Bye Steve!

Y'all know I have no love for Rep. Steve King, the unrepentant racist who has represented Iowa's 4th Congressional District for 18 years.   On Tuesday night he was bidding for a tenth term in Congress, but had a crowded Republican primary of four challengers to get through in order to put him in position to make that happen.

Happy to report that it didn't work out for him. 

King lost to Iowa state senator Randy Feenstra, who will now carry the Republican banner into the general election this November against Democratic nominee JD Scholten.

It wasn't close either.  Feenstra, who reps a ruby red state senate district, beat him 46%-38%, and did so by pointing out that he was ineffective because of all the controversy.

Feenstra, who is just as conservative, anti-TBLGQ and Trump loving as King, had the backing of local and national Republicans who feared that if King were on the ballot, it would put this conservative leaning northwestern Iowa congressional seat in jeopardy of being flipped to the Democrats.

Scholten narrowly missed knocking KKKing off in the 2018 cycle and launched another bid for this 4th Congressional District seat. .Scholten was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

King's white supremacist views and palling around with international white supremacists have caused him to lose support in the state and national Republican Party.  He was trying to skate by in this election cycle with only $30,000 in his campaign accounts.

In addition,, his racist views have cost him House committee assignments.  He was stripped of them after saying in a New York Times interview, White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”

Yeah, he's that clueless.  

Bye Steve.  One GOP racist down, a bunch more to fire on November 3. 

Say Hello To Judge Jill Rose Quinn!

History was made during the Illinois Democratic primary Tuesday night as the state of Illinois saw its first ever out trans person elected to public office.

65 year old attorney Jill Rose Quinn ran for a vacant seat on the Cook County Circuit Court.   There were two other candidates running for the Democratic Party nomination in the primary for that seat, and Quinn won big with over 65% of the vote.

"It’s not just a victory for me, it’s a victory for everybody out there who’s marginalized, everybody who’s different, everybody who’s trans,” said Quinn in an interview. 
Quinn was endorsed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D), the Cook County Democratic Party and the LGBTQ Victory Fund.   She was also rated qualified by 13 different local bar agencies in addition to drawing the top position on the ballot.

Mayor Lightfoot said in her endorsement of her,"Jill Rose Quinn has fought for fairness, equality and justice her entire life and her perspective and experience will be invaluable for our courts and our community.” 

So she had a few things going her way in the runup to Election Night. 

Because there was no Republican running in their primary for this seat, she will when the November 3 election happens be running unopposed for it and is assured of being elected.. 

On that night she will officially become the first out trans person elected to public office in the state of Illinois, only the fourth transgender judge in the nation, and the second elected one after Judge Vicky Kolakowski of California.

Judge-elect Quinn does recognize the importance of her win.   In an interview that was conducted before Election Day, she said this as she reflected on her campaign:

“There are kids in this country killing themselves because they’re trans and they don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. They don’t see respect. They don’t see themselves portrayed as being people, not ordinary people, of course, because nobody’s ordinary, but they don’t see how great they can be," Quinn said. “So I think it’s important for them to see that you can survive, you can prosper, you can go to school, you can study hard. You can make your way, and you can be a judge."

Congratulations Judge Quinn for making history and being a possibility model to our kids.

Biden Blows Out Bernie Again!

Another Tuesday, another Biden blowout of Bernie Sanders as six more states held their Democratic Party primary elections. 

Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington were the six states participating in what was dubbed Super Tuesday II, with the biggest prize of the night being Michigan and its 125 delegates. 

Sanders now finds himself in a familiar position of trailing after getting his butt whipped during Super Tuesday, and was desperate to stop the slide in a state he surprisingly won four years ago. 

But just like in 2016, Sanders was ice skating uphill because once again, Black Democratic voters aren't Feeling The Bern and are making it loud and clear since the South Carolina primary they aren't.

Biden shattered and splatted that comeback trail political pipe dream by not only winning Michigan, Mississippi and Missouri by 'YUGE' margins,  Sanders failed to win a single county in all three of those states. 

Those huge wins in the 'Three M states' were once again powered by Black voters.  If you're wondering what the Black population percentages were in those three states, in Michigan, it's 13.7%.  In Missouri, it's 11%, and in Mississippi, where he was endorsed by Jackson mayor Chokwe Lumumba but still lost Hinds County and every other one in the Magnolia State, it was 37%.

