Meet Vivian Figures


running against Rep.Jeff Sessions — GOP

 

Vivian began her political career in 1984 when she ran as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in which capacity she has served for six consecutive times, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004. In 1993, Ms. Figures was elected to a four-year term on the Mobile City Council, attaining the status of the “only council member in Mobile’s history to hold a perfect attendance record.” Due to the untimely death of her husband, Michael A. Figures, she was later elected in the 1997 general election by an 87% victory to the Alabama State Senate to serve the remainder of his term. The victory made her the first African-American woman to be elected to the Senate from Mobile County and the second one in the state of Alabama. Her husband was the first African-American from Mobile County to be elected to the post in 1978 and he was elected overwhelmingly by his Senate cohorts as President Pro Tempore in 1995.  She was re-elected in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010.

In 2008, she became Alabama’s first African American woman to become the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. Although this was her first statewide run for public office, she garnered 37 percent of the vote while President Barack Obama had 39 percent.

As Senator, she played a major role in helping to author legislation for school personnel background checks for both public and private schools to make children safer. Because of her sponsorship and passage of the Alabama Clean Indoor Act, she was awarded the National Tobacco Award from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Outstanding Advocate Award from the American Heart Association. Senator Figures continues to work for a Smoke-Free Alabama.

Resources : From her website

I did a regular search and found that the NRA rates her 67% and while she is in a red state she backs education and most issues that any left of center does but not much information on reproductive rights with the exception of minors. I am not a one issue voter but admit to wanting to read a lot more about where she stood on reproductive rights. So, unless you have a better democratic candidate choice, she looks good on paper but as always … do your research and vote Jeff Sessions out of office !!!!

meet Michael Baumgartner, Republican from Spokane


Want to know how extreme the Republicans are in our State Senate?

Here are some “ideas” coming from Michael Baumgartner, State Senator from the 6th District in Spokane:

  • The unemployed should be required to perform public service before getting unemployment benefits.
  • Washington should be a right-to-work state. Don’t we want workers to have collective bargaining rights?
  • The State Supreme Court is like dictators Mugabe and Putin. Because they’re serious about funding our schools.

In a little over three years, Michael Baumgartner has defined himself as one of the most outspoken voices against Democratic values in our State Senate.

Rich Cowan is challenging Michael Baumgartner and will fight for Democratic values in the State Senate. Will you sign our petition and show your support for Rich Cowan?

We’re in Spokane for our State Convention, and everybody is talking about Rich Cowan.

Rich is a native Spokane film and television producer who challenged Cathy McMorris Rodgers in 2012 and developed a taste for taking on the right wing.

Believing that he could do the most good for our state by helping to take back our Senate, he began campaigning last August and has already raised over $122,000 and knocked on over 9,000 doors himself.

Rich has been all over the news recently because he just began filming his latest project, Spokane’s first television series called Z-Nation, which has created 200 crew jobs and 200 acting jobs that pay a family wage with health care and benefits! 1,300 people in the Spokane area are also eagerly signing up to serve as “zombie” extras on the show.

Rich is doing all he can to take back our State Senate. He knows “zombies” belong on the big screen, not in Olympia!

We need to make sure Michael Baumgartner doesn’t become the next Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Join us and stand with Rich Cowan today.

In solidarity,

Jaxon Ravens
Washington State Democrats Chair

meet cory gardner, Republican ~~ running against Mark Udall, Democratic Party


GOPred

As a national leader on energy policy, Cory has championed a bipartisan effort on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports that recently passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He also introduced two major pieces of legislation that passed the House with bipartisan support and would increase domestic production while creating thousands of jobs here at home. In addition to his work with traditional resources, Cory has promoted legislation to streamline the permitting process for renewable technologies on federal lands and supports a paid-for extension of the wind production tax credit (PTC). He also co-wrote the legislation that established Colorado’s Clean Energy Development Authority while serving in the Colorado General Assembly.

Cory is a leading voice on energy efficiency and co-founded a bipartisan caucus dedicated to promoting efficiency initiatives that are good for the environment and the taxpayer. More than fifty cosponsors from both sides of the aisle have signed on to Cory’s energy efficiency legislation and the Energy and Commerce Committee recently passed the bill unanimously.

Cory has a record that reflects his desire to rein in out-of-control spending and build consensus on issues where he can find common ground with his colleagues. Whether it is promoting agriculture or reforming telecommunications policy, Cory’s record is one of forging solutions to our nation’s greatest problems.

Throughout his time in Congress, Cory has voiced his strong opposition to Obamacare and the premium increases, thousands of pages in new regulations, and burdensome mandates it creates. Cory chose to reject federal health benefits when first elected to Congress, and his family was among the 335,000 Coloradans who received health care cancellation notices as a result of Obamacare. He supports legislation that repeals this misguided law and replaces it with a solution that allows the purchase of insurance across state lines, bolsters state high-risk pools to provide for those with pre-existing conditions, and enacts badly needed tort reform to reduce medical costs, among other ideas.

Cory is dedicated to fiscal responsibility and government reform. He introduced legislation that requires Congress to review programs targeted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as wasteful and duplicative. In an effort to make Congress work, he voted in favor of a bill that requires lawmakers to pass a budget or face having their pay withheld. He has also been a consistent voice for improving transparency through simplifying complicated government regulations and improving permit processes.

Cory believes that the next generation must be prepared to lead. He has supported efforts to entrust parents and educators with improving curriculum in their communities. Cory has also introduced legislation that helps students save more for college in a time of rising tuition costs. With two young children of his own, Cory knows that a quality education is invaluable to helping our youth meet the challenges of the future.

Resource: his website

We all know that the best way to find out about any candidate is to do your research. I went to gardner’s website and while he said some good things about birth control he is also in favour of repealing #ACA which would put reproductive rights at risk.  I also noticed that his website has a lot of information about what Mark Udall is for, but not a lot of his own solutions in my opinion and if elected he might say one thing and do another but I am cynical given how many Republicans in Congress continue to do so.  Cory might call himself an energy champion but he also believes the KeyStone pipeline is a must do … and I got the impression he is all for more deregulation … why are so many willing to forget the BP disaster the Massey Mining debacle and all the others before after and in between? ~~ Nativegrl77

meet Shelley moore Capito


from WVA

running against democrat Natalie Tennant

Her stand on Legislative Issues

 I think Shelley Moore Capito’s record of saying one thing in West Virginia and voting another way in Washington has finally caught up with her.”

Voted YES on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion. 

Voted YES on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime.

Voted YES on funding for health providers who don’t provide abortion info

Resources: wvblue.com, her website

 

meet tom corbett


running for Gov of PA against Alison Schwartz

Pro-life; supports state restrictions on abortion. (Nov 2010)

  • OpEd: Corbett knew federal LGBT laws; OK to change mind. (Dec 2013)
  • Supports anti-LGBT-discrimination bill, but not gay marriage. (Dec 2013)
  • Apologies for comparing gay marriage to incest. (Dec 2013)
  • Defines marriage as between a man and a woman. (Nov 2010)
  • End antiquated system of state-owned liquor stores. (Feb 2014)
  • Give up on privatizing state lottery program. (Jan 2014)
  • Justice Reinvestment: eligible offenders out of system. (Feb 2013)
  • 290 new state troopers plus 90 new civilian dispatchers. (Feb 2013)
  • Cancel unneeded expensive prison project in Fayette County. (Mar 2011)

I have to be honest, his stance is too extreme for me to want to list. So, like everything else regarding Midterms2014 …. do your research because this guy is not a great Public Servant in my opinion and if you seek out the definition of Public Servant you will see it as well …