Election 2008

The Election Protection Wiki: A Dynamic Website Helps Safeguard America’s Right to Vote

Contact:
Conor Kenny, Managing Editor, Election Protection Wiki
Phone: (202) 277-6427; Email: conor@sourcewatch.org

The non-profit, non-partisan Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) has launched a unique website to help safeguard the fairness and integrity of US elections, using the power of citizen journalism. The Election Protection Wiki is now online at http://www.EPWiki.org . It enables citizens, journalists and government officials to actively monitor the electoral process in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. CMD and its community of volunteer editors will continue to improve, expand and update the EP Wiki beyond the upcoming November 4th election.

The EP Wiki is part of CMD’s award-winning SourceWatch website and operates on wiki software which allows anyone who registers on the website to participate in creating and updating articles. SourceWatch contains in-depth articles on every member of (and most candidates for) the US Congress at http://www.Congresspedia.org . CMD employs both professional and volunteer editors who work together online to ensure articles are fair, accurate and fully documented.

Reach Out and Smear Someone

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

The Republican Jewish Coalition says it hired the political polling firm Central Research to "understand why Barack Obama continues to have a problem among Jewish voters." But the poll questions upset many of the hundreds of Jewish voters in Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania an

No
Main Source: 
Politico.com, September 16, 2008
Topics: 
Right Wing
Election 2008
Ethics

Meet the Candidates: Winners of the Congressionals Primaries in Massachusetts

For the full roster of candidates, see the Massachusetts state portal.

By Congresspedia assistant editor Avelino Maestas

The incumbents in Massachusetts’ contested primaries Tuesday were universally victorious, setting up November matchups that will likely keep members of the state’s congressional delegation in their jobs come January.

Sen. John Kerry (D), facing his first primary opponent in 24 years, easily defeated challenger Ed O'Reilly Tuesday. O’Reilly, an attorney who questioned Kerry’s commitment to liberal issues, took several precincts, but conceded defeat before ¾ of results were in. Kerry will go on to face Republican nominee Jeff Beatty, the founder of an anti-terrorism consulting firm.

In the state’s other contested primary, Rep. John Olver defeated his Democratic opponent, Robert Feuer. Olver will now shift focus to his general election challenger, Nathan Bech (R). Bech is a veteran of the Iraq War who now runs his family’s property management business.

Only three other incumbents face challengers in November (see the unchallenged incumbents after the jump):

As part of Congresspedia's Wiki the Vote project, citizen journalists from around the country (and even some candidates!) have been logging information about the candidates' positions, biographies and records. A full list of the candidates and their professions are below, but you can also find them at their respective state portals via the Wiki the Vote project homepage. We need your help to find out more about these candidates, so if you know something about them please add it to their profile. (You can always contact one of the staff editors for help.)

Return of the Swift Boaters

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

"A new group financed by a Texas billionaire and organized by some of the same political operatives and donors behind the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign against Sen. John F. Kerry in 2004 plans to begin running television ads attacking Barack Obama," report Matthew Mosk and Chris Cillizza.

No
Main Source: 
Washington Post, September 13, 2008
Topics: 
Advertising
Front Groups
Election 2008

Meet the candidates: Congressional primaries in Massachusetts today

(For a full list of candidates, see the Massachusetts portal.)

By Congresspedia assistant editor Avelino Maestas

In the scheme of America politics, states don’t come much bluer than Massachusetts. With a Senate race and ten House contests on the November ballot, only five Republicans are running, and there are no contested GOP primaries. In fact, there are only two contested races during today’s primary election.

Sen. John Kerry (D) is virtually assured of being re-elected in November, but he does face a primary challenger this year. Attorney Ed O'Reilly has launched a long-shot bid to challenge the six-term incumbent, who received 22% of the vote during a state party convention to determine who gets on the Democratic primary ballot.

In the state’s 1st congressional district, Rep. John Olver (D) also faces a primary challenger: Robert Feuer (D). Olver was a long-time state lawmaker before he won a special election to Congress in 1991. Feuer is a Coast Guard veteran who now has a law practice in Stockbridge. Olver is expected to win the primary.

Meet the Candidates: Winners of the Congressionals Primaries in Minnesota and Wisconsin

For full information, including candidates, click on a state's name

By Congresspedia assistant editor Avelino Maestas

Our wrap-up of Tuesday’s primary elections is pretty hefty, so we've split it into three parts; you can find results from Minnesota and Wisconsin in this post. Remember, we have a full list of candidates after the break, including the professions of all the challengers. You can find the candidates from New England at the Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont portals and at the New England wrap up, and mid-Atlantic candidates at the District of Columbia and New York portals and at the mid-Atlantic wrap up.

Minnesota
Al Franken (D) and Sen. Norm Coleman (R) easily dispatched the competition in their respective parties’ primary elections on Tuesday. Coleman, at one time behind Franken in polling, has opened a lead over the actor/comedian. Both candidates are performing well on the fundraising front, in what has become a high-visibility contest on the national level. A half-dozen candidates from other parties will join Coleman and Franken on the November ballot.

Unopposed in their respective primaries, Democrat Jigar Ashwin Madia and Republican Erik Paulsen are preparing for the general election in Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district. Incumbent Rep. Jim Ramstad (R) is retiring at the end of the 110th Congress.

There are a couple of freshman incumbents in Minnesota being targeted by the opposition. In CD-01, Republican Brian Davis is challenging Rep. Timothy Walz (D). Meanwhile, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) is trying to hold off a Elwyn Tinklenberg (D).

Wisconsin
In the 1st congressional district, Rep. Paul Ryan (R) was unopposed Tuesday, and Marge Krupp beat out two other Democrats for the shot to challenge the incumbent. Most of the incumbents appear to be favored for victory in the general election, though freshman Rep. Steve Kagen is facing a rematch of the 2006 election: he narrowly defeated Republican John Gard in that contest.

As part of Congresspedia's Wiki the Vote project, citizen journalists from around the country (and even some candidates!) have been logging information about the candidates' positions, biographies and records. A full list of the candidates and their professions are below, but you can also find them at their respective state portals via the Wiki the Vote project homepage. We need your help to find out more about these candidates, so if you know something about them please add it to their profile. (You can always contact one of the staff editors for help.)

Pages

Subscribe to Election 2008