Is it a Come Back? Republicans win Big in Off-Year Elections
- Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 4:30
- Iowa, National, News Center, Top Story
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- 38 comments
Republicans Pick up Two Gubernatorial Seats
Just one year ago, the political pundits and even some Republicans claimed that conservatism was dead following Barack Obama’s 28 state victory. Those same pundits declared that a major political realignment had taken place, and that the Republican Party was essentially the political party of the southern white men. In their minds the Republican Party was dead. There were no victories in sight for the GOP.
A year is a lifetime in politics. The party that many thought could only win in southern states scored a huge victory in Virginia, a state that President Obama won with 53% of the vote. An ever larger upset was brewing in New Jersey, a democratic stronghold which Obama won with 57% of the vote. New Jersey elected a Republican governor when Chris Christie defeated incumbent Governor Jon Corzine.
Fueling both GOP victories in Virginia and New Jersey was support from independent voters. Chris Christie won the support of independents by a 58 percent to 31 percent margin in New Jersey, while Bob McDonald garnered 65 percent to 34 percent margin among independents in Virginia.
The two gubernatorial victories are huge victories for the Republican Governors Association. The victories also pad the stellar political resume of Governor Haley Barbour, the Chairman of the RGA. It also should allow to the RGA to post good fundraising numbers from now until next November.
A well funded RGA could also have an impact here in Iowa. It is critical for our Republican gubernatorial nominee to have RGA actively involved in the gubernatorial race in 2010. In the last gubernatorial campaign, the RGA contributed $1.4 million to help elect Jim Nussle. Without those types of investments in our gubernatorial candidate, it will be difficult to defeat Culver.
Ron Corbett is the new Mayor of Cedar Rapids
Last night’s big gubernatorial victories over-shadowed the local elections taking place here in Iowa. Most of Iowa’s municipal elections are non-partisan, but Ron Corbett’s victory in Cedar Rapids last night could end up being a significant victory for Republicans.
Corbett, the former Republican Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives, won convincingly last night with 62% of the vote. In Cedar Rapids, candidates need to exceed a 50% threshold to avoid a run-off campaign. Corbett is a natural leader who will help get Cedar Rapids moving in the right direction following the devastating floods of 2008.
Corbett’s campaign, which Todd Dorman of the Cedar Rapids Gazette says cost over $100,000 and lasted over eight months, included some new technology that could find its way into other campaigns around the state. Victory Enterprises implemented its Voter Neighbor Program. The program allows supporter to access a list of potential voters in their neighborhood form the campaigns website. The supporter is able to mark the people they know and send then allows them to pick one of four post cards to send to their list. The program is slick and makes it easy for people to get involved in the campaign.
Corbett’s victory in Cedar Rapids means that Governor Chet Culver may have to deal with a much more vocal and critical mayor than he has had to deal with thus far. Corbett has been outspoken about the need to speed up flood recovery following the 2008 floods.
Corbett’s success last night puts a big feather in the cap for Victory Enterprises and Todd Henderson who was also involved in Corbett’s campaign. And yes, there is already talk that Corbett may be a potential Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2014.
The people of Maine Vote to Over-Turn Gay Marriage
Earlier this year, the Maine legislature passed a law legalizing gay marriage in the state. Last night, voters passed a referendum over-turning gay marriage in the state. The referendum that asked voters if they wanted to reject the state’s new same-sex marriage law passed with 53% of the vote.
Voter turnout in Maine was higher than expected, 53% of registered voters turned out to vote on seven different referendums and bond issues. Maine voters have witnessed and intense campaign over the marriage issues since the legislature passed the law this spring. Combined, the two campaigns have spent more than $6.5 million on the marriage campaigns.
What is fascinating about the vote is that while a majority of voters supported the repeal of the state’s gay marriage law, they overwhelmingly voted down a taxpayer’s bill of rights, which over 60% opposed, and a decrease in the automobile excise tax that only mustered the support of 26% of the electorate.
There is no doubt that a marriage amendment would find overwhelming support here in Iowa, yet Governor Culver, Speaker Pat Murphy, and Majority Leader Mike Gronstal are preventing the vote from taking place. While that strategy might help propel their liberal philosophy, it could hurt them at the ballot box next November.
