January 17, 2023

Five mayoral races to watch in 2023

Chicago

Lori Lightfoot (D) made history in 2019 when she was elected as Chicago’s first Black lesbian mayor. Fast forward less than four years, and she now faces a crowded field of eight challengers as she vies for a second bid.

Those other candidates running against Lightfoot to head the country’s third largest city include: Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García (D-Ill.); Alds. Sophia King and Roderick Sawyer; state Rep. Kam Buckner (D); Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson; businessman Willie Wilson; former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas; and activist Ja’Mal Green.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney (D) is term-limited, and the candidate field is already crowded, with at least nine people so far announcing their intention to run. Given that the city leans Democratic, whoever prevails in the May 16 primary will be considered the heavy favorite in the Nov. 7 general election.

Among those who are running to succeed Kenney include former City Councilmembers Helen Gym, Allan Domb, Cherelle Parker, Derek Green and Maria Quiñones Sánchez; former City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart; grocer Jeff Brown; state Rep. Amen Brown; and former Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge James DeLeon. All of them are Democrats, but other candidates could jump into the race, including City Councilmember David Oh (R), former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (D) and City Council Majority Deputy Whip Cindy Bass (D).


Houston

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) is term-limited, and a number of candidates have entered the field for the open seat, including state Sen. John Whitmire (D), former at-large City Council member and former Senate hopeful Amanda Edwards, former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins (D) and Missouri City, Texas police officer Robin Williams.

Whitmire, the dean of the state Senate, will pose one of the fiercest challenges given that he’s represented portions of Harris County and north Houston in the state’s upper chamber since the 1980s and has a war chest of $11 million. Hollins gained notoriety in 2020 as Harris County’s top elections official when he sought to send mail-in ballot applications to voters and offered 24-hour voting during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Dallas

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson (D) has his eyes set on another term in office, and he has several things going in his favor: incumbency; a war chest of more than $1.2 million, according to The Dallas Morning News; and key endorsements from the Dallas Police Association, Dallas Fire Fighters Association and several members of Congress.

Local resident Kendal Richardson has also announced a run in the mayoral race, while former Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announced he would not be throwing his hat in the ring. The filing deadline for candidates is Feb. 17 and the election is May 6.


Denver

Rising homelessness, an expensive housing market and a rise in violent and property crimes are just some of the issues that will be front and center as Denver voters weigh in on a new mayor to replace the term-limited Michael Hancock.

At least 28 candidates are running in the race, according to the city’s municipal candidate tracker. Some of those names include state Rep. Leslie Herod (D), state Sen. Chris Hansen (D), former state Sen. Mike Johnston (D), former Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Chair Kelly Brough and City Councilwoman Debbie Ortega.





https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3812747-five-mayoral-races-to-watch-in-2023/

January 17, 2023

Democrat Karen Kwan elected to replace Democrat Mayne in Utah State Senate

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Rep. Karen Kwan has been elected to replace Sen. Karen Mayne following her resignation.

According to a press release from the Utah Democratic Party, delegates in Senate District 12 met Sunday to hear from the eight candidates running in the special election. Voting, which was ranked-choice, opened later that night and remained open until 3 p.m. Monday.

After four rounds of counting, it was determined Kwan, D-Murray, had won.

Party officials said after Kwan is officially appointed to the Senate by Gov. Spencer Cox, a special election will be called to replace her seat in the House.




https://ksltv.com/518121/kwan-elected-to-replace-mayne-in-utah-senate/

January 17, 2023

Big Freedia - Rent

January 17, 2023

Historic Number of Black Candidates Running in Virginia in 2023

A year after three African Americans appeared on the ballot in the Democratic primary for Governor for the first time in Virginia’s history, we see a surge in Black candidates in Virginia running for the General Assembly… and candidates are still filing. There are 40 State Senators and 100 Delegate seats in the Virginia House of Delegates and already there are close to 50 Black candidates who have already filed to run for office.

In 1967, there was only one Black person in the Virginia General Assembly: Dr. Fergie Reid, Sr. who was elected to an at-large district in Richmond. Reid’s election happened eleven years after the organization he founded, the Crusade for Voters was established in Richmond in 1956. The Crusade was created to increase Black voting power, vet candidates and increase Black political awareness.




https://blackvirginianews.substack.com/p/historic-number-of-black-candidates

January 16, 2023

Bonus Tweet of the Day.

https://twitter.com/NAACP_LDF/status/1615093392706256896?s=20&t=wnw0iYmZDF26vuGUOPiLYQ

January 16, 2023

University: Student stabbed on bus because she is Asian

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana (AP) — A 56-year-old woman has been charged after an 18-year-old Indiana University student repeatedly was stabbed in the head on a public bus in an attack the school says was because the victim is Asian.

The victim told investigators she was standing and waiting for the exit doors to open on a Bloomington Transit bus Wednesday afternoon when another passenger began striking her in the head, Bloomington police said in a release.

Bus surveillance footage showed no interaction between the two women prior to the attack.

A witness who also was riding the bus followed the woman’s attacker and contacted police, who later arrested Billie R. Davis of Bloomington. Davis has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery, according to court records....

Citing court records, WRTV-TV reports that Davis told police she stabbed the woman multiple times in the head with a folding knife, because it “would be one less person to blow up our country.”


https://apnews.com/article/crime-indiana-bloomington-a8fcd4c2a24a844522ec2b7aae0098f5

January 16, 2023

George Santos re. college debt.

“I put myself through college and got an MBA from NYU and I have zero debt. I hate looking at youth today and seeing them sitting on their behinds and acting like, ‘Ugh, this is so hard.'”

— George Santos, on a 2020 podcast, before admitting he never graduated from New York University or, in fact, any college or university.



https://politicalwire.com/2023/01/16/quote-of-the-day-3429/

January 16, 2023

Am I the only person who finds MLK Day depressing?

Everyone is on their best behavior re. civil rights when I know a good portion of them are secretly or outwardly hostile towards marginalized Americans.

January 16, 2023

Legendary movie star Gina Lollobrigida dies at age 95.

https://twitter.com/mikesington/status/1615008579144265728?s=46&t=k-MQUDjmZwtQYzhKbKLCrQ

January 16, 2023

CA: 6 killed, including teen mother and baby in Goshen, sheriff says

GOSHEN, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Tulare County Sherriff’s Office is investigating the shooting deaths of six people in Goshen, according to Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. The sheriff says one of the victims was a six-month-old baby.

Deputies responded to the 6800 Block of Harvest Road around 3:30 a.m. for multiple shots heard and believed there was possibly an active shooter due to the number of rounds being fired, according to Sheriff Boudreaux.

Boudreaux says when deputies arrived, they found two victims dead in the street. As deputies searched the area, they found a third victim in the doorway of a home. One victim was still alive and was taken to the hospital after deputies performed CPR on him on scene. But he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Deputies searched the area and found more victims including a 17-year-old mother and a six-month-old child who were shot and killed.



https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/crime/tulare-county-deputies-investigating-shots-fired-in-goshen/amp/