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The Top 10 Political Events in 2015
December 29, 2015
By Ballotpedia staff
2015 has been filled with noteworthy political events. Whether it was a record-breaking state supreme court race, a wildly unpopular local ballot measure ad campaign, an affair between state legislators or Donald Trump's polarizing statements, there has been a lot to remember.
Take a look at Ballotpedia’s year in review, and let us know what you think the most noteworthy event was this year.
Record spending, partisan flip in supreme court race
Pennsylvania voters took part in a historic election to fill three vacant seats on the state supreme court. It had been more than 300 years since the panel had three vacancies, and those were filled in 1704 by the British monarch, Queen Anne. The three candidates elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2015's historic election were Kevin M. Dougherty (D), David N. Wecht (D) and Christine Donohue (D). This Democratic sweep changed the partisan balance of the court; where the court previously had three Republicans, two Democrats and two vacancies, it now has five Democratic justices and two Republicans. This was the most competitive supreme court race the commonwealth had seen since 2009, and it became the most expensive race in American history.[1][2]
An affair to remember
- See also: Michigan state legislator affairs, 2015
On August 7, 2015, The Detroit News reported that Michigan state Rep. Todd Courser (R), a married father of four, allegedly tried to cover up his affair with Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R), a married mother of three, by asking his aide to lie for him. According to audio recordings obtained by The Detroit News, Courser asked his then-aide Ben Graham to distribute a fake email to Republican activists and operatives suggesting that he had been caught having sex with a male prostitute behind a Lansing nightclub. The email was intended to create "a complete smear campaign" to blunt any claims about a relationship between Courser and Gamrat. The audio recordings were recorded by Graham in mid-May 2015. After Graham refused to send the email, Courser fired him in July; Gamrat also fired Keith Allard, her legislative aide. Interviews with former House employees and the audio recordings showed that Courser and Gamrat used their taxpayer-funded offices to cover up the affair. After 14 hours of debate and two failed rounds of voting, Courser resigned from the Michigan House of Representatives on September 11, 2015, and an hour later Gamrat was expelled from the chamber.[3][4]
Love, Airbnb
This November, residents in San Francisco, California, voted not to impose restrictions on temporary lodgings such as the ones hosted on the popular website Airbnb. This was despite Airbnb spending some of its $8 million opposition campaign (under $1 million was raised in support of the measure) on the unpopular
"Dear ..., ... Love, Airbnb" campaign.[5][6][7]
In late October 2015, Airbnb launched a billboard ad campaign throughout the city. The billboards were all in the form of a letter from Airbnb to different city departments, and they referred to the approximately $12 million in hotel tax revenue received by the city in 2014-2015 from short-term rentals. The ads received a significant amount of criticism. Airbnb issued a statement in response, writing, “The intent was to show the hotel tax contribution from our hosts and guests, which is roughly $1 million per month. It was the wrong tone and we apologize to anyone who was offended. These ads are being taken down immediately.”[8]
Corruption in New York
The top two leaders in the New York State Legislature were removed from their positions and convicted of corruption this year.