About the Author
Craig Robinson has written 453 stories on this site.
Craig Robinson serves as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheIowaRepublican.com. Prior to founding Iowa's largest conservative news site, Robinson served as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Iowa during the 2008 Iowa Caucuses. In that capacity, Robinson planned and organized the largest political event in 2007, the Iowa Straw Poll, in Ames, Iowa. Robinson also organized the 2008 Republican caucuses in Iowa, and was later dispatched to Nevada to help with the caucuses there. Robinson cut his teeth in Iowa politics during the 2000 caucus campaign of businessman Steve Forbes and has been involved with most major campaigns in the state since then. His extensive political background and rolodex give him a unique perspective from which to monitor the political pulse of Iowa.
38 Comments on “Is it a Come Back? Republicans win Big in Off-Year Elections”
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The big news is NY HD-23. Good job out of the crackpot conservatives that turned a solid Republican district democratic. Palin and her freakshow need to be shuttered. A lesson to all of you supporters of BVP and his band of incompetent goofs. Get of of Dodge and let the big boys run the show.
MIE. The crackpots are the 11 Republican chairs that selected DeDe. Had Hoffman been the Republican nominee I’m confident that he would have won last night. Glad to see you got your DNC talking points early this morning!
Wrong Craig. No DNC talking points. Remove your blinders and looked what happened in Iowa HD 90. Crackpots wreck the show. By the way, your dissing of Branstad on Deace was pathetic.
i would think it fitting to say that Corbett won this back in march as the city wanted a change. i also think it should be noted that he was the only republican to win in Cedar Rapids. he did not win it by thumping his bible and burning queers, he won it on the economy…. learn that lesson and we can win back Iowa.
“Burning queers”?
That is completely offensive and I’ve yet to see anything in Iowa politics that even comes close to your delusional assessment, Lobo.
You, too, are refusing to study the facts behind homosexuality and same sex ‘marriage.’ If you did, you wouldn’t be in favor of it or, at the very least, agreeable to the militant gay lobby running roughshod over Iowa’s constitution, courts and voters.
Since you obviously don’t give a rip about how PEOPLE are affected by it, let me put it in terms even you can understand: same sex ‘marriage’ and its social fallout are BAD FOR IOWA’s ECONOMY.
MIE..
Yes..nice to see you’ve got the talking points on….Craig’s hit the nail on the head…The loss of NY-23 can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the GOP leaders who selected Scozzafava as their nominee in the back room of a pizzeria!
We have a lot of debate in here about “purity”…however, I think even our moderate folks here have significant issues with a GOP candidate who takes money from ACORN, is endorsed by the Daily Kos, supported the stimulus package, supported card check, supported Obamacare, and was very pro-abortion..
Maine is a BIG hit for the pro-gay marriage crowd. Lets think about the electorate up there. Certainly not a bunch of “Bible-thumpers” or gay bashers up there. This is the state of Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins…and I don’t think anyone has EVER accused them of being “right wing wackos”…
I also think that its also something of a hit against the BVP “executive order” strategy as well. The voters in Maine sent a very clear message that they wanted the decision on a societal issue like gay marriage put in THEIR hands..and not in the hands of judges OR elected officials.
Wrong Hawk: Leave the locals to figure it out. NYHD-23 was a moderate district. Still the luddites decided to make it the fault line for the moderate/extremist wars. The nut****s lost. Lesson learned. Deace, Rush et al. should be chagrined. Moreover, it was a great day for moderates. McDonnell won by staying away from the hot button culture war issues. NJ’s Christie is a moderate. Ron Corbett is the paragon of a moderate problem solving conservative. All of this points to a rejection of ideology and orthodoxy as the road to victory. Moderation in Everything!!!!
LOL.. So..you’re saying to be a “moderate”..you should be pro-ACORN, pro card check, pro stimulus, pro-Obamacare and pro-abortion?
If thats the case..I hate to see what you consider liberal….
Hey Hawk: Maybe you didn’t notice. The crackpot lost. The dem won.
So..its “crackpot” to be for lower taxes, against government run health care…against growing government?? Hoffman was no “crackpot”…far from it. Scozzafava on the other hand was no Republican…far from it.
