A '10 Senate Race to Watch: Democrats Gillibrand and Maloney Vie in NY

                   

Left, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY                 Right, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, D-NY

For liberal New Yorkers mulling the fall 2010 special election race to fill the U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by  Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the declaration of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's (D-NY) campaign for it represents an interesting wrinkle. Under state rules governing a vacated Senate position, Governor Paterson chose Gillibrand to fill what had been former Senator Hillary Clinton's seat for a portion of the time remaining in her term when Clinton joined Obama's cabinet. In 2010, the U.S. Senate seat goes wide open to both major political parties, and there's tremendous interest among Democrats in retaining the seat with, naturally, the strongest possible challenger to whoever the Republicans put up.* In this case, it's generally accepted that the Democratic aspirant will likely be a woman. What's unusual is that in addition to the question of who's more "electable" (and why), there's the additional question, who has the better feminist record?

Run, Mama, Run -- Cook County, Illinois Judicial Candidate Abbey Romanek

It might not seem like election season -- maybe some of you are just now recovering from 2008 election fatigue! -- but races for local offices are in full swing and worthy of our attention as much as the big races!

One Democratic mother who's decided to run for Cook County Judge in Illinois is the latest woman we'd like to feature in the MOMocrats' "Run, Mama, Run" segment -- Abbey Fishman Romanek! I met someone involved in Abbey's campaign at a conference earlier this year, and thought it would interesting to profile someone running for an office that we don't often think is an elective one (depending on where you live!)  Abbey took some time out from her campaign to talk a little bit about her decision to jump into the world of elective politics:

Q: How many children do you have and what are their ages? 

A: I have three very active and busy boys. Josh is 15, Mikey is 14 and Ricky is 12.  

Q: What prompted you to decide to run for office?  Why did you decide to run for a judgeship as opposed to another office?

May 19, Special Elections Day in California & a Few Last Words on Judy Chu for Congress

[Previous entries in the Run, Mama, Run series on Judy Chu for Congress here.]

Today's Special Election will elect a replacement for the House seat once occupied by Hilda Solis representing California Congressional District 32, and determine whether ballot initiatives addressing our state's enormous budget deficit will go forward or be rejected.

So please do vote today--it's a low voter-turnout election. According to @lacrrcc, (Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's twitter handle), as of May 18, 2009, "With 273,418 by mail ballots returned, we are just over 6% overall voter turnout for tomorrow's election and 36% returned of ballots issued."

If you'll indulge me in some meta-commentary about the Chu-Cedillo race--some of the punditry has framed the 63% Latino/22% Asian/15% white/other 32d Congressional district as Latino candidate State Assembly person Gil Cedillo's race to lose. It's both a recognition that Cedillo's been active in local and state politics since 1970, but also predicated on the notion that Latinos vote for Latinos in a sort of simple identity politics paradigm. This also assumes that a near-complete turnout of Latino voters will largely go to the best-known Latino frontrunner, Cedillo, and make a runoff election unnecessary. (Whoever takes the majority on May 19 will be named the winner; if no one takes the majority, top finishers from both parties participate in the runoff in July.)

Run, Mama, Run*: Candidate for Congress Judy Chu Answers More Questions, Part 2

 (Intro to the series here. Part 1, here.)

Less than two weeks to vote for a congressional representative for CA CD-32! It's anticipated to be a low voter-turnout election, so it's vitally important for all registered voters to get out to the polls on May 19, 2009, for the special election.

(Hilda Solis and Judy Chu both wearing lucky red for Chinese New Year.)

Here's the promised Q&A between MOMocrats' Cynematic and Dr. Chu. It delves a little deeper into Dr. Chu's background, her first entry into politics, and concrete plans for representing her district and serving Americans in Congress. (*I should note that "Run, Mama, Run" is a MOMocrats series that features progressive pro-choice women of note as they compete for local, state, and federal offices. We use 'mama' in the literal sense--many of the women we feature are mothers of either very young or grown children--and in the more colloquial, friendly and intimate sense--of acknowledging metaphorical kinship with women in a greater struggle for justice that benefits all. In each case, we leave it to the candidate to reveal and discuss the particulars of her family life as she wishes.)

Run, Mama, Run: Congressional Candidate Judy Chu Answers Political Bloggers' Questions, Part 1

Recently Dr. Judy Chu made herself available to numerous political bloggers to answer questions about her background and her positions on several local initiatives that are up for a vote during the May 19 special election. I was pleased to be on the conference call, as throughout the 1990s, I'd heard a great deal about her time as mayor of Monterey Park, and how the demographics of the San Gabriel Valley were changing now that many immigrants from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the People's Republic of China were settling there. Now, much of the San Gabriel Valley is Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants, ethnic grocery stores, small ethnic businesses, Latino eateries, and tutoring academies for children.

Dr. Chu, a community college professor and former Garvey school board member, city council member, then mayor, has had a lengthy career based in the San Gabriel Valley. After several years as mayor of Monterey Park, she ran for California State Assembly and served there for three terms. From there, she successfully ran for the State Board of Equalization, the nation's only tax policy-making entity staffed with elected officials. She now serves as Vice Chair of the State Board of Equalization. Just a few days ago, she received the endorsement of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Viillraigosa.

Run, Mama, Run: Dr. Judy Chu Sweeps California Democratic Party Delegates, CA Congressional District 32

Left: former Congresswoman Hilda Solis, then-State Assemblywoman Judy Chu

Part of the pleasure of seeing former Congresswoman Hilda Solis appointed as Labor Secretary in the Obama administration is anticipating which worthy Democrat will then fill her seat in the 32d district.

