Rep. Stephen Lynch faces challenges in Primary and General Election

[Ian David]

A Wave of Primary Challenges Against Health Care Opponents?
by cos
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Sat Mar 20, 2010 at 09:00:02 PM PDT

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Few things in American politics exert as much pressure on legislation as a series of coordinated, serious challenges to incumbents - especially primary challenges. When legislators see a particular issue driving multiple races that put incumbents at risk, they change their behavior on that issue.

I saw this in action much more recently here in Massachusetts in the fight over whether to ban equal marriage. And now the same pattern is quickly emerging, with Harmony Wu's challenge to Stephen Lynch (MA-9) joining two other primary prominent challenges in recent weeks focused on health care.

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Our legislative battle over marriage in Massachusetts began when our legislature voted 105 to 92 in favor of banning equal marriage in early 2004. By September 2005, when a required second vote was held on the same constitutional amendment, it was rejected in favor of a new amendment being proposed through a referendum petition, which would only need 25% support in the legislature to pass (but would also require votes in two successive sessions). The first vote on that amendment, at the tail end of the 2005-2006 legislature, was 61 for and 132 against - a little more than the required 25% yes. On its second vote, it failed to make even that limited requirement, rejected on a vote of 45-151.

In just a few years, we went from 53% of the legislature supporting a ban, to just 23%. How?

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Harmony Wu Challenges Stephen Lynch

Last night, a third challenge popped up, when Harmony Wu of Needham, MA said she'd likely run against him if he votes against reform, as he has announced he plans to do. Immediately, a Draft Harmony Wu group sprang up, and volunteers were already collecting signatures in Boston today to put her on the ballot.

More:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/3/21/002/00076



Hat-tip to: http://twitter.com/textcos/status/10826335119
Thanks to: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/janet118


See also:

US Rep. Lynch faces three challengers
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Ian%20David/7276
(And Harmony Wu makes four!)

A Wave of Primary Challenges Against Health Care Opponents?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7970906

# Draft Harmony Wu on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107165679301145
An ActBlue page is being set up... http://www.actblue.com/page/draftharmonywu
Harmony Wu's Webpage http://www.harmonywu.org/
Follow Harmony Wu on Twitter http://twitter.com/harmonywu

Hat-tip to: http://twitter.com/textcos/status/10826335119
Thanks to: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/janet118

Waiting on Phil Dunkelbarger to get his new webpage and Twitter page up and running so I can link to that as well.

[chelsea0011]

1. This is good. My rep needs to explain his vote and his comments

about insurance companies calling him to vote in favor of the bill rings of BS. He never was a strong supporter of the public option, if he ever wanted it at all. So is he a fighter of the insurance companies, as he now wants us to believe, or a defender of affordable health care for all, which he has never come out for in a forceful manner. They had to beg him to vote for the original house plan. But this is what Stephen Lynch is, a which way is the wind blowing kind of rep. That's why we need cm,petition against him. He needs to explain himself.

[unhappycamper]

2. In my book, Lynch is a war-mongering military budget-loving POS.

I've met with him a number of times and think he's worthless. I'd love to see Wu take the sopt.