The biggest thing that Hofffman had going against him was that he didn’t live in the district..and even so..he came within 4 points of beating Owens, a lifetime resident of that district.. Considering a month ago, no one had heard of the guy…to come that far, that quickly…is a testament in of itself.
I wouldn’t be shocked at all if Hoffman challenges Owens for 2010…and wins…
Hey Hawk: The crackpot element came from the Palin/Beck/Limbaugh cabal making the race a test case. The test case blew up in their faces. Hooray!!!
MIE – Why do you believe the only reason Burgmeier lost in HD90 is the gay marriage issue? Local politics are just that, local. Combine a well liked local school teacher in the Dem with a perceived Republican incumbent that had butted heads with the mediator group over Vedic City issues and there is a steep hill to climb for the Rep. I had heard the MUM precinct had an even larger turn out than last years presidential election. Tells me that group may have had motivation far beyond what one representative could have done on the gay marriage issue.
To add credibility to my opinion, I live in HD90.
KC: Had the nutjobs stayed out of the HD race Steve may have won. Another perfect example of the wacko-wing sticking its brown-stained probiscus into races where it had no place being in the first place. It made Strawn and the rest of the Rep apparatus look like eunuchs. The enduring image I have of the race is the red t-shirt clad virgins from Sioux County waving at coffee clatchers while McCarthy and his posse were carrying cartons of absentee ballots to the auditor’s office. Pathetic.
MIE..
Again..you fail to see that in less than ONE MONTH..you had a candidate that everyone thought was going to be a 1-2% guy…come from out of nowhere to come within 4 pts of winning a seat that no one gave him a shot in hell of winning.
Again..answer my question…What is “crackpot” about wanting lower taxes, less government interference, and no government run health care? If that’s crackpot…then I guess VA and NJ just elected “crackpot” governors….
I mean, cmon MIE..you had Keith Olbermann telling 9/12ers last night they could “go straight to hell”…liberals like yourself are in denial here that last night was the beginning of a nightmare thats going to extend well into 2010….
Sorry Hawk. Wrong again. I was utterly reassured by last night’s results. The antedivullians have finally been put into their places. Besides, whether Hoffman lost by 1% or 50% means not a whit to me. He still LOST. BTW–crackpots are those that emphasize the culture war issues, not issues such as less government and lower taxes. Unless you didn’t notice, McDonnell and Christie won by avoiding the culture war issues.
A few thoughts:
1. It’s not a comeback. It’s tells me that maybe we’re headed for a comeback, but if we keep up this civil war (like you can see on a small scale on this very thread), we’re not going to get anywhere in 2010. Even if we took back some majorities, we’d be too paralyzed by this infighting to do anything with it.
2. LoboSolo is right. Corbett’s victory is a model of how Republicans can win in Eastern and Urban Iowa. Run on accountability in government, a fair shake for taxpayers, and government by the people (meaning not by the unions or by the special-interests). Don’t run on abortion, gay-marriage, prayer in school or any of the other hard-line conservative planks. It just won’t play here, no matter how hard you try to push it.
3. My crystal ball is also telling me that Corbett is likely to be a contender for Governor or House in 2014, one way or the other.
One problem with your game plan, Sharp.
What does the Republican do when the Democrats are advancing a pro-abortion, pro-homsexual, anti-God agenda? Does he say nothing or put up a fight?
When he campaigns does he neglect a good portion of the spectrum of issues affecting Iowans?
Think public schools, ISEA, Democratic Party and Iowa’s children being subjected to their social agenda while we foot the bill. It’s already happening.
MIE While I agree that there likely were some strategic and execution items that could have been done differently, Burgmeier hardly came off as a “nut job” or “crackpot”. He had a position and took it. I personally know people who would have never considered voting for a Republican, that voted for Burgmeier because he took a stand and had conviction about the issue. Even the Dem said it should go before the people. He just stopped short of saying how he would vote if it came up.
Why do you insist it was due to a single issue? Is it difficult to understand there may have been other factors that came into play including local issues of weather one candidate was more liked or not?