Biden also captured Idaho to add to his big night and expand his overall lead in the race to 1991 pledged delegates to clinch the nomination, while Sanders is leading in Washington and won North Dakota 

Next up on the Biden Beats Down Bernie tour are the states of Arizona, Illinois, Florida and Ohio, who will all vote on St Patrick's Day.

While Arizona's Black population is only 4.1%,  in Illinois it's 14%, Florida it's 16% and Ohio it's 14.3%.   Not surprisingly, the polling is not looking good for Team Sanders in any of those March 17 primary states as Election Day rapidly approaches. 

Sanders' comments praising Fidel Castro also aren't going to help him in a state with a large Cuban population.   Florida is also the biggest prize delegate wise, with 219 pledged delegates.  Arizona has 67, Illinois 155 and Ohio 136.

Will Biden get closer to getting the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, or will Sanders spring an upset along the way?   Not likely because he's losing more diverse states while winning overwhelmingly white ones. 

Sanders is also pinning his barely got a pulse comeback hopes on this Sunday's debate which has now been moved to Washington DC because of coronavirus concerns.

But the only polls that count in any election are the voters actually casting ballots. 

We'll see what happens next Tuesday. 








 

Biden Wins Big On Super Tuesday!

There are a lot of folks who are shocked (or in the case of Bernie supporters angry) at what took place last night.   I'm not.  I've been seeing this night coming for a while.

Been telling people for months that Bernie Sanders is not well liked by the majority of Black voters, and y'all poo pooed it or called me a 'corporate Dem' and a 'tool of The Establishment' for saying it.  .

Can you hear me now?

Biden built on the huge South Carolina win by capturing ten states, including my home state of Texas to take the lead in the delegate counts and the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race.

It was a huge win powered by Black voters, who once again rejected Sanders' calls for revolution in favor of the politically pragmatic position of just beat Trump.   They also endured long waits of up to six hours to do so 

Just like in 2016, Sanders lost in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Alabama, and did so by double digit numbers.  The defeat in North Carolina was particularly disappointing to Team Sanders because in 2016 he received 41% of the vote and they were expecting to be competitive there.  They did worse this time, capturing just 24% of the vote.

Biden also took the states of Oklahoma, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Maine in addition to grabbing the second largest delegate prize of the night in Texas.

Sanders won in Colorado, his home state of Vermont, Utah and California.

As for Bloomberg, who spent $500 millions trying this Super Tuesday strategy?   He only won American Samoa for his trouble, and dropped out to endorse Biden this morning

After failing to win her home state of Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren also has a serious decision to make as well on whether to continue her presidential campaign

Next up on march 10 will be the states of Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota and  Washington

It's Texas Primary Election Day!

It's Texas primary election day!   It's also Super Tuesday, in which Texas and 14 other states and territories are conducting their primary elections today.

While Texas and  California are the biggest delegate rich prizes today, the other states and territories participating in Super Tuesday are American Samoa, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Virginia, North Carolina,  Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Colorado and Utah

Polls in Texas open at 7 AM and close at 7 PM    If you are in line at closing time, you must be allowed to vote.   Any shady behavior or voter suppression attempts at your polling places can  be reported at 866- OUR-VOTE

If you're unsure of who to vote for, I have some suggestions.

In case you're wondering if Moni practiced what she is preaching to y'all, I sure did.   I voted in the Democratic primary during the first day of early voting back on February 18.

If you live in Harris County, you can vote at any voting center in the county when the polls open.

So go handle your business.  Only takes a few moments out of your day and it's part of your civic duty to do so.  Besides, the kids who can't vote yet are counting on you to do it for them. 

Early Voting In The Texas Primary Starts Tomorrow

March 3 is the date you want to circle on your 2020 calendar if you wish to go handle your election business on primary election day.   But for those of you like myself who already have your minds made up and nothing is going to change it by waiting aonther week or so, early voting for the Texas primary starts tomorrow. 

