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brooklynite

brooklynite's Journal
brooklynite's Journal
July 20, 2022

DLCC's critical State Legislature races

There will be hundreds of competitive state legislative districts across the country this year, and it can be difficult for individuals to know where to focus their efforts. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is constantly monitoring the latest data and analytics to move our own investments where they will make the most impact. If anyone in your network is interested in making a contribution directly to the DLCC, they can do so at this link.

In 2022, the DLCC is implementing a three-pronged strategy to protect our gains, mount a competitive challenge to winnable GOP-held majorities, and build strategic power for future cycles.

Our first priority this year will be to defend the gains we’ve made over the last decade in chambers such as the Colorado Senate, the Maine Senate, the Minnesota House of Representatives, and the Nevada Assembly and Senate. Midterm cycles are historically difficult for the president’s party. Winning state legislative majorities in more difficult territory later in the decade starts with defending our progress this cycle.

This year, Republican majorities are the most vulnerable in the Minnesota Senate and the Michigan House and Senate. These chambers are the best opportunities to gain ground due to redistricting, the landscapes of the states, and our current margins.

In chambers like the Arizona House and Senate, redistricting and the current political environment will make winning a new majority more challenging this year, but the DLCC is investing here to protect our Democratic incumbents and gain ground. If our data and analytics show that these states are more competitive later in the cycle, we will make a play for a Democratic majority.

We will continue to adapt as the political environment takes shape over the course of the election cycle, and if chambers begin to look more vulnerable for either party, we will move resources accordingly.

Thank you for your consideration of supporting these candidates. We appreciate your dedication to this work!

My best,

Keegan
_______________________________

Arizona House
NOTE: The Arizona House and Senate district maps got more difficult for Democrats following the redistricting process. The commission's "independent" chair consistently voted with Republicans on the commission, resulting in maps with an undue Republican influence. It will be difficult to win a majority in either chamber this cycle due to these district maps. That said, these chambers are still competitive and we are working to gain ground and protect and pick up seats. Contributions to these targeted races will have a big impact.
Contribution limit: $5,300 per candidate per cycle (includes primary, general, etc.)
Primary Date: August 2, 2022
LD 2: Rep. Judy Schweibert - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend in order to flip the chamber
LD 4: Laura Terech - Open Democratic-held seat which we will need to defend in order to flip the chamber
LD 9: Seth Blattman - Open Democratic-held seat which we will need to defend in order to flip the chamber
LD 13: Rep. Jennifer Pawlik - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend in order to flip the chamber

Arizona Senate
NOTE: The Arizona House and Senate district maps got more difficult for Democrats following the redistricting process. The commission's "independent" chair consistently voted with Republicans on the commission, resulting in maps with an undue Republican influence. It will be difficult to win a majority in either chamber this cycle due to these district maps. That said, these chambers are still competitive and we are working to gain ground and protect and pick up seats. Contributions to these targeted races will have a big impact.
Contribution limit: $5,300 per candidate per cycle (includes primary, general, etc.)
Primary Date: August 2, 2022
LD 2: Jeanne Casteen - Open Democratic-held seat which we will need to defend in order to flip the chamber
LD 4: Sen. Christine Marsh - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend this seat in order to flip the chamber
LD 9: Eva Burch - Open Democratic-held seat which we will need to defend in order to flip the chamber

Colorado Senate
NOTE: The Democratic majority in the Colorado Senate will be a top target for national Republicans in 2022. Due to the low candidate contribution limits in Colorado (an individual can only contribute $200 per candidate per election cycle) giving directly to candidates is not the most effective way to support these campaigns. Instead, you can contribute to American Leadership Committee (ALC) Colorado. ALC Colorado will focus on independent expenditures in the state and is a way to have a significant impact on our ability to hold the chamber.
ALC Colorado

Maine Senate
NOTE: The Democratic majority in the Maine Senate will be a top target for national Republicans in 2022. Most Democratic candidates in Maine participate in the Maine Clean Election Act program, a public financing program for political candidates that bars candidates from accepting contributions from individual donors. Instead, you can contribute directly to the Maine Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, which would make a significant impact on our ability to hold the chamber.
Maine Senate Democratic Campaign Committee

Michigan House
NOTE: The Michigan House of Representatives is a top target for the DLCC this election cycle. After the latest round of redistricting, the legislative district maps are significantly fairer than they have been in a generation. Democrats have won the popular vote for the state House in nearly every single election in the last decade but have never held a legislative majority because of how aggressively Republicans were able to rig the maps. This presents a unique opportunity for Democrats to flip the Michigan House of Representatives to Democratic control in November of 2022.
Contribution limit: $1,050 per candidate per cycle (includes primary, general, etc.)
Primary Date: August 2, 2022
HD 48: Jennifer Conlin - Pick-up opportunity in a Republican-held seat
HD 61: Denise Mentzer - Open Democratic-held seat which we will need to defend in order to flip the chamber

