Val Demings Of Florida

Loss Of Some Outstanding Democrats In Midterm Elections

Ronald Leave a comment

Considering the strong likelihood that Democrats could have been swamped and suffered major losses in the Midterm Elections of 2022, we must be happy, overall, at the results.

But there is a loss of some very talented and decent Democrats, who were unable to overcome their opponents.

This includes the following gubernatorial candidates:

Charlie Crist in Florida
Stacey Abrams in Georgia
Nan Whaley in Ohio
Beto O’Rourke in Texas

This includes the following Senatorial nominees:

Val Demings in Florida
Michael Franken in Iowa
Charles Booker in Kentucky
Cheri Beasley in North Carolina
Tim Ryan in Ohio
Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin

Also, in House races, incumbents won, except for a few who lost, including

Sean Patrick Maloney in New York
Elaine Luria in Virginia (a member of the January 6 House Committee)

12 Days To Go, and A Nail Biting Election Coming Up!

Ronald 6 Comments

This author and blogger cannot recall the tension and emotions that are being felt around the upcoming Midterm Elections of 2022 ever being quite as intense in past cycles.

It could be a poor memory, or seeing the past with rose colored glasses!

But literally, EVERY Senate race, EVERY House race, and EVERY Gubernatorial race is so significant for the future of American democracy, which is on the verge of being lost to the MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump!

With only about six vote margin in the House of Representatives, and an evenly split US Senate for only the 4th time in American history, and with Governors having tremendous power and influence on an issue such as abortion rights, every citizen needs to vote!

Last night’s debate in Pennsylvania leaves one worried about the performance of John Fetterman, as it could be the Senate election that decides Senate control in the 118th Congress. But also, the Georgia race of Raphael Warnock; the Ohio race of Tim Ryan; the Wisconsin race of Mandela Barnes; the North Carolina race of Cheri Beasley; the Florida race of Val Demings; the New Hampshire race of Maggie Hassan; the Nevada race of Catherine Cortez Masto; the Arizona race of Mark Kelly; and the Iowa race of Michael Franken, are all crucial.

And Governorship races, particularly in Michigan with Gretchen Whitmer; in Arizona with Katie Hobbs; in Florida with Charlie Crist; in Texas with Beto O’Rourke, are all significant for the future!

Major Primary Day Today In Florida And New York

Ronald 2 Comments

Today will decide who the Democratic nominee for Florida Governor will be against Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Also, Val Demings, former Orlando Police Commissioner and Democratic Congresswoman from Central Florida, will formally be chosen to oppose Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

It will also decide in New York who will be forced to retire from the House of Representatives in a district that, due to New York losing a Congressional seat, pits two 30 year veterans–Carolyn Maloney, who is the Chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and Jerry Nadler, who is the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, which was directly engaged in the two impeachments of President Donald Trump in 2019 and 2021.

Ahead of the vote, it appears that Charlie Crist, former Florida Republican Governor, who became an Independent and then a Democrat, and has served in the House of Representatives since 2017, is favored over Florida Agriculture Commissioner, Nikki Friend, the only Democrat elected state wide in the past generation in Florida, for the challenge against Ron DeSantis. And the Demings-Rubio race will likely be close in November.

Also, in New York, Nadler is favored in polls to win the House seat, newly created, over Maloney.

It will be interesting to see the results of both the Florida and New York elections.

Potential For More African American Senators In 118th Congress (2023-2024)

Ronald Leave a comment

The potential exists for the US Senate in the 118th Congress to have more African American members than ever before.

Altogether, there have been eleven African American Senators in American history, with three serving for the first time in 2017 when Kamala Harris joined the Senate, adding to Tim Scott and Cory Booker.

Raphael Warnock became the third serving at the same time, replacing Harris, who became Vice President in 2021!

Now, with Scott and Booker in the Senate, and Warnock running for reelection against another African American, former football player Herschel Walker, at least three African Americans will serve in the next Congress.

But there are others who are running for election to the Senate, including:

Congresswoman Val Demings of Florida against Senator Marco Rubio

Charles Booker of Kentucky against Senator Rand Paul

Cheri Beasley of North Carolina against Congressman Ted Budd

Mandela Barnes of Wisconsin against Senator Ron Johnson

So there could, in theory, be SEVEN African American Senators in the 118th Congress, if fortune worked out!

37 Members Of Congress Leaving In 2022, With 22 No Longer Seeking Public Office

Ronald Leave a comment

Thirty seven members of Congress, including six US Senators, are leaving office in 2022, with fifteen House members seeking a Senate seat or a a Governorship or other office, rather than retiring completely from politics.

Some are worthy of attention as follows:

Five Republican Senators:

Richard Burr of North Carolina
Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania
Rob Portman of Ohio
Richard Shelby of Alabama
Roy Blunt of Missouri

and Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont

In the House of Representatives, notable retirements include:

Devin Nunes (R) of California
Peter DeFazio (D) of Oregon
Jackie Speier (D) of California
Adam Kinzinger (R) of Illinois
John Yarmuth (D) of Kentucky
Anthony Gonzalez (R) of Ohio

Amonag those running for the US Senate:

Peter Welch (D) of Vermont
Conor Lamb (D) of Pennsylvania
Val Demings (D) of Florida
Tim Ryan (D) of Ohio
Mo Brooks (R) of Alabama

Running for Governor:

Charlie Crist (D) of Florida
Tom Suozzi (D) of New York
Lee Zeldin (R) of New York

Also, running for Mayor of Los Angeles–Karen Bass (D) of California

House Impeachment Managers Brilliant, And Reflective Of The Diversity of America

Ronald 2 Comments

The Democratic House Impeachment Managers, seven of them selected by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, have conducted themselves in a brilliant fashion, and are reflective of the diversity of America.

Particularly exceptional are Adam Schiff of California and Hakeem Jeffries of New York. But also, Jerrold Nadler of New York, Zoe Lofgren of California, Val Demings of Florida, Sylvia Garcia of Texas, and Jason Crow of Colorado have performed well.

This group includes four men and three women; two who are Jewish (Schiff, Nadler); two who are African American (Jeffries, Demings); one who is Latina (Garcia); three who are long time veterans of the House (Nadler, Lofgren, Schiff); three who have served three years or less (Demings, Garcia, Crow); two each from California and New York, and one each from Florida, Texas, and Colorado. So all of the top four states in population, plus growing Colorado are represented by this group of seven members of the House of Representatives. And their ages range from 72 down to 40, with two in their 70s, two in their 60s, one in the fifties, and two in their 40s.

The Democrats are fortunate in having such talented members doing the job of informing the nation of the crimes and illegalities of Donald Trump, no matter what the result of the Impeachment Trial.