The dates for Texas early voting are February 18-February 28.    In Harris County, you can vote at any voting center inside the county from 7 AM-7 PM CST.   On 'Souls To The Polls Day', Sunday February 23. the polls will be open from 1-6 PM CST 

There's also a new twist happening in this Texas primary election besides the fact the straight ticket voting option won't be on the ballot no thanks to our Texas GOP legislators.   In Harris County, Democratic and Republican primary election participants will be doing so from the same voting centers.

And if you're wondering who to vote for on the Democratic side, I have some suggestions.

This is a prinary election ballot, so it will be a long one, especially in Harris County. 

Vote the enitre ballor from POTUS to dog catcher, because there are good candidates wanting and needing your votes in races on that other end of the ballot as well, and those races are jsut as important as the presidential contest is.

Texas judicial benches, Texas State Board of Education, those offices are on the ballot and they  matter along with the state lege races.   Turning this state blue starts with you, the voters taking part in this and every election. .

The best part of early voting is that you choose when, whare and what time to do so, as long as you cast those ballots from Febraury 18-28 .   After those dates, you'll have to wait until the March 3 Election Day.

For those of you who aren't registered to vote for the primary, there's still time for you to get busy and get registered for the May runoff and general election on November 3.     To be eligible to vote in the May runoff election, you must be registered by April 2.   Final date to get registered for the general election in November is October 5

But first up is the primary elections what will play a major role in determining what peeeps are on your ballot in November    So tke some time out of your busy schedule to handle your electoral business.

     

TransGriot 2020 Texas Democratic Primary Election Endorsement Post

You've been asking me for it, and here it is, just before early voting starts in the Texas primary election on  February 18.   For those of you who wish to wait for the actual Texas primary Election Day, that will happen on March 3.

We are the most populous county in Texas, and our ballot is going to reflect that.   It always going to be a long one because of that.  Also bear in mind that no thanks to the TXGOP, we no longer have the option of straight ticket voting.

Every race matters, so vote from POTUS to dog catcher.   Your vote may be the differnce between winning and losing for many candidates in a tight race.

Make Trump, Greg Abbott and the Texas GOP mad by voting either during early voting, which runs from Febuary 18-February 28., on primary day on on the general election day on November 3.

You can also vote at ANY voting center in Harris County during early voting or the general election.

If you aren't registered to do so during the primary, you can still make sure you are registred for the upcoming presidential election in November and the May runoff elections from May 18-22

Vote as if your life depends on it, because frankly, it does.

And now, my TransGriot 2020 Democratic primary endorsements.

President- Elizabeth Warren 

US Senate-  Amanda Edwards

US House-District 2-Sima Ladjevarian
US House District 9- Al Green
US House District 10- Mike Siegel 
US House- District 14- Adrienne Bell  
US House- District 18-Sheila Jackson Lee
US House District 21- Wendy Davis 
US House- District 22- No Endorsement

TX State Board of Education District 4 -Larry McKinzie 
TX State Board of Education District 6- Michelle Palmer

TX State Senator- District 11-Susan Criss 
TX State Senator- District 13- Borris Miles  


TX House- District 26-Sarah DeMerchant  
TX House- District 27- Ron Reynolds
TX House- Dsitrict 28- Lawrence Allen
TX House- District 83- Addison Perry-Franks 
TX House- District 126- Natali Hurtado
TX House- District 131- Alma A Allen
TX House- District 134- Ann Johnson 
TX House- District 135- Jon Rosenthal 
TX House-District 138- Akilah Bacy 
TX House- District 139- Jarvis Johnson 
TX-House- District 141- Senfronia Thompson
TX House- District 142- Jerry Davis 
TX House- District 146- Ashton P Woods 
TX House- District 147- Garnet F Coleman
TX House- District 148-- Penny Morales Shaw 

Chief Justice TX Supreme Court- Amy Clark Meacham
TX Supreme Court Justice- Place 6- Kathy Cheng
TX Supreme Court Justice- Place 7- Staci Williams
TX Supreme Court  Justice- Place 8- Gisela Triana 