Sheldon Silver
In January 2015, former Democratic New York Assemblyman Sheldon Silver was indicted on five counts of bribery, extortion and conspiracy. He pleaded not guilty to one count of honest services mail fraud, one count of honest services wire fraud and one count of using his office for extortion. In April, federal prosecutors filed a new criminal charge against Silver: engaging in monetary transactions involving crime proceeds. The court documents alleged that Silver used his position to take more than $4 million in bribes and kickbacks from two law firms, Weitz & Luxenberg and Goldberg & Iryami, which he allegedly masked as legitimate income. According to court documents, Silver was paid $1.4 million in salary from the law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg based on his position in the Assembly and not for work that he performed. He also received $3.9 million in attorney referral fees. Prosecutors in the case say that Silver steered $500,000 in state funds to an unnamed doctor and that the doctor in turn steered asbestos cases to the firm. On November 30, 2015, Silver was found guilty on all seven counts and was removed from office.[9][10]
Dean Skelos
- See also: Dean Skelos
Dean G. Skelos, a former Republican member of the New York State Senate, was removed from office after he was convicted of eight counts of corruption. In May 2015, Sen. Skelos and his son were charged with six counts: three counts of extortion, two counts of soliciting bribes and one count of conspiracy, to which the two men pleaded not guilty. Skelos was accused of using his position in the state Senate to benefit AbTech—an environmental technology company—and the real estate developer Glenwood Management in exchange for payment. In July, federal prosecutors released an expanded indictment that added two new charges of soliciting bribes. Sen. Skelos and his son were convicted of eight counts of extortion, bribery and conspiracy on December 11. U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood has scheduled sentencing for March 3, 2016. Skelos and his son face up to 130 years in prison when they are sentenced.[11][12]
Everything Trump
- See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
Here’s one story line that will continue on in 2016: On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump (R) announced his bid for the presidency at Trump Tower in New York City. Trump said, "I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again." From his high poll numbers to his controversial statements and clash with the media, Trump has remained in the spotlight since his announcement.[13]
Mayor and city councilman take the gloves off
On December 15, 2015, in Birmingham, Alabama, Mayor William Bell and City Councilman Marcus Lundy were involved in a physical altercation during a break from a city council meeting. According to a police report, Bell asked to speak with Lundy in private about a personal issue. The report indicated that as the conversation drew to a close, Lundy prevented Bell from leaving the room and grabbed the mayor by the neck. The Birmingham Police Department issued a warrant for a third-degree assault charge against Lundy, but it was withdrawn on December 16, 2015, prior to a public reconciliation between Bell and Lundy. There were conflicting reports about the causes of the altercation. Council President Johnathan Austin claimed that Lundy was upset over Bell's efforts to remove the city's money from Regions Bank, where Lundy is employed. A city spokesperson initially claimed that Lundy was criticized by the city's legal department over his use of a city car, but a second statement from the city dismissed a connection between this issue and the altercation.[14][15]
Ohio defeats Buddie and Issue 3
Voters decided not to make Ohio the fifth state to legalize marijuana this year. The Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative was on the ballot for November 3, 2015, where it was defeated with 64.1 percent of the vote. The measure would have legalized the medical and recreational use of the drug and created 10 facilities, known as Marijuana Growth, Cultivation and Extraction (MGCE) facilities, with exclusive commercial rights to grow marijuana. The creation of the 10 facilities—which would have been owned by private investors who contributed to the campaign—caused significant controversy and led some voters who supported marijuana legalization to vote against the measure. Although the term monopoly was used by opponents, Ballotpedia's analysis concluded that the measure would have created an oligopoly instead. Regardless, the measure caused enough tumult for the Ohio State Legislature to get involved, referring to the ballot a competing measure, Issue 2, which was approved by voters. Issue 2 would have prevented Issue 3 from taking effect had it passed, and it now allows the Ohio Ballot Board to regulate future ballot measures dealing with monopolies. Supporters of Issue 3 used a green cartoon character, Buddie, to advertise for their cause. The controversial character was accused of targeting children.[16][17]
Pennsylvania AG Kane's web of controversy
Kathleen Kane, the first woman and first Democratic attorney general of Pennsylvania elected since 1980, was charged with five criminal offenses, including perjury and obstruction, on August 6, 2015. In September, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court temporarily suspended Kane's law license, effective October 21. While the suspension restricts Kane's capacity to practice law, it does not preclude her from performing administrative duties for the office she has held since 2013. The governor can remove certain elected officials from office for "reasonable cause" after a two-thirds vote in the Senate. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R) announced that his chamber was forming a bipartisan committee to review whether Kane can continue to perform the duties of her office with her law license suspended indefinitely. Kane's spokesman, Chuck Ardo, responded to news of the Senate's action by saying that the attorney general "believes that any action the Senate takes before the legal process has an opportunity to work itself out to conclusion is premature."[18][19][20][21]
Legalizing same-sex marriages
- See also: Obergefell v. Hodges
On June 26, 2015, in a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court held that same-sex marriage is protected under the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Consequently, same-sex marriage bans have been struck down as unconstitutional, and same-sex marriages performed out of state must be recognized in other states. Justice Anthony Kennedy authored the opinion, and Justices Ruth Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito each authored a dissent. The ruling was met with different responses at the federal, state and local levels.