Michigan Senate
NOTE: The Michigan Senate is a top target for the DLCC this election cycle. After the latest round of redistricting, the legislative district maps are significantly fairer than they have been in a generation. This presents a unique opportunity for Democrats to flip the Michigan Senate to Democratic control in November of 2022.
Contribution limit: $2,100 per candidate per cycle (includes primary, general, etc.)
Primary Date: August 2, 2022
SD 4: Rep. Darrin Camilleri - Open Democratic-held seat which we will need to defend in order to flip the chamber
SD 30: Rep. David LaGrand - Pick-up opportunity in a Republican-held seat

Minnesota Senate
NOTE: The Minnesota Senate has been controlled by Republicans since 2016, however Democrats only need to flip 3 seats this November in order to win back a majority in the chamber. A contribution to the following candidates would make a significant impact on our ability to flip the chamber to Democratic control.
Contribution limit: $1,000 per candidate for two-year period between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022
SD 3: Grant Hauschild - Pick-up opportunity in a seat currently held by an Independent
SD 25: Rep. Liz Boldon - Pick-up opportunity in a Republican-held seat
SD 35: Kari Rehrauer - Pick-up opportunity in a Republican-held seat
SD 36: Heather Gustafson - Pick-up opportunity in a Republican-held seat
SD 41: Judy Seeberger - Open Democratic-held seat which we will need to defend in order to flip the chamber

Minnesota House
NOTE: The Democratic majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives will be a top target for national Republicans in 2022. Democrats currently hold 69 seats, and must maintain at least 67 seats in order to hold the majority. A contribution to the following candidates would make a significant impact on our ability to hold the chamber.
Contribution limit: $1,000 per candidate for two-year period between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022
HD 14B: Rep. Dan Wolgamott - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend this seat in order to hold our majority
HD 35A: Rep. Zack Stephenson - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend this seat in order to hold our majority
HD 48B: Lucy Rehm - Pick-up opportunity in a Republican-held seat
HD 54A: Brad Tabke - Pick-up opportunity in a Republican-held seat
HD 55A: Rep. Jess Hanson - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend this seat in order to hold our majority

Nevada Assembly
NOTE: The Democratic majority in the Nevada Assembly will be a top target for national Republicans in 2022. Democrats currently hold 25 seats, and must maintain at least 22 seats in order to hold a majority. A contribution to the following candidates would make a significant impact on our ability to hold the chamber.
Contribution limit: $5,000 per candidate per election (i.e., separate limits for the primary and general)
AD 8: Duy Nguyen - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend this seat in order to hold our majority
AD 12: Max Carter - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend this seat in order to hold our majority
AD 41: Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend this seat in order to hold our majority

Nevada Senate
NOTE: The Democratic majority in the Nevada Senate will be a top target for national Republicans in 2022. There are only 21 members of the Nevada Senate and due to the small number of seats, there is little room for error in this chamber. A contribution to the following candidates would make a significant impact on our ability to hold the chamber.
Contribution limit: $5,000 per candidate per election (i.e., separate limits for the primary and general)
SD 8: Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend this seat in order to hold our majority
SD 9: Sen. Melanie Scheible - Critical Democratic hold, we will need to defend this seat in order to hold our majority
SD 12: Julie Pazina - Pick-up opportunity in a Republican-held seat

July 20, 2022

Sheriff asked to investigate ballot-box surveillance

Source: MyNorthwest

SEATTLE (AP) — An elections director in Washington state’s most populous county says her office is asking the sheriff’s office to investigate people who planted signs near ballot boxes warning voters they were “under surveillance.”

In a statement Tuesday evening, King County Elections Director Julie Wise blasted what she called an effort to scare voters, The Seattle Times reported.

“I believe this is a targeted, intentional strategy to intimidate and dissuade voters from using secure ballot drop boxes. My team is not going to stand by and allow any group to seed fear and doubt amongst our residents and voters, especially not when they are simply trying to make their voices heard,” Wise said.

The signs were posted near ballot boxes in Seattle and suburban locations, with red letters warning the boxes were “Under Surveillance” and saying that accepting money “for harvesting or depositing ballots” may violate federal law.


Read more: https://mynorthwest.com/3569137/sheriff-asked-to-investigate-ballot-box-surveillance/
July 20, 2022

Democrats embrace law enforcement to hit GOP on crime

Axios

Just two years after calls to defund the police erupted in the wake of George Floyd's murder, Democrats in states like Ohio, Georgia and Florida are spotlighting law enforcement to boost their credibility on fighting crime.

Why it matters: The new effort to ward off Republican attacks comes after the defund debate damaged Democrats' reputation on crime — leading to party infighting and internal reflection over how to best message on police reform.

Some party strategists fear a voter perception that Democrats don't recognize the problem with violent crime and don't respect the role police play in keeping communities safe.

The recent spate of mass shootings in places like Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, has given fresh urgency to the issue — as well as a new opportunity for Dems to go on the offensive by linking rising crime rates to gun violence.

What's happening: A new analysis from the Center for American Progress found that in seven states (Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Arizona, Iowa, Texas and Missouri), law enforcement groups have publicly opposed bills spearheaded by Republican governors and lawmakers.

July 20, 2022

Maryland Primary early results...

(omits mail-in votes)

21% of in-person voting reported:

MD-GOV-D
Wes Moore 56,408 +35.9%
Tom Perez 45,668 +29.1%
Peter Franchot 31,850 +20.3%

MD-GOV-R
Dan Cox 42,046 +52.2%
Kelly Schulz 35,142 +43.6%

July 20, 2022

Netflix loses nearly 1 million subscribers, and its stock soars

Washington Post

Netflix outpaced its own gloomy quarterly forecasts, stemming subscriber losses and posting higher revenue despite a more competitive streaming landscape and challenging economic environment.

The company’s financial results, released after Tuesday’s market close, were widely anticipated. Though the loss of 970,000 paying users might typically not pass for good news, it’s a veritable win compared with the 2 million the company had expected for the three-month period that ended June 30. That sent investors rushing in, powering the stock up nearly 8 percent in after-hours trading.

Shares surged 5.6 percent ahead of Tuesday’s release, closing at $201.63, amid a broad rally that sent the Dow Jones industrial average up more than 750 points, or 2.2 percent. The broader S&P 500 index and tech-heavy Nasdaq ended even higher, up 2.8 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, as investors appeared buoyed by better-than-expected quarterly earnings that showed businesses were managing withering inflation and despite recession fears.
July 20, 2022

Maryland Polls are closed, BUT.....

Maryland primary results may be delayed as mail-in votes are counted


Election results in tight races are likely to come days after Maryland’s July 19 primary as a pandemic-era shift to mail-in voting runs up against the state’s prohibition against counting ballots early, officials warn.

Maryland regulations prevent election workers from even starting to count these mail-in votes — which could amount to a significant portion of the total — until the Thursday after Election Day.

“Be patient,” advised William G. Voelp, chairman of the Maryland State Board of Elections, whose members are appointed by the governor. “Every legal vote will be counted, and then the state board of elections will certify based on not more than and not less than every legal vote being counted.”

The popularity of voting by mail shot up during the coronavirus pandemic as Maryland and other states sought to make voting safer. Maryland, however, is the only state that prohibits processing these ballots before the polls close, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The regulation, created in an era when mail-in, or absentee, voters were a tiny portion of the electorate, addressed concerns that mail-in results could be leaked before Election Day and sway the overall outcome.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/07/12/maryland-primary-results-may-be-delayed-mail-in-votes-are-counted/

July 19, 2022

New Yorkers accused of defrauding Chinese investors, selling Trump access

Source: Washington Post

With promises of green cards and access to prominent U.S. politicians — including then-President Donald Trump — two New Yorkers enticed Chinese investors into giving them millions, filtering the foreign money into American political campaigns, all while skimming the funds to support their luxurious lifestyles, federal prosecutors said Monday, announcing fraud charges against the pair.

Sherry Li, 50, and Lianbo “Mike” Wang, 45, of Oyster Bay, a hamlet on the North Shore of Long Island, were arrested Monday, according to court records, and charged with wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department said in a statement.

The pair dangled green cards to Chinese investors, promising that if they put money into their feigned real estate project — which included plans for a sprawling school, the “Thompson Education Center,” and an amusement park in New York state — they would receive legal residency in the United States through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, prosecutors said.

...snip...

They also presented a vestige of relationships with high-ranking Trump administration officials, issuing news releases about Li cozying up to politicians such as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Trump at galas and breakfasts. They sold access to Trump fundraisers, prosecutors said, by filtering the Chinese money through the bank accounts of their businesses and bringing the investors as guests, with Li and Wang making the donations.



Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/07/19/new-york-fraud-chinese-investors-trump/
July 19, 2022

Trump urged Wisconsin Assembly speaker in July to decertify Biden 2020 election win

CNBC

Former President Donald Trump this month called Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and urged him to decertify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win in that state, Vos said in a new interview Tuesday.

“It’s very consistent. He makes his case, which I respect,” Vos told WISN-TV 12 News in Milwaukee.

“He would like us to do something different in Wisconsin. I explained that it’s not allowed under the Constitution,” Vos said.

“He has a different opinion.”


Doesn't matter how many Administration officials and lawyers told Trump he lost; he chose to believe Rudy & company and still does.

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Name: Chris Bastian
Gender: Male
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Home country: USA
Member since: 2002
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