TX Court of  Criminal Appeals- Place 3 - William Pieratt Demond
TX Court of Appeals District 14-  Jane Robinson
TX Court of Appeals- 1st District- Place 3- Veronica Rivas Molloy
TX Court of Appeals 1st District- Place 5- Amparo Monique Guerra
TX Court of Appeals 1st District Place 7 - Cheri Thomas
TX District Judge- 80th Judicial District- Larry Weiman 
TX Dsitrict Judge- 164th Judicial District- Alexandra Smoots-Thomas 
TX District Judge- 165th Judicial District- Ursula Hall 
TX District Judge- 176th Judicial District-Nikita 'Niki' Harmon
TX District Judge -179th Judicial District- Ana Martinez 
TX District Judge- 333rd Judicial District- Daryl Moore
TX District Judge- 334th Judicial District- Dawn Deshea Roigers 
TX District Judge- 337th Judicial District- Colleen Gaido
TX District Judge - 339th Judicial District- Te'iva Bell
TX District Judge- 351st Judicial District- Natalia 'Nata' Cornelio
TX District Judge- 367 Judicial District-  Janet Buening Happard
TX District Judge- 505th Judicial District- Surendran K. Patel  
TX District Judge- 507th Judicial District-Julia Maldonado 

Harris County District Attorney- Audia Jones 
Harris County Attorney- Christian Menefee
Harris County Sheriff- Ed Gonzales
Harris County Tax Assessor Collector -Jolanda Jones

Harris County Commissioner- Precinct 1-Rodney Ellis
Harris County Commissioner- Precinct 3- Diana Martinex Alexander

Harris County Constable- Precinct 1- Alan Rosen
Harris County Constable- Precinct 7-  May Walker

Harris County Civil Court at Law No 4- Bill McLeod

Harris County Department of Education Place 5- Erica Davis
Harris County Department of Education Place 7- Obes Nwabara
Harris County Justice of the Peace- Precinct 6 Place 1- Victor Trevino III
Harris County Justice of the Peace- Precinct 7 Place 1- Jeremy L. Brown

HBAD Endorsement Meeting Today!

The Texas primary election date of March 3 is rapidly approaching, and so is the start of early voting in the Lone Star State on February 18.

That meant that for the second consecutive Satuday I got up out of bed early so that I could be at the  Sunnyside area venue in which the Houston Black Area Democrats (H-BAD) endorsement meeting was being held before it started at 9 AM.

It was my first time doing their endorsement meeting, and was nice seeing old freinds and meeting some new ones.  I laughed when I got asked the question by a few people in attendance if I was running for office in this cycle, and when I said 'Not yet", that question truned into 'When was I going to run for office?

91 people screened for the H-BAD endorsement, which is one of the Big Four endorsements of Houston progressive Democratic politics. 

These endorsement meetings can have a lot of drama that rivals the best reality TV shows.  There's twists and turns.   People getting endorsements as expected, and others who didn't get it from the screening committe, but who flipped it once itgot to the meeting. 

People can win or lose endorsements based on what they say that sways the people in the room or pisses them off.

Here are the folks who after six hours, walked out with those coveted H-BAD endorsements:

US Senate- Amanda Edwards 
US Representative District 2- Sima Ladjevarian   
US Representative District 18-  Sheila Jackson Lee
US Representative District 22- Derrick Reed 

Member TX State Board of Education District 6- Michelle Palmer 
TX State Senator Disctrict 13- Borris Miles 
TX State Representative District 27- Ron Reynolds
TX State Representative District 126- Natali Hurtado 
TX State Representative District  131- Alma A. Allen 
TX State Representative Distrct 138-Akilah Bacy 
TX State Represntative District 139-  Jarvis Johnson
TX State Reprsentative  District 141- Senfronia Thompson 
TX State Representative District 142- Richard Bonton 
TX State Represntative District 146 -Shawn Nicole Thierry
TX State Representative District 147- Garnet F. Coleman
Cheif Justice Texas Supreme Court -Amy Clark Meacham
Justice, Texas Supreme Court Place 6- Kathy Cheng
Justice Texas Supreme Court, Place 7- Staci Williams 
Justice Texas Supreme Court Place 8- Peter Kelly
Justice, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals  Place 3 - William Pieratt Demond  
Justice, Texas Court  of Appeals District 14- Jane Robinson
Justice  Texas Court of Appeals 1st District, Place 3 -Veronica Rivas-Molloy
Justice, Texas Court of Appeals  1st District Place 5- Amparo Monique Guerra
Justice Texas Court of Appeals 14th District  Place 7- Tamika Craft