MIE has already made up his mind about how the causes of the results. Therefore he had drawn his own conclusions from the results. This is a perfect example of the Culture War. We all interpret results based on our world view. His is that Social Conservatives, Values Voters, Idealogs, etc. are crackpots. Therefore the wins of the “moderates” (those who didn’t speak out on his predetermined crackpot issues) spoke loudly and clearly that his crackpots are losers. Many of us on the other hand look at the gains of those same crackpots as sudo victories, and start planning for the next round. Call us optimists, call us planners, call us what you want.
The fact that concerted efforts of the Libs, Dems, Mods, and Reps, could only beat the crackpots by 4 points is a huge victory!
The real lesson in all this is neither side can pick a bad candidate and hope to win. The teabaggers picked someone in new york who had no chance of winning and knocked out the choice of the people who should know who could win. Yankees are not social conservatives or far right, (See bush senior for a good example) and don’t like outsiders telling them what to do. Hoffman never had a chance. However, the idiot teabaggers would rather lose with one of their crackpot candidates then win with a moderate. I can speak to virginia, my in laws live there and are moderates who vote for candidates from both parties, and said the democrats picked a very bad candidate, who policy issues aside, came across as a poor candidate. He was well connected locally but ran a poor campaign and came across as a bumbly idiot.
Republicans should learn that the teabaggers are not their friends, they are a menace to the party and will ultimately divide them and put them further in the minority. Their next target in crist in florida, and that will end up the same way if they are successful. The Democrats need to learn that just because they are in the majority, they can’t rest and run any schmuck and expect to win because obama shows up to campaign for him. Anyone reading too much deeper into these results has way too much time on their hands.
Silence
Actually, craig, most of my wife’s family is from up state new york in the rochester area, hoffman didn’t have a chance, if you can’t win in an off year election where only the diehards are voting, you are never going to win let alone hold the seat in an actual election year.
Silence
“Peggy wrote on 4 November, 2009, 10:55
What does the Republican do when the Democrats are advancing a pro-abortion, pro-homsexual, anti-God agenda? Does he say nothing or put up a fight?”
Peggy, you win on issues that matter to the middle and fix what you can after you have taken back the house/senate/governorship. keep god in your church not in the legislature. so to reiterate , win on the current big issues and fix the social issues after you win back the position. oh and stop burning queers… that should have read blaming queers. Freudian slip ?!?!
So win the Governors election on charismatic believable leadership, fiscal accountability, a return to local control, overall government accountability, and Government of THE PEOPLE, for THE PEOPLE, and by THE PEOPLE? Is that what you are advocating LoboSolo?
Burning, blaming….it’s still offensive and isn’t based in reality.
You said, “keep god in your church not in the legislature”. Does this same imperative apply to the Left? After all, it’s the homosexual lobby who has been allowed access into public schools to promote themselves.
I don’t know of any pro-heterosexual student group in any public school, do you? Maybe now we need one, though.
You are blaming conservatives for their REACTION to the Leftist agenda but giving a pass to those who are ramming their deviant behaviors down our kids’ throats at taxpayers’ expense.
I am writing off topic, since I know most of the people on here do not watch the colbert report, you are not aware that the US Speed skating team lost its primary sponsor and is scrabling for funds. Colbert has stepped in to help fundraise for them. I know many of you probably don’t like him, but this is a good patriotic cause I thought everyone could get behind. You can go to colbertnation or the US speed skating cite to make a donation.
silence
The lesson that can be taken from NY 23 is that a distrct that was a Republican stronghold was lost last night because of an extreme candidate. Conservatives, the proponents of national control, nominated a candidate with no local knowledge. The Republicans did rally around Hoffmann and he still lost. There was no comeback tonight. Deeds was a terrible nominee. Corzine was a terrible governor. There was no ideological victory. There were three big races. Two were won by pragmatists. One was lost by an extremist in a Republican dominated district. What should that say?
How did Republicans rally around Hoffman when Scozzafava still got 5% of the vote? That is more than Owens’ margin of victory!