A “Clean Slate” for Jeffco Schools
- See also: Jeffco Public Schools elections (2015)
An entirely new school board was elected in November for Colorado’s Jeffco Public Schools. Two seats were up for general election this year, with neither incumbent choosing to run. The three seats not up for a regularly scheduled election were targeted in a recall election to be held the same day. All three of those seats were recalled, and the district saw its first ever completely new school board. Earlier in 2015, the school district attracted national attention after being rocked by controversy over the implementation of teacher merit pay and accusations of curriculum censorship, wasteful spending and a lack of transparency by the board. The recall petition was filed by Jeffco United for Action. The group accused the majority bloc of attempting to censor A.P. U.S. history classes, pushing out over 700 district educators due to their new policies, wasting "millions of taxpayer dollars," violating open meeting laws, limiting public input at board meetings, bullying students and parents, and releasing private student information without consent. The water between the recall election and the general election became muddied; candidates running in the general election came out either in support of or in opposition to the recall and, by association, the reforms that inspired it.[22][23]
Ballotpedia's senior elections analyst, Brittany Clingen, recaps the results of the historic Jeffco Public Schools elections and recall elections. |
Honorable mentions
Oregon Governor resigns from office
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber (D)—embroiled in an ethics investigation and a criminal investigation—announced his resignation from office on Friday, February 13, 2015, effective on February 18. Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (D) announced on February 9 that she was initiating a criminal investigation of Kitzhaber and his fiancee Cylvia Hayes.[24] She announced the investigation on the same day as Kitzhaber publicly requested a criminal investigation of his administration.[25] Kate Brown assumed office as Kitzhaber's replacement as the Oregon Secretary of State is the next in line of succession after the governor.[26]
Back to a Republican mayor for Jacksonville, FL
When Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown was first elected in 2011, he became not only the first African-American to hold the position in Jacksonville's history, but also the first Democrat to be elected mayor since Ed Austin in 1991. However, in this year’s mayoral race, Brown failed to secure a second term, losing to local Republican businessman Lenny Curry in a fiercely competitive general election.[27]
Ferguson elects African-American city councilmen
Before this year, only two black members had ever served on Ferguson, Missouri’s city council. On April 7, 2015, two African-Americans, Ella M. Jones and Wesley Bell, won two of the three city council seats up for election. None of the incumbents on the council ran for re-election this year, and four of the eight candidates who ran for the open seats were African-American. According to the United States Census Bureau, Ferguson is 67.4 percent African-American.[28][29]
Early dropouts
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
In a crowded race for the GOP nominee for president, 2015 saw two noteworthy exits from the race despite each candidate having substantial financial support from Super PACs.
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry suspended his campaign for president on September 11, 2015, making him the first candidate to drop out of the race. The Washington Post and National Journal reported in early August 2015 that Perry's campaign had frozen pay for all staff across the country due to cash flow issues. Super PACs supporting Perry, however, had raised $16.8 million and were expected to build ground organizations in primary states like Iowa. In September 2015, South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Matt Moore said Perry was “on life support” in South Carolina and expressed skepticism that Perry would pay the state’s $40,000 filing fee to appear on the ballot.[30]
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker dropped out of the race on September 21, 2015. Walker experienced a sharp decline in polling support, which caused his campaign to struggle financially. A Quinnipiac poll from September 11, 2015, showed that he registered 3 percent support, a 15-point drop from when he topped Quinnipiac’s survey in July 2015 with 18 percent support. According to the Politico Caucus, Republican insiders also took issue with Walker's changing stances on policies over the summer.[31]
Drawing straws to break an electoral tie
Elections for the office of Mississippi House of Representatives took place on November 3, 2015. In District 79, incumbent Blaine Eaton (D) faced Mark K. Tullos (R) in the general election, but the race ended in a tie. Eaton and Tullos drew straws on November 20 to break the tie. Eaton drew the green straw and won the race. Tullos filed a challenge to the state House after Eaton won. The House will make the final decision in January.[32][33][34]
What do you think was the most notable event?