District Judge  80th Judicial District-  Larry Weiman 
District Judge  164th Judicial District- Alexandra Smoots Thomas 
District Judge  165th Judicial District- Ursula Hall 
District Judge  176th Judicial District-  Nikita 'Niki' Harmon
District Judge  179th Judicial District-  No Endorsement 
District Judge  333rd Judicial District-  Daryl Moore   
District Judge  334th Judicial District-  Dawn Deshea Rogers
District Judge  337th Judicial District - Brennen Dunn
District Judge  339th Judicial District- Te'iva Bell
District Judge 351st  Judicial District - Natalia 'Nata' Cornelio 
District Judge 507th Judicial District-  Julia Maldonado

Harris County District Attorney - Carvana Cloud
Harris Ciunty Attorney- Christian Dashaun Menefee 
Harris County Sheriff - Ed Gonzales  
Harris County Tax Assessor Collector - Jolanda Jones

Harris County Commissioner Precinct 1- Rodney Ellis
Harris County Commissioner Precinct 3- Morris Overstreet 

Harris County Constrable Precinct 1 -Alan Rosen 

Harris County Civil Court At Law Number  4- Lesley Briones

Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 6 Place 1 - Victor Trevino III
Harris County Justice of the Peace Precinct 7 Place 1 -  Jeremy  L. Brown 
 

Good Luck Melissa!

The New York primary election is happening today, and my friend Melissa Sklarz is trying to make more history in the Empire State by becoming the first out trans person elected to the New York State Assembly

She's running for the 30th Assembly District;s Democratic party nomination against freshman incumbent Assemblyman Brian Barnwell, who knocked off a longtime incumbent himself in 2016.

Here's hoping that when the polls close in New York state, we hear some good news this evening.

Good luck, Melissa!

TransGriot Update:  Unfortunately it didn't work out for Melissa last night.   Assemblyman Barnwell captured the Democratic nomination for the 30th Assembly District seat

Good Luck Alexandra!

The Massachusetts primary election is today, and Trans America has its eyes on the Massachusetts 3rd Congressional District race. 

In that crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to replace the retiring Rep Nikki Tsongas (D) is Alexandra Chandler.

If she wins in the primary today, she not only make Massachusetts political history by becoming the first out trans person in the state to win a congressional major party primary, she would get a step closer to becoming the first out trans person ever to be elected to Congress

Good luck Alexandra!   Hope you make history tonight!

Historic Election Night In Florida!

When the votes were counted after the polls closed in the Florida primary election last night, Black history was made in the Sunshine State.

Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum was the surprise winner of the Democratic Party gubernatorial primary when the votes were all counted.  Gwen Graham, the daughter of former Florida governor Bob Graham,  had been considered the frontrunner for the nomination.

Gillum never led in any on the polls conducted prior to Election Night, and was consistently third in every one of them.   But he prevailed in the only poll that mattered, the one at the ballot box. 

The FAMU alum becomes the first African American to capture a major party nomination for governor in Florida

He goes on to face in the general election Rep. Ron DeRacist  DeSantis, who wrapped himself around Dolt 45, and wasted no time injecting race baiting rhetoric into the gubernatorial campaign and getting called on it.

Also making this night a historic one in the Sunshine State is state Rep Sean Shaw (D-Tampa)/  He won his Democratic Party attorney general primary race in his bid to become the first Black attorney general in the state's history.

These dual wins combined with Ron DeRacist's 'monkey this up' comment dissing Gillum less than 24 hours after he'd made history will no doubt juice African-American turnout in Florida for the general election, and that will have down ballot implications for other Florida Democratic candidates.

The other wild card in this Florida race is the 100,000 Puerto Ricans who have moved to Florida after being displaced from the island in the wake of the piss poor response to Hurricane Maria by the Trump misadministration

Think they are going to be inclined to vote for Republicans after the Trump misadministration's 'fantatsic job' they did in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria?

We'll see on November 6

Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams are Trans United Fund’s Choice for New York

The New York primary election is rapidly approaching on September 13, and as a Board Member of Trans United Fund, I’m proud to exclusively announce that we’re endorsing Cynthia Nixon for Governor and Jumaane Williams for Lieutenant Governor of New York because we believe they will be champions for the needs of trans and nonbinary people.
The current governor has had several opportunities since 2011 to use his power to help our community, especially when it comes to getting GENDA passed and to his desk, and failed to decisively act to legislatively advance our rights in New York .

