_Bellows  This site has the latest information about her candidacy.

As the underdog on the race, Bellows is relying on traditional methods to get out the voters. See this article on how she is campaigning: http://bangordailynews.com/2014/07/31/opinion/editorials/shenna-bellows-and-shoe-leather-an-underdogs-all-out-campaign/  This details her 350 mile walk around Maine.

Please consider helping her. Susan Collins has been the Republican Senator since 1996. I think it's time to put a Democrat in that seat.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

Help Re-elect the Assistant Majority Leader of the Senate

Here is what the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has to say about my senator, Dick Durbin:

"Senator Dick Durbin has been a strong voice advocating for Illinois’ working families. As the Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Durbin has been a leader in America’s economic recovery, the effort to make health care more affordable and accessible, and protect consumers in Illinois and across the country. A close ally of President Obama, Senator Durbin is helping lead efforts to pass the DREAM Act, save students from debt, protect the Great Lakes, invest in infrastructure and build bipartisan consensus to solve the nation’s fiscal challenges. Senator Durbin won re-election by 39 points in 2008 and recent polling shows him beating his Republican challenger by double digits." http://www.dscc.org/races/illinois

Richard Durbin was first elected to the Senate in 1996. Durbin's Republican opponent is Jim Oberweiss. For more on Durbin's tenure in the Senate see this:  http://ballotpedia.org/Richard_Durbin

Senator Durbin was born in East St. Louis and recently made comments about the situation in Ferguson, MO. You can read about them here:  http://kplr11.com/2014/08/22/sen-durbin-praises-local-leaders-for-peace-in-ferguson/

If you are interested in helping with Durbin's campaign, sign up here: http://www.dickdurbin.com/

I will be voting for him and I hope you will too if you live here in Illinois. My husband and I visited Washington DC in 2006 and attended a constituent coffee hosted by Senator Durbin and then Senator Obama.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack also on Twitter @PDMFNB

The Hawaii Special Election for Senate 2014

If you've been following the politics in Hawaii since Senator Daniel Inouye's death, you will see how often emotions and rhetoric play out. After the senator's death, the sitting Democratic Governor, Neil Abercrombe, appointed his Lieutenant Governor, Brian Schatz, to fill the vacancy. The Governor chose to ignore a letter from Inouye asking for Rep Colleen Hanabusa to be his successor. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/20/1225307/-Endorsement-Gate-Blows-Up-in-Hanabusa-s-Face#

In the primary, Hanabusa ran against the incumbent Schatz. You may also remember that a severe tropical storm hit the big island on the day of the primary. As a result, Hanabusa contested the outcome as Schatz only won by 1% of the vote. This link provides a summary of the events: http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Hawaii,_2014

Senator Schatz has a Republican opponent in the November 4th special election, Cam Cavaso, who formerly served in the state legislature.

If you are interested in learning more about Senator Schatz, please check out this article:  http://ballotpedia.org/Brian_Schatz

You may sign up to help his campaign here: http://brianschatz.com/ and here:
 http://www.dscc.org/races/hawaii

Please help get Democratic candidates elected to the Senate this year. Thanks.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

Will You Help Chris Coons Get Re-elected to the Senate?

The incumbent Senator Chris Coons in Delaware is running unopposed in the Democratic primary on September 9th. The Republican party has two candidates running in the primary. The winner will face Coons in the November 4th midterm election. Some of us were intrigued when there was some discussion of Christine (I am not a witch) O'Donnell entering the primary race. But, sadly, she declined to enter.

If you'd like to know more about Senator Coons, please check here:  http://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Coons

Here's a recent article on the Delaware primary: http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2014/08/21/primary-approaching-campaigns-pick-pace/14419267/

Please sign up to help with his campaign. Here are two places: http://www.dscc.org/races/delaware
http://chriscoons.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack on twitter @PDMFNB

Senator Jeanne Shaheen Faces Scott Brown

Senator Shaheen is the incumbent and faces Scott Brown in the November midterm election. Shaheen was formerly the Governor of New Hampshire. She had also previously served in the state senate. Brown, if you remember, ran in a special election against Martha Coakley in MA in 2010 to replace Sen. Ted Kennedy. Brown trailed Coakley until late in the race, then defeated her. He later ran against Elizabeth Warren and lost. He has now moved to New Hampshire to challenge Shaheen.

Just like Coakley, Shaheen has been leading Brown and now recent polls have him within 2 points. The Republican party is counting on winning this race to secure their take-over of the US Senate. The Boston Globe has the race as a dead heat: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/08/21/jeanne-shaheen-scott-brown-dead-heat-new-poll-finds/aP4DUADaYLNif2LBJ5TWaI/story.html

Please go to her campaign website: http://jeanneshaheen.org/ or to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee site: http://www.dscc.org/races/new-hampshire Sign up to help in any way you can. Retaining the Democratic majority in the Senate is essential to maintaining life as we know it in America. If you think that is an exaggeration, then consider this:
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/21/how-mitch-mcconnell-would-rule-the-senate/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

This article tells how Mitch McConnell would rule the Senate and what he'd do to our country. Will you let this happen? Do something; donate, write letters to the editors, sign up for phone banks, etc. Thanks.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack