Mediaboss Marketing

Jeff Gorman is the past chair of the Monterey County Republican Party and a small business owner. He is running, for the first time, for the U.S. House of Representatives. Hes vying for the 20th Congressional District seat. The district includes Monterey and San Benito Counties, and parts of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties.

Gorman is the only Republican running against incumbent Democrat Jimmy Panetta and Democrat Adam Bolaos Scow.

The top two vote-getters on Super Tuesday will advance to the November election.

KAZU News recently spoke with Gorman at the Monterey County Republican Party Headquarters, where supporters had gathered to watch President Donald Trumps State of the Union Address. Here are some highlights from that conversation.

Michelle Loxton (ML): So why do you want this job?

Jeff Gorman (JG): Well, I care very deeply for the country and the traditions of the United States. I love the country. So I really want to make sure our community here, the Central Coast Congressional District, has an alternative to the powers in force now. I strongly disagree with the direction that Gavin Newsom and Nancy Pelosi are going. And so my hope is to put put a vision out there that people can ponder and consider of a different America. Put forward Republican principles in a way that's appealing to all Americans. Sacramento has passed thousands of laws a year for many years now and it's it's causing problems in our economy. California is not enjoying the economic success that the rest of the country is. Let's just slow down and make fewer laws, but better laws.

ML: If you were to choose one. What do you think is the most important issue facing this district right now?

JG: I think the most important thing affecting our district here now is, I would almost say an identity crisis. Like an embracing of the American spirit, a love of country, and that "can-do" attitude. Those are all good things. But they just don't seem to be thriving here the way I would like to see them thrive. Federal government has the sole domain over citizenship and immigration, and yet California legislators have grandstanded on their sanctuary state status and they're... they're scoffing federal law.

ML: How would you go about solving something like that?

JG: Solving the identity crisisI think that's the best way to put it. Look at what love of country means and consider love.

ML: Gorman then brought up the ongoing series of stories by the New York Times Magazine about the origins of slavery in the U.S.

JG: And when I hear people like The New York Times talk about the 400 years of tyranny, you know, and racism, I just think they're dredging up the past and they're doing it in a way that's really not based in love. And what can be done is just have the candid conversation, but not I don't want to upset people any more than necessary, but I need to speak my mind. And I think if I do that, it'll help other people have happy Thanksgivings.

ML: I then asked Gorman about some very specific issues on the minds of voters. First, about healthcare.

JG: So when it comes to health care, the right to health care is something I'm... I'm talking to people about and hearing people use. And I equate it to the right to self-defense or the right to education. Yeah, you have the right. But that doesn't mean that the government's going to give you a gun because you have the right to self-defense. It doesn't mean that we're going to put a chip in your brain and make you smart. Youre going to have to work to be smart. I'm concerned that socialized medicine, especially during the transition, will make medical professionals feel enslaved and feel taken advantage of by the system.

ML: I also asked Gorman about his stance on immigration reform.

JG: Comprehensive immigration reform is such a big thing. It's very difficult to wrap your arms around it completely. There's already laws on the books. If we follow the laws and we need certain things, then we can make those changes. But if you start to make big changes that legalize people that have already been committing crime for 20 years people are concerned that we'll just create this magnet for people coming here thinking they can scoff at our laws and its lawlessness.

Read the rest here:
The Race For The House The Republican - 90.3 KAZU

She picked a perfect year to run against him, Cammarano said. That district voted very strongly for Trump in 2016, and its likely to do that again. People split their ballots far less than they did 30 years ago. He should be quaking in his boots.

In House District 15, Democrats do outnumber Republicans -- 25 percent to 16 percent. But 59 percent of the voters in this slice of western Cranston are unaffiliated, according to the secretary of states office.

And while Rhode Island is a blue state, House District 15 had a distinctly red hue in the last presidential race.

In 2016, 55 percent of District 15 voted for Trump, compared to 40 percent for Democrat Hillary Clinton. And some parts of the district were even more pro-Trump: 62 percent of the precinct that votes at the Cranston Christian Fellowship Church supported Trump.

Providence College political science Professor Adam S. Myers said research shows people overwhelmingly vote for state legislators who are in the same party as the person they choose for president.

In general, people dont follow state politics all that closely -- most dont even know who their state representative or senator is, he said. They need some kind of shortcut for voting, and that shortcut is party.

Cammarano said its also a good time to challenge Mattiello because he finds himself at the center of multiple controversies.

Regardless of whether he has done anything wrong, its like Chinese water torture where the accusations and revelations add up and have a cumulative effect that over time can definitely hurt a party leader like him, he said.

What are those controversies? Well, one involves a grand jury thats investigating whether Mattiello ordered an audit of the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority as retribution: A friend of his had been suspended from his job heading Convention Center security. House Republican Leader Blake A. Filippi has filed a lawsuit, claiming Mattiello violated the law by ordering the audit without the approval of the full five-member Joint Committee on Legislative Services. Mattiello has denied it was meant as retaliation, but he has since called off the audit.

Meanwhile, Mattiello might have to testify in a money-laundering case brought against political strategist Jeffrey T. Britt in connection with Mattiellos 2016 re-election campaign.

Fenton-Fung, who is married to Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung, referenced those controversies in announcing that she had filed paperwork with the state Board of Elections to run for the House District 15 seat.

In response to a near tsunami of support in Cranston to end what has become the Mattiello horror show, this allows us to legally take the logical next steps to start fundraising and putting a winning team in place prior to formally launching a campaign, Fenton-Fung said. We are extremely excited about what 2020 has in store, including ridding District 15 of the never-ending scandals that surround its state representative.

Fenton-Fung, 39, works as a physical therapist at Rhode Island Hospital. She served as chairwoman of the Rhode Island Young Republicans and as executive director of the Young Republican National Federation. She said the late state senator June Gibbs encouraged her interest in politics, and she met her future husband at the 2012 Republican National Convention when her wayward umbrella smacked him in the head.

Mattiello, who has represented House District 15 since 2007, issued a statement Monday, saying, I look forward to the continued honor of representing the citizens of House District 15 and intend to run on my strong record of accomplishment and leadership for the district and the City of Cranston.

He noted he has pushed to phase out the automobile excise tax and the income tax for many Social Security recipients. He cited increased education aid, economic development initiatives, and school safety measures. And he said hell fight the governors attempt to reduce municipal funding.

It's a privilege to serve as an advocate for the city of Cranston in this fight, Mattiello said, and unquestionably, my focus always has been and will continue to be on how I can best represent my constituents.

Frias, the Republican National Committeeman for Rhode Island who lost to Mattiello in the 2016 and 2018, issued a statement saying he plans to support Fenton-Fung.

I was a reluctant candidate in both my races against the Speaker, in particular the second time I ran, Frias said. I have been aware for some time of Mrs. Fungs interest in running for the District 15 seat, and I have not discouraged her. Assuming the Speaker even runs again, despite the swirl of scandal and possibility he may be indicted, I expect to be supporting Mrs. Fung over the Speaker in November."

In an interview, Frias said House District 15 is one of the parts of the country that swung from President Barack Obama in 2012 to Trump in 2016. In a district that went for Trump by that margin in 2016, a Republican should be able to run a credible race against an incumbent Democrat, he said.

The House District 15 race is different than most because of the amount of resources Mattiello has and the amount of favors he does, Frias said. But, he said, whats occurring more and more is that federal races are affecting state and local races. And that could bode well for the latest Republican to challenge the Speaker.

Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com

Read more here:
This could be the perfect year for a Republican to challenge R.I.s most powerful Democrat - The Boston Globe

Sam Hayes is a graduate of Wake Forest Law School and has served as general counsel for the Department of the State Treasurer. He has expressed support for capital punishment, voter I.D. laws and Second Amendment rights, and has expressed opposition to abortion.

Christine Mumma is a graduate of UNC School of Law and clerked for former N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake Jr.

Unlike Hayes and ONeill, Mumma said she personally opposes the death penalty but would enforce it nonetheless.

I am opposed to the death penalty for many reasons ranging from the disparity of its application to the extrinsic value of human life, she said. I can and will, however, uphold State death penalty law, as I will all constitutional laws.

Of the backlog of untested rape kits in the N.C. Department of Justice, Mumma said the process needs to be accelerated.

The testing of the backlog should have been started 10 years earlier than it was, she said. Like many problems that wait too long to be addressed, the only way through is through.

Jim ONeill received his law degree from New York Law School and has served as the Forsyth County district attorney since November 2009. ONeill has cited addressing the rape kit backlog and enforcing capital punishment convictions as priorities for his campaign. ONeill unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for attorney general in 2016.

The winner of the primary will face incumbent Josh Stein in the November general election.

Republican State Auditor Primary

The state auditor reviews state and local government operations to prevent waste and abuse of tax dollars.

Tim Hoegemeyer holds a degree from Northwestern University and is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

A recent state auditors report found that the Town of Chapel Hill had been double-billing for certain auto parts. Hoegemeyer said that, as a general counsel at the state auditors office working on the case, more internal controls would have prevented the error.

The Town should have taken the steps to make sure they had adequate information from their vendor and then reviewed or reconciled that information on a regular basis, Hoegemeyer said. Doing so would have caught the problem much sooner.

Hoegemeyer identified the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Health and Human as areas of potential waste because they make up a large portion of the state budget. He worked for the state auditors department for three years during Woods tenure.

Anthony Wayne (Tony) Street serves on the Brunswick County Soil and Water Board and holds a Masters in Public Administration from UNC-Pembroke. His website claims he has experience in nuclear security and commercial fishing.

Republican Secretary of Labor Primary

The 2020 election will put a new face in all of North Carolinas elevators.

Incumbent Labor Secretary Cherie Berry dubbed the elevator queen of North Carolina for mandating that her picture be put on elevator certifications announced last April that she would not run for reelection. The commissioner of labor enforces workplace safety regulations and certifies the safety of certain equipment, such as elevators, boilers and amusement rides.

Three Republicans are running in the primary to succeed Berry.

At the end of 2019, Dobson had over $71,000 on hand, while Floyd had just under $9,000 and Stanley had just over $1,000, according to state campaign filing reports. While Floyd is endorsed by Berry, Dobson secured the endorsements of incumbent agriculture commissioner Steve Troxler and U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows.

The winner of the Republican primary will face the sole Democratic candidate Wake County Commissioner Jessica Holmes in the November general election.

Republican Secretary of State Primary

North Carolinas secretary of state issues business licenses, authenticates identity documents and maintains certain state records. Unlike most states, the secretary of state does not directly oversee the operations of elections.

Three Republicans are running in the 2020 primary. The winner will face incumbent Elaine Marshall. Marshall, a Democrat, was the first woman elected to the position in 1996 and is the longest-serving statewide elected official in North Carolina.

Sykes said his main priority is to prevent undocumented immigrants from serving as notaries.

As Secretary of State, my first objective is to address the voter integrity issue by eliminating illegal aliens as notaries, he said.

Sykes said his experience in business would help him in lobbying the General Assembly to reduce regulation.

I will use my executive business experience to advocate for businesses in the legislative process by advising and supporting legislation to remove regulations on business and make the necessary administrative processes more business-friendly, he said.

Republican Insurance Commissioner Primary

The commissioner of insurance regulates the insurance industry, licenses insurance professionals and educates consumers about the insurance market.

Incumbent Mike Causey, first elected in 2016, pointed to promoting flood insurance policies in response to recent Hurricanes as one success of his term.

After Hurricane Florence, we launched a flood initiative to educate consumers working with realtors and licensed insurance agents.

He said he wants to increase public awareness about the prevalence of insurance fraud in North Carolina.

We need to let people know that, if someone suspects insurance fraud, they should report it, he said.

But he said his office has cracked down on fraud in the last four years.

I have more than doubled the number of fraud investigators since I took office, Causey said.

Ronald Pierce is Causeys sole challenger in the Republican primary. Pierce is an army veteran who owns a construction business. He said the department is not doing enough to educate people about the need for flood insurance in response to the recent hurricanes.

They need to go out and educate the homeowners on why they need the insurance, he said.

Pierce also said one of his priorities is to allow state employees to choose between at least three health insurance plans.

One role of the department is to investigate claims of insurance fraud in the state. Pierce said insurance companies need to take a bigger role in investigating fraud.

The preliminary investigation needs to be handled by the insurance company, of which it is not, he said.

The winner of the primary will face the sole Democratic candidate in November former insurance commissioner Wayne Goodwin.

Democratic primaries for Council of State are on the ballot for state auditor, state treasurer and commissioner of agriculture.

Early voting continues until Feb. 29 in Orange County. The primary is on March 3.

@MichaelJTaffe

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com

Originally posted here:
Here's a brief on the Republican primary races you may not know about election season - The Daily Tar Heel

Republicans are eagerly watching Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersSanders says idea he can't work with Republicans is 'total nonsense' Sanders defends Castro comments in wake of backlash from some Democrats Sanders releases list of how to pay for his proposals MOREs (I-Vt.) surge toward the Democratic presidential nomination.

GOP lawmakers and strategists believe Sanders, who identifies as a democratic socialist, is not only beatable in November but could have a disastrous down-ballot impact for Democrats in key congressional races.

I would think that in a lot of those swing states its a very complicated factor to have him at the top of the ticket if youre a down-ballot Democrat running for House or Senate, I would be really concerned, said Sen. John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneGOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman McConnell tees up votes on two abortion bills Senate votes to rein in Trump's power to attack Iran MORE (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican.

Asked if he thought Sanderss surge was a blessing, Sen. John CornynJohn CornynGOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman Ocasio-Cortez announces slate of all-female congressional endorsements Trump Medicaid proposal sparks bipartisan warnings MORE (R-Texas), who is up for reelection, called it a little scary that there would be that much support for an avowed socialist.

It splits the Democratic voters, the people who dont like President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump suggests Sotomayor, Ginsburg should have to recuse themselves on 'Trump related' cases Sanders says idea he can't work with Republicans is 'total nonsense' Sanders releases list of how to pay for his proposals MORE very much but when presented with that option might say, Well Im not going to vote for a socialist. Ill vote for President Trump rather than do that, Cornyn said.

The predictions that a Sanders nomination would be a headache for Democrats comes as he holds a lead in the hunt for delegates while moderates remain torn among several potential alternatives.

Sen. Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioGOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman Agencies play catch-up over security concerns with TikTok Sanders: 'Unfair to simply say everything is bad' in Cuba under Castro MORE (R-Fla.), in a video taken while he appeared to be driving down a road, said unless the Democratic establishment steals it from him, Sanders would be the nominee.

Its a big deal for America, and I hope people start waking up to that reality, Rubio added.

Sanders, who has diversified his base since his failed 2016 White House run, is showing up as a boogeyman for Republicans looking to defeat Democrats up and down the ballot.

Steve Guest, the Republican National Committees rapid response director, argued on Monday that Sanderss ideas are a danger to America and to our way of life.

Good luck Democrats who may try and distance themselves from Sanderss praise of communist dictators, he added.

Sanders caused a headache for Florida Democrats on Monday when the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) seized on remarks about Cuba he made the night before on 60 Minutes, saying that its unfair to simply say everything is bad just because it is associated with Fidel Castro.

In two separate email blasts by the NRCC, the group questioned if Florida Reps. Donna ShalalaDonna Edna ShalalaSanders defends Castro comments in wake of backlash from some Democrats GOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman Sanders under fire from Democrats over praise for Castro regime MORE (D) and Stephanie MurphyStephanie MurphyGOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman Sanders under fire from Democrats over praise for Castro regime The Hill's Campaign Report: Democrats reckon with Sanders's rise MORE (D) would support a Castro fanboy. Both have disavowed Sanderss comments.

Does this mean Stephanie Murphy will refuse to support Sanders when he is the nominee? Or will she upset her socialist base instead? asked Camille Gallo, a spokeswoman for the NRCC.

A GOP strategist pledged that Republicans would use Sanders as an anchor to pull down Democratic Senate hopefuls.

Right now, Bernie is their front-runner, and socialism doesnt sell in the Atlanta suburbs, in their Charlotte suburbs and in the Phoenix suburbs, the GOP strategist said, referring to the Senate races in Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona.

Sanders, who supports free college education and Medicare for All, is already being name-dropped in key Senate races as Republicans try to activate their base. While most of the 24 Senate seats the GOP is defending are in safe Republican states, a handful of key toss-up races are expected to make or break the GOP efforts to hold onto the majority.

Sen. Cory GardnerCory Scott GardnerGOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman Where do we go from here? Conservation can show the way The Hill's Campaign Report: What to watch for in Nevada MORE (R-Colo.), appearing with Trump at a Colorado rally last week, pledged that Republicans would fight socialism.

There was a dangerous thing that happened in 2016. It was the normalization of socialism by Bernie Sanders, he said.

Sen. Martha McSallyMartha Elizabeth McSallyGOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman Overnight Health Care: Officials confirm 34 total coronavirus cases in US | ObamaCare favorability hits highest level in poll | McSally unveils bill to lower drug prices amid tough campaign McSally unveils bill to lower drug prices amid tough campaign MORE (R-Ariz.) recently called former astronaut Mark Kelly, who is likely to be her Democratic opponent, the the 51st vote for all of Bernies wildest Soviet-style fantasies.

McSally is running for the final two years of the late Sen. John McCainJohn Sidney McCainSanders says idea he can't work with Republicans is 'total nonsense' GOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman Overnight Defense: GOP lawmaker takes unannounced trip to Syria | Taliban leader pens New York Times op-ed on peace talks | Cheney blasts paper for publishing op-ed MOREs (R) term. Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), has distanced himself from the tag, noting that hes a capitalist.

Former Attorney General Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsGOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman President Trump's assault on checks and balances: Five acts in four weeks On the Trail: Senate GOP hopefuls tie themselves to Trump MORE, who is trying to reclaim his old Senate seat in Alabama, sent out a fundraising blast earlier this month after Sanders won New Hampshire, warning about the spread of socialism.

I know Bernie Sanders well. I confronted his extreme ideas and spending policies for years on the Senate Budget committee where we both served. I went toe to toe many times with him. I was the leading opponent of these extreme ideas on the committee, he said in the email to supporters.

Republicans have worked for months to make the 2020 election a referendum on socialism. Its a narrative they think is a good fit for Sanders.

An ABC News-Washington Post poll found that 31 percent of adults say they would be less likely to support Sanders if he was labeled as a democratic socialist and 38 percent said so when labeled as a socialist.

Even as Republicans have worked overtime to make Sanders the face of the Democratic Party, there are a slew of warning signs against underestimating the 78-year-olds potential strength as a general election candidate.

An ABC News-Washington Post poll found Sanders leading Trump in a potential head-to-head match-up, similar to several of the Democratic candidates.

It also found that 30 percent of Democrats or Democratic-leaning voters believe Sanders is the best choice to beat Trump the highest percentage for anyone in the still-crowded 2020 primary field.

Sen. Tim ScottTimothy (Tim) Eugene ScottGOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman Tim Scott: Sanders would be toughest challenger for Trump House to vote on legislation to make lynching a federal hate crime MORE (R-S.C.) warned during an interview with CBS This Morning that he thought Sanders is Trumps most difficult potential opponent.

I would say that the biggest threat to President Trump is President Trump. ... If there is a second choice other than himself it would be Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders brings that outside game in a similar fashion that President Trump did in 2016, Scott said Monday.

Read the original:
GOP casts Sanders as 2020 boogeyman | TheHill - The Hill

GREENVILLE, S.C. (TEGNA) South Carolina does not have a Republican primary this year, so a couple of groups are urging Republicans to vote in this Saturday's Democratic primary in hopes of giving President Donald Trump an opponent he can beat. Who that is depends on who you ask, but at least one group has a specific target in mind.

The Chicago Tribune reports a group called Trump 229 is urging Republicans to vote for Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Karen Martin, who the Greenville News says has been promoting an effort to get people to vote for Sanders, said a victory by the Vermont senator would hurt Vice President Joe Biden. Biden has said that South Carolina is his firewall given his support among African-Americans. But polls in recent days have shown Sanders is within striking distance.

Martin also reportedly said Sanders as the nominee would benefit Trump as it would give voters a clear contrast of ideas, something she believes helps the president.

A separate initiative called "Operation Chaos 2020" is holding an online poll to determine the "craziest liberal looney" that voters should support. As of Tuesday morning, Sen. Elizabeth Warren had 50 percent of the vote, followed by Andrew Yang who is no longer running at 46 percent and Sanders at 4 percent.

"Operation Chaos" is run by the Conservative Defense Fund. The name comes from an initiative credited to conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh in 2008 to get Republicans to vote for Hillary Clinton in the primaries against Barack Obama. The idea was to extend the process as long as possible to hurt the eventual nominee. While the primary fight did go all the way to the convention, there is no way to know how much of that was due to Limbaugh's efforts.

The South Carolina Republican Party canceled its primary this year, choosing to give Trump its delegates by default. South Carolina is an open primary state. Voters can choose to take part in either the Democratic or Republican primary regardless of their affiliation, but they can't vote in both. So Republicans who don't have to vote for their party this year are free to vote in the Democratic primary.

Contrast that with Washington state, where voters who get their primary ballot in the mail have to check whether they are voting in the Democratic or Republican primary.

That is reportedly also part of the reason behind "Operation Chaos" to get the state to go to a closed primary system and end the ability for voters to cross over and affect the other party's primary.

Continued here:
'Operation Chaos': Republicans urged to vote in SC Democratic primary to help Trump - WTHR