Back to School, or, Welcome, 111th Congress!

The holiday cookies are baked and eaten, the pageantry and celebration of whatever winter rituals you and your family observe is over, the oddball gifts returned or tucked away to re-gift later...and most of all, the kids are back at school! (Or will be soon.)

And those big kids--ones we elected--are settling in to the 111th session of Congress today.

Al Franken, though officially winner of the MN senate race, won't be seated just yet. And Roland Burris, the corruption-free appointment to the Illinois U.S. senate seat by the corruption-ridden governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, is fighting to be seated by his peers at the moment despite being turned away at the door. (I have nothing for or against Burris; this is all about Blago trying to stink up the joint with his fellow Dems however he can. Loser.)

Why I back Caroline Kennedy for Hillary Clinton's Senate Seat

The news is so fresh it's still warm: Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg announced that she's interested in being considered as a candidate for Hillary Clinton's senate seat.

This is a big turnaround for Kennedy, who has historically kept to the sidelines of politics and stayed under the media radar as much as possible. Additionally, many, such as Richard Bradley at Slate, say her avoidance of political stances and pursuit of "easy" jobs (including mother) (?!?!?!) make her a lame candidate.

But don't mistake this to mean that she is unqualified or uninvolved. Kennedy has a BA from Radcliffe and a JD from Columbia Law School. Additionally, she's held executive positions for nonprofits, raised a family (and yes, that is a qualifier, and no, it's not an easy job), and written books about constitutional law (In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action, 1991, and The Right to Privacy, 1997).

Further, she's become more involved in the last couple of years, inspired by Barack Obama as so many of us are. She campaigned for the president-elect in places such as Hartford and Washington, DC, and even wrote an op-ed endorsing Obama for the new York Times back in January ("A President Like My Father," January 27, 2008).

Her name was bandied about back in October for an Obama cabinet position (Secretary of Education) and she was on Obama's team vetting vice presidential candidates.

She's bright, well-educated, connected, involved, inspired by Obama, strong on education (she has worked for the last five years for New York public schools), knowledgeable and dedicated to charitable works, and is, I believe, at the exact point in life where experience and wisdom meet to make her an excellent candidate.

I admit that I back a woman replacing a woman in the Senate, as well.

Kennedy has her backers and her detractors, but anyone who wastes breath saying she hasn't got what it takes---in personality or in her Curriculum Vitae---is just blowing smoke. Kennedy can do the job and do it well. She's a solid candidate for the job, and ought to be considered seriously.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Appears with Glenn Nye

Yesterday I attended a lunch fund raiser for Glenn Nye, with keynote speaker Congressman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.  Do I need to wax on about Glenn Nye some more?  Or do you all know that I've pretty much made it my goal to do anything I can to help him unseat Thelma Drake in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District?  Got it?  OK.

This was, however, the first time I've seen the Florida Congresswoman in person. I've idolized her from afar up until now.  Hell, she's a mother of 9 year old twins and a 5 year old and still manages to make politics look easy.  How does she do that?

When Glenn Nye introduced Wasserman-Schultz, he talked about how much he identifies with her.  Like Glenn, the congresswoman got involved in politics at a young age.  She was 26 when elected to the house in Florida and 34 when elected to the Florida Senate.  She was 38 when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she serves on both the Appropriations and Judiciary Committees.

Debbie (Can I call you, Debbie, congresswoman?) also chairs the Red to Blue program, which targets Republican seats throughout the country where the DNC believes they can win.  Surprise, surprise!  They're going after Drake's seat this year and giving Glenn support along the way.

I look at her and I wonder what I've been doing with my life!  I think Glenn said it best when he said, "I want to be Debbie Wasserman-Schultz!"  I swear he didn't say it in a kooky, gender-bending way, but in a very endearing, "I'm not afraid to hero worship a woman" kind of way.  Just one more reason to adore Glenn Nye - he said exactly what I was thinking.

Nye then read us an email he'd received from a voter. The voter shared the story of how she had fought to regain good credit after a divorce and, while raising two children, bought her first house.  Then, as interest rates began to rise and it started to cost her $900 to fill her oil heating tank, she lost her home.  After Congress acted to relieve home owners from some of the interest rate mortgage burdens, she wrote to Congresswoman Drake to ask what Congress planned to do to help those who had already lost their homes.

Run Mama Run: Margaret Donnelly for Missouri State Attorney General

As a former social worker, public school board member and family law attorney, Missouri State Representative Margaret Donnelly has spent much of her career advocating on behalf of women, children and families. Now, as the first woman ever to run for Attorney General in the state of Missouri, Donnelly plans to bring a family-focused perspective to the office. If nominated in the August 5th Democratic Primary, where she faces State Senator Chris Koster and fellow Missouri House Member Jeff Harris, Donnelly will run against Republican candidate Michael Gibbons in November. 

During our exclusive MOMocrats interview, Margaret Donnelly had this to say about her unprecedented candidacy:

"I am the first woman who has ever even filed for the office. There are only seven women attorney generals in the states, and one is in Guam. And we know from the research that it's been one of the hardest statewide offices for women to break the barrier; we've had more women Governors than we've had women Attorneys General, so it is a hard barrier for women to break. So I am just honored, in this very historic year of firsts, that I get to do this."