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2013 Convention preview: Virginia Republicans set to nominate state executives this weekend

By Maresa Strano

RICHMOND, Virginia: All three state executive offices up for election this year in Virginia are occupied by Republicans, and none are seeking re-election to their current posts. Term-limited Governor Bob McDonnell cannot run, and Attorney General of Virginia Ken Cuccinelli is vying for the seat. Cuccinelli has already secured the 2013 GOP nomination for governor, being the only member of his party to file by the convention’s Jan. 13th deadline,^[1] whereas the lieutenant governor and attorney general primary fields are both contested. Seven Republican candidates filed for retiring Lt. Gov Bill Bolling’s seat, while two entered the race to replace Cuccinelli as attorney general. This upcoming weekend, delegates of the Republican Party of Virginia will vote to decide which two of their party’s candidates will appear on the general election ballot for the offices of lieutenant governor and attorney general.^[2]

Here is a complete list of candidates competing in the May 17-18 Republican primary convention:

Lieutenant Governor:

Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (Campaign)
E.W. Jackson (Campaign)
Scott Lingamfelter (Campaign)
Steve Martin (Campaign)
Pete Snyder (Campaign)
Corey Stewart (Campaign)
Susan Stimpson (Campaign)

Attorney General:

Rob Bell (Campaign)
Mark Obenshain (Campaign)

The Democratic candidates for governor, lt. governor, and attorney general will compete in the taxpayer funded primary election on June 11, 2013. The winners will face the Republican convention nominees in the general election taking place November 5, 2013.

The Executive Summary: State auditors in the headlines

Edited by Greg Janetka

MADISON, Wisconsin: This edition of The Executive Summary features a breakdown of the current partisan count and takes a look at recent action involving an office that normally sees little news coverage - the state auditor.

The Tuesday Count: Immigration, gambling and hunting may appear on 2014 ballots

Edited by Brittany Clingen

Tuesday Count Lineup:

1 certification
3 measures for 2013

Topics featured in this report

Immigration(News)
Gambling(2014 watch)
Ballot summaries(Ballot law)

Connecticut has a new, certified legislatively-referred constitutional amendment, the Connecticut Early Voting Amendment, which will appear on the November 2014 ballot. It will ask voters whether the constitution should be amended to allow for more early voting options. Such options would include issuing absentee ballots to whoever requests one, not just those who are ill, disabled or away on business, as is currently the case. The measure would also allow people to cast their votes even if they do not go to polling locations on election day. The text of the measure will read: "Shall the Constitution of the State be amended to remove restrictions concerning absentee ballots and permit a person to vote without appearing at a polling place on the day of an election?"^[3]

As previously reported, the House approved the bill 90-49. On May 8, the Senate passed it 22-14.^[4]^[3] The bill is now set to be signed by Gov. Dannel Patrick Malloy.^[3]

In Oregon, Rep. Sal Esquivel (R-6) and Rep. Kim Thatcher (R-25), along with Richard LaMountain, have filed a veto referendum in hopes of repealing Senate Bill 833, which will allow people who do not qualify for eight-year driver's licenses and can't prove legal presence in the United States to obtain four-year driver's cards.^[5]

The group, Oregonians for Immigration Reform, is leading the charge on the Oregon Alternative Driver Licenses Referendum. This group and other supporters must collect at least 58,142 valid signatures by September 26 in order to land the question on the ballot on November 4, 2014. If the referendum effort fails, the new law laid out in SB 833 will go into effect on January 1, 2014.^[5]

Though it's probable Michigan's referendum on wolf hunting will be rendered useless, voters in Maine may get to decide on a hunting measure of their own. Despite the fact a nearly identical measure was voted down in 2004, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has taken the first steps to initiate a ballot measure that, if passed, would make certain aspects of bear hunting illegal.^[6]

This so called referendum is actually an initiated state statute and would ask voters to pass the new law via a yes or no answer to the question posed. This question will begin the process of going to the ballot if LD 1474, a bear hunting bill that is sponsored by Rep. Denise Harlow (D-116) and supported by the HSUS, does not pass the legislature. The referendum would ban the same aspects of bear hunting as the bill, plus bear baiting, a technique frequently used by hunters. The measure would appear on the ballot on November 4, 2014.^[6]^[7]

State Legislative Tracker: Delaware legalizes same-sex marriage

Edited by Joel Williams
This week's tracker takes a look at a one state legalizing same-sex marriage and other interesting legislation.

Sanford defeats Colbert-Busch for 1st district seat

By Jennifer Springer

Charleston, South Carolina: Mark Sanford, the former Republican Governor of South Carolina, revived his scandal-scarred political career in the special election for the 1st district seat.^[8] Sanford defeated Green Party candidate Eugene Platt and Democratic challenger Elizabeth Colbert-Busch in the general election to decide the vacant seat.

Colbert-Busch, the sister of Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert, is a college administrator and held no previous political experience prior to the election.^[9]^[10]

Colbert-Busch had briefly led Sanford in the polls, increasing hopes among some voters that a Democrat would, for the first time in more than 30 years, represent the coastal district that includes Charleston.^[9] The general election race was expected to be tough for any Democrat. The Charleston-area seat has been a Republican stronghold for decades and continues to lean Republican.^[11]^[12] The last Democratic candidate elected was Mendel Jackson Davis in 1978.^[13]

Three weeks prior to the special election, reports surfaced that Sanford’s ex-wife had filed a court complaint alleging he was in her house without permission in violation of their divorce decree, leading the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) to pull its support from the campaign.^[8] Despite losing national support from the NRCC, Sanford picked up endorsements from Rand Paul, Ron Paul, South Carolina senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]^[8]

Sanford successfully held onto his political record of having never lost a race in three runs for Congress and two for governor.^[8] He replaces former Rep. Tim Scott (R), who was appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley (R) to serve out the Senate term of Jim DeMint.^[20]

U.S. House, South Carolina, District 1 General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mark Sanford	54%	77,466
	Democratic	Elizabeth Colbert-Busch	45.2%	64,818
	Green	Eugene Platt	0.5%	690
	Independent	Write-in	0.3%	383
Total Votes				143,357
Source: South Carolina Election Board "Unofficial Special Election Results"