Trans communities don’t need lip service-we need action.

There’s been a lot of talk in these races, and many who are not a part of our communities have attacked Cynthia and Jumaane as if they were speaking on behalf of trans and queer people.

Let us be very clear: we speak for ourselves, and what we’re saying is: Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams are our choice for New York.

Trans people of color throughout New York deserve a Lieutenant Governor like Jumaane Williams who has tirelessly fought against racist Stop and Frisk policies that target our communities for violence and criminalization. Our communities deserve a Lt. Governor like Jumaane who has organized to provide more beds for homeless youth throughout New York, where almost half of homeless youth are LGBTQ; who, in a time of widespread attacks on trans communities’ right to simply exist in public, stood firm and helped pass a bill that protected our rights to using public facilities. That is what championing our communities looks like: taking real action, even when it wasn’t popular, even when it wasn’t election season.

Trans and nonbinary people throughout New York deserve a Governor like Cynthia Nixon, who won’t make backroom deals with fake Democrats, but will actually champion GENDA and make sure trans, nonbinary, and LGBQ people are protected from discrimination. Our communities deserve a Governor like Cynthia who is herself a queer woman, and the supportive mother of a trans child, because for her, this isn’t an election slogan: this is personal, this is family. Trans and nonbinary communities of color deserve a Governor like Cynthia who is making fighting criminalization one of her top priorities: from ending cash bail, closing Rikers, ending the process of trying children as adults, to re-investing funds that have historically gone to incarceration into education and community initiatives that actually build up our communities and keep us safe.

Trans and nonbinary communities need real champions, not election-season lip service. It’s my belief, and the belief of Trans United Fund, that Cynthia and Jumaane are those champions, and we’re proud to endorse them for Governor and Lt. Governor.

Alexandra Chandler Is Running For Congress

One of the other election results I'll be paying close attention to in Massachusetts on September 4 besides the Republican gubernatorial primary featuring incumbent  Gov. Charlie Baker versus the reprehensible LGBT hatemonger Scott Lively is the US House District 3 race Democratic primary.

The Question 3 referendum on the statewide trans rights law will happen in the general election on November 6. 

Rep. Nikki Tsongas (D) decided to retire, setting off a nine candidate scramble to replace her on the Democratic side of the ballot. 

One of those candidates is Alexandra Chandler, a Navy veteran and former intelligence analyst who is another one of the wave of qualified and unapologetically trans candidates #TransformingPolitics.



She is endorsed by Trans United Fund, other organizations, and various politicians in the 3rd Congressional District.

Should she win her primary race, she'll not only make Massachusetts political history as the first trans person in the Bay State to win a congressional primary, it will put her one step closer to becoming the first out trans person elected to the US Congress,

We've had a few people since Amanda Simpson became the first out trans person to win a Democratic congressional primary race in Arizona back in 2004 who have come close to achieving that milestone of getting elected to Congress. 

Here's hoping that Chandler breaks through and makes it happen. 

But the first step to getting to the November 6 general election is winning the MA-3 primary on September 4   

Dayna Smith Running For South Carolina Senate Seat

There's a special election happening in South Carolina today that will also get my undivided attention when the polls close this evening.

Dayna Smith is running for the SC State Senate District 20 seat that covers Lexington and Richland counties and the cities of Columbia, Irmo, Lake Murray, Seven Oaks and St. Andrews.

She's also the first out trans person to run for office in South Carolina

The special election is happening because longtime state Senator John Courson (R) resigned and vacated the seat after pleading guilty to official misconduct in June.    The seat has been held by the GOP since 1984, and South Carolina has a 28-18 GOP state Senate majority that the SC Democrats would love to begin the process of flipping by flipping this senate seat..

Smith is one of three Democrats competing for the seat, and faces off against Dick Harpootlian, the former chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party and Kyle Lacio for the Democratic nomination. 
Four Republicans are running in their primary. 

If no one gets over 50% in their primary, there will be a runoff election scheduled for August 28.    The primary winners will face off in the November 6 general election for the District 20 seat .

Good luck to Dayna and hope she makes some South Carolina political history later tonight.