References
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2009 Municipal Election," accessed April 14, 2015
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Race for Pennsylvania Supreme Court Breaks Spending Record," November 3, 2015
- ↑ The Detroit News, "Recordings: State rep asked aide to hide relationship," August 7, 2015
- ↑ Lansing State Journal, "House committee votes to expel Courser, Gamrat," accessed September 11, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Airbnb calls SF led union ballot measure a ‘Trojan Horse,’" May 1, 2015
- ↑ San Francisco Chronicle, "Airbnb foes mount campaign for S.F. ballot measure," May 1, 2015
- ↑ Business Insider, "Airbnb has spent more than $8 million fighting a proposed law in San Francisco," September 28, 2015
- ↑ SF weekly, "Airbnb Apologizes For Passive Aggressive Ads on Muni Shelters (UPDATED)," October 21, 2015
- ↑ Yahoo News, "New York assembly ex-speaker Silver indicted on corruption charges," accessed February 19, 2015
- ↑ NY Times, "Sheldon Silver, Ex-New York Assembly Speaker, Is Found Guilty on All Counts," accessed November 30, 2015
- ↑ NY Times, "Dean Skelos, New York Senate Leader, and Son Are Arrested on Corruption Charges," accessed May 4, 2015
- ↑ Newsday, "Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and son Adam Skelos face federal corruption charges, feds say," accessed May 4, 2015
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Donald Trump Enters 2016 Presidential Race," June 16, 2015
- ↑ AL.com, "Warrant against Councilman Marcus Lundy recalled; Mayor William Bell says for 'good of the city,'" December 16, 2015
- ↑ AL.com, "Birmingham mayor, councilman embrace after City Hall fight," December 17, 2015
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Issue 3," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ Cincinnati Enquirer, "What you need to know about marijuana initiative," July 24, 2015
- ↑ Philadelphia Business Journal, "Pennsylvania AG Kathleen Kane charged with obstruction, perjury," August 6, 2015
- ↑ New York Times, "Kathleen Kane, Pennsylvania Attorney General, Is Suspended From Practicing Law," September 21, 2015
- ↑ Tribune Live, "Pa. Supreme Court 'disturbed by content' of emails attributed to justice," October 12, 2015
- ↑ Philly.com, "Pa. Senate takes first steps toward removing Kathleen Kane from office," October 23, 2015
- ↑ Jefferson County, "Unofficial County Results," November 3, 2015
- ↑ Lakewood Sentinel, "Jefferson County School Board elections could force imminent change," October 6, 2015
- ↑ New York Times, "Oregon Bedfellows Make for Strange Politics," February 11, 2015
- ↑ Governing, "Oregon AG Launches Criminal Investigation of Gov. Kitzhaber and His Fiancee," February 10, 2015
- ↑ The Oregonian, "Secretary of State Kate Brown cutting D.C. trip short to return to Oregon," February 11, 2015
- ↑ Jacksonville.com, "Alvin Brown makes history as city's first African-American mayor," May 19, 2011
- ↑ Ferguson, Missouri, "City Council," accessed March 26, 2015
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "Who wants to run Ferguson? Meet the 8 candidates for City Council," March 17, 2015
- ↑ Washington Post, "Rick Perry suspends presidential bid," September 11, 2015
- ↑ New York Times, "Scott Walker Said to Be Quitting Run for President," September 21, 2015
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2015 Elections Calendar," accessed December 2, 2014
- ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Candidates in House race tie will draw straws on Friday," accessed November 18, 2015
- ↑ Gulflive.com, "Tied Mississippi House race may be decided by luck of draw," accessed November 13, 2015