Wow Peggy, you need some work to gain an understanding of reality, you’re confusing the strawman in your delusional head with reality. First off, do you really think Democrats advance a “pro-abortion, pro-homsexual, anti-God agenda”? Seriously, when has any politician ever campaigned on his/her hate for God and love of aborting a fetus? The Democrats have plenty of flaws to exploit without delving into such craven fantasies. (cut back on the Rush pills, Peggy) While you’re starting the pro-heterosexual group, may as well start the pro-caucasian group too. Better yet, make it the pro-white-male group, we need to make sure white males have their day too. Really, you’re embarrassing.
bunce had a good one too. Yes, lets call a 4 point defeat a huge victory. That won’t make us look stupid at all.
Lobo hits it square. We need to campaign on fiscal responsiblity, small gov’t, etc., focus on the issues moderates and independents care more about. Then, the candidate can give one speech at a pro-life group meeting, say the right words and release it to the media, and then all the rubes like Peggy will be onboard too. But thats really the conundum, how does a candidate pander the base without alienating the middle during the primary, then turn around and campaign to the middle without alienating the base in the general election. Focusing solely on the base in both phases is a recipe for failure, sans McCain.
> I don’t know of any pro-heterosexual student group in any public school, do you? Maybe now we need one, though.
Ya, we need that about as much as we need White History month.
Mod, I hafta disagree with you on this one. The GOP failed to put up a decent candidate so the conservatives decided to go it on their own. I don’t think conservatism was the problem per se. If they had a properly vetted candidate, or better yet, had time to have held a primary the GOP may have held that seat.
However, this ought to be a lesson, 3rd party candidates nearly always end up causing the other party to win. In politics 2nd place is the first loser!!!
robpo,
I wouldn’t expect you to have the slightest inkling about what happens in Iowa’s public schools at the behest of the ISEA, ISBA and IDP. You’re a money man.
Iowa doesn’t need a governor who can’t see the big picture or is afraid to address all issues that affect Iowans. That’s not to say I need to hear him talk about abortion or same sex ‘marriage’ everytime he opens his mouth but you, on the other hand, NEVER want to hear those issues mentioned because you assume that every other Iowan is just as disinterested as you are.
Leadership starts in the home, gentlemen. Take a tip from these two men in Massachusetts, Whiteman and Camenker. I have no doubt they’re also fiscally conservative.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fistgate
Wow Peggy, that is crazy – I had never heard about that Fistgate thing. Thats utterly ridiculous. Those people should be fired… oh wait, they were. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place, it was totally inappropriate. But it did, it was a horrible mistake, the people responsible were removed. End of story. So, why Peggy, do you make a war out of it? This incident shouldn’t serve to promote inequality for gays, yet you Peggy seem to be internalizing it for that purpose. You even seem to be expanding it to a dire concern for what happens in Iowa’s public schools. What concerns you, specifically, about what happens in Iowa’s public schools? I’m very close to several teachers in multiple districts, I haven’t heard of anything from those connections to be concerned about. But, they’re not homophobic like you, so it may be a different standard. I’ll also point out how your intense focus on homosexual sex seems to fog other considerations, more important considerations, on the issue. You shouldn’t let your extreme disgust for the activity to overshadow your better sense.
So it’s now “homophobic” to care about the health of Iowa’s children, especially young women?
“Inequality for gays”?
Where???
To the contrary, I’m not disgusted by or reluctant to openly discuss the sexual practices of homosexuals at all; that honor falls on promoters of homosexuality. The fact is homosex presents significant physical dangers and increased risks for disease to those who practice it. When there’s an international movement to not only deny that truth but also PROMOTE its usage (Hey, let’s teach school kids about fisting!), I am compelled to speak out against it. You should be, too.
We already have groups like One Iowa and the Iowa Pride Network setting up shop with Iowa’s AEA’s to put on workshops for teachers and students
http://www.iowapridenetwork.org/educators/
Click on all the links on this page and ask yourself if this is a search for equality or outright advocacy.
Then, imagine your children or grandchildren’s academic school day being hijacked by theses activists and their misguided and dangerous message.
The only reason the teachers in Mass. were fired is because two conscientious fathers were paying attention and videotaped that conference. At least one teacher was reinstated, BTW, and the judge issued a gag order of the video tape of the PUBLIC meeting.
Whose rights are being trampled, rob?
MIE is way off base here. The NY GOP screwed this up royally. Heads need to roll there.