Christine Hallquist Attempts To Make More Vermont Trans Electoral History

Four primary elections are happening today in the states of Connecticut, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Vermont.   In addition to seeing what transpires in some races key to who holds control of the US House and Senate, the American trans community's eyes will be on Vermont as another trans candidate attempts to make electoral history. 

Back in 2000, the late Karen Kerin made history in the state by winning the Republican nomination for Vermont's US House seat.  She subsequently got blown out in the general election by Bernie Sanders.

A conservative who was a perennial candidate in the Green Mountain State, Kerin was also the 2008 Republican candidate for attorney general, and lost Republican primary election races for the US House in 2002 and for attorney general in 2006. 

In her last race in 2010, Kerin was making her second run as a Libertarian candidate for Vermont attorney general.  She had previously run as a Libertarian for attorney general in the 2004 election cycle   

Kerin passed away in 2014 at age 69.   

Now as we fast forward to this crucial 2018 election cycle, another Vermont trans person in 62 year old Christine Hallquist has stepped up to run in the Vermont Democratic Party primary race for governor.

Her platform includes Medicare For All, access to better education and more high wage jobs.

The former energy executive is running against three other candidates in James Ehlers, Brenda Sigel and 14 year old high school student Ethan Sonneborn. 

Sonneborn is eligible because Vermont does not require candidates to be of voting age.

If Hallquist wins the nomination, she would make electoral history on two fronts by becoming the first out trans person in the Green Mountain State to win a Democratic primary for any office. 
She would also become the first out trans person nationally to win a major party nomination for governor 

She would also take on the winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary race between incumbent Governor Phil Scott and Keith Stern.

Early voting has already occurred in Vermont, so it will be interesting to see what transpires when the polls close later this evening.


TransGriot Update:  Hallquist did make history!   She won the Democratic primary, and will take on the incumbent Republican governor Phil Scott in the fall.   

Hawaii 2018 Primary Election Today

The Hawaii primary election is taking place today, and one of the races I have my eye on in the Aloha State is the lieutenant governor's one.

Current Lt Governor Doug Chin (D) decided to run for the 1st Congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D), who decided to primary challenge incumbent Gov. David Ige (D).

Kim Coco Iwamoto, who served two terms on the Hawaii State Board of Education in 2006 and 2010 and was subsequently appointed to the Hawaii Human Rights Commission, is running in this crowded five candidate Democratic primary race for Lt. Governor.

She has been surging in the latest polls, but will she get enough support from Aloha State voters to win this statewide race and the Democratic  lieutenant governor's nomination? 

She has been endorsed by one of the major labor unions in Hawaii and Trans United Fund

If she does, she'll get one step closer to making more electoral history by becoming the first out trans person to win a major party lieutenant governor primary in the US. 

However, we won't find out the results of today's Hawaii primary election until all the ballots are cast, counted and the totals revealed in the early morning hours of Sunday our time.

You know I'm hoping for that trans electoral history to happens for her.

 

Sharice Davids Wins Kansas 3rd District Dem Congressional Primary!

This 2018 election cycle is shaping up as one in which Native American women will make potentially historic gains if things break right for them on November 6. 

Paulette Jordan captured the Democratic nomination for Idaho governor.  In New Mexico Deb Haaland won the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional District seat by double digits back in June, and she is favored to win in the general election.

Now in Kansas we have Sharice Davids, who knocked off a Bernie backed candidate that he and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez controversially came west to campaign for.

Davids beat Brent Welder by over 2000 votes in the Kansas 3rd District race to capture the nomination.

Hillary Clinton won this district in 2016 by a single point over Trump 47%-46%

Davids will face off against incumbent Rep. Kevin Yoder (R), a House Appropriations Committee member who has held this seat since 2011.   Yoder won his GOP primary race with only 68% of the vote after casting votes for Obamacare repeal and the steep GOP tax cuts.

That primary performance was noted by the esteemed Cook Political Report, who moved this KS-3 race from Lean R into the Toss Up category

This is another race in which a woman has beaten a male candidate on the Democratic side, and now Davids gets a shot at sending Yoder back to Kansas while making some electoral history of her own.

If she wins on November 6, she would become one of two Native American women elected to Congress.

Here's hoping that happens for her in 91 days.