Tag: Bryan Townsend
DL Endorsement for U. S. Congress
Progressives have been waiting forever to have one of their own represent Delaware in Congress. The last time a liberal voice represented Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives was in 1966, when then-Representative Harris McDowell (the state senator’s dad) lost to Bill Roth. For the first time in 50 years, we now have the chance to elect a proven progressive and exceedingly effective legislator to Congress. A person with both intellect and heart. That person is Bryan Townsend.
Townsend Is In!
Received this just awhile ago:
Dear Friends,
Today, I ask for your support as I announce my campaign to represent Delaware in Congress.
Delaware faces a significant challenge: rebuilding an economy that works for all Delawareans and that reverses the inequality spreading across America. That’s why our campaign will champion policies that grow and strengthen the middle class, provide every child with an opportunity to succeed, promote equal justice in the criminal justice system, and ensure retirement security for our seniors.
Four years ago, I was joined by students, community leaders, and neighbors in a grassroots campaign for the Delaware State Senate. Although some doubted our prospects, Delawareans like you showed they’d back a candidate who reaches out, listens, and will always do the right thing for Delaware, even when it’s the hard thing.
The Most Important Delaware Race of 2016…
…will be the primary for US Congress between State Rep. Bryon Short and State Senator Bryan Townsend.
It is a battle of the present (and, one hopes, the past) of the Democratic Party vs. a more progressive future.
Make no mistake: Bryon Short is the chosen heir to the mantle of middle-of-the-road mediocrity personified by Tom Carper and John Carney. He, or more likely Ed Freel and his ilk, have chosen ex-Carper staffer Mat Marshall to run his campaign. Carper’s ‘Brain’, Ed Freel, is calling the shots from his UD bunker. Short, of course, served in Carper’s congressional office, and has made no bones about his friendship with Carper and Carney. You may also recall that Bryon Short bottled up a minimum wage increase in his House committee until the bill was essentially emasculated. Although strong on social issues, Short’s principal legislative focus has been on cutting yet more ‘red tape’ that, according to the Chamber and its allies, hobble businesses in Delaware. In fact, Short essentially had a committee created just for him with this run in mind: The (get this) House Economic Development/ Banking/Insurance/Commerce Committee, aka The Business Lapdog Committee.
Vote Tracker Update — How are they voting?
Bryan Townsend is the busiest legislator in Dover. The man’s name is so omnipresent, as a lead or additional sponsor, on legislation of significance that I have to imagine either that he is running for higher office, or that he is just the best damn legislator period. The cynic and politician in me wants the former. The good government romantic in me wants the latter. Kim Williams is a close runner up too.
So here is the updated Vote Tracker as of today, May 4, 2015. My focus on these vote trackers is to follow legislation of progressive significance, whether they be pro-progressive or anti-progressive. For example, we are following the Right to Work bill and the Estate Tax Repeal bill, not because we want them to pass, rather we want them to fail, and we are going to take note of any Democrat who votes for them so that we can work to replace them in the next election.
I have reorganized the Vote Tracker this month. It’s just one document now, and legislation with actual votes recorded is list at the top, followed by legislation that has been released by their relevant committees and are due for votes in one chamber of the General Assembly or the other. For the specific details of legislation that is being considered in committee, and also the whens, wheres, whys and wherefores, I encourage you to follow El Somnambulo’s Pre-Game Post-Game series.
Far Right Rethuglican Organization Endorses…Dave Tackett!!??
This is truth, not fiction. The Delaware Chapter of the Faith & Freedom Coalition has endorsed putative Democrat Dave Tackett in the Democratic Primary against State Sen. Bryan Townsend. Tackett was endorsed along with a bunch of R’s. The Faith & Freedom Coalition is the home for the usual suspect right-wing nut jobs. Ralph Reed is the founder and chairman. Their endorsers include Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, Newt Gingrich, Marco Rubio, the Christian Broadcasting Network, Donald Trump, Michele Bachmann, and Ted Cruz, among many others. This group, this group, has decided to endorse Dave Tackett. For those who doubt me, here is the press release….
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Wed., March 20, 2013
Doesn’t look like anything got done on Tuesday. Here is the session activity report. Until further notice, consider it a misnomer.
Two huge committee hearings today.
We’ve already talked about the continuation of the hearing on HB 35, which would mandate criminal background checks for almost all gun purchases in Delaware. Starts at 11:30 am in the House Chamber.
The Senate is wasting no time in taking up the death penalty repeal legislation. The Senate Executive Committee will consider SB 19 in the Senate Chamber beginning at 1 pm. And here’s something that’s pretty cool:
Sen. Bryan Townsend, who is a co-sponsor of the bill, will be live tweeting during the hearing. His twitter handle is @BryanTownsendDE, and he will be tweeting with the hashtag #DErepeal. I don’t know what any of that means, but I’m sure virtually everyone else reading this does. (Update from DD: I added the links to Senator Townsend’s twitter page and the DERepeal hashtag for those of us who use Twitter. El Som, your training begins this Saturday. 😉 )
Delaware Political Weekly: October 20-26, 2012
We get stuff forwarded to us all the time. From campaigns, from sources, from ’sources’, and from the parties. I call it ‘working the refs’. Part of the game, nothing wrong with it. Even if/when you don’t believe what you’re being fed, the information/propaganda is still worthwhile, b/c it at least gives you an understanding of which races the parties are prioritizing. There can now be no doubt that both the D’s and R’s are intently focusing on the 29th Rep. District, a Clayton/Dover district in Kent County. Incumbent Lincoln Willis is widely viewed in Republican circles as one of the (very few) rising stars in the Party. Were he to win this year, I would not be at all surprised to see him elected to a leadership position within the House Republican Caucus. Challenger Trey Paradee is, at worst, a live underdog in this race. You will recall that he almost defeated incumbent Pam Thornburg four years ago, the district has been redrawn in a manner that would appear to favor Paradee, and Paradee is a great campaigner. The Democratic Party has been touting this race, and the R’s have circled the wagons around Willis. When I featured my “Most Intriguing Races of 2012″, I wrote that this race was ‘under the radar’. It is under the radar no more.
The Polls are Closed: Primary Election Results Thread
The polls are now closed. The poll workers are tabulating results and phoning them in. Hopefully the candidates are having their signs gathered in hopes of reuse in two months.
The Department of Elections website is here.
Post the results you find interesting below.
Delaware Political Weekly: July 21-27, 2012
So, I’m at the Townsend house, waiting to head on out to campaign. I decide to spend some time perusing Tony DeLuca’s ‘puppy piece’. I come across this line listed under the ‘Dedicated’ subheading:
(Tony DeLuca…) “Supported SEED and Inspire scholarships for Delaware students”.
That’s what it said. On a 3″ by 9″ (or so) palm card, Senator Tony DeLuca claims this as one of his key accomplishments. I got to thinking, waitaminnit, wasn’t he the guy who tried to KILL the Inspire Scholarship Program? My memory not being the best, I decided to climb into the Notsowayback Machine.
On the Hustings With Bryan Townsend
After spending a couple of hours at the doors (aka trying to keep up) with 11th District State Senate candidate Bryan Townsend last night, I can only say this: The residents of the 11th District would be SO much better off with Bryan Townsend as their Senator that it’s not even a close call. He is the single best first-time candidate I’ve encountered since Dave Sokola. And, yes, when elected, he would immediately join Senators Peterson and Sokola as one of the best senators in Dover.
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