Down the ballot: It's Election Day
Posted: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 9:07 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
States
The Lexington Herald-Leader covers the last day of campaigning yesterday in Kentucky’s gubernatorial race. “Still lagging in the polls, with hours to go until Election Day, Gov. Ernie Fletcher ordered the posting of the Ten Commandments in the Capitol yesterday while anonymous phone calls to voters tried to link Democrat Steve Beshear to ‘the homosexual lobby.’ … Fletcher is desperate, and rather than discuss his failed record, he hopes to distract voters, said Beshear spokeswoman Vicki Glass.”
Mississippi’s Clarion Ledger previews today’s races in the state, including the Barbour (R)-Eaves (D) gubernatorial match up. Less competition in races at the top of the ticket will mean a smaller turnout than in the last statewide election, Secretary of State Eric Clark predicted Monday. Still, Clark said he believes 825,000 of Mississippi's 1.78 million registered voters, roughly 46 percent, will head to the polls today. If the number holds true, the showing would be the second highest next to the 894,000 who voted in 2003.”
In Kentucky, in the eastern part of the state, polls open at 6:00 am ET and close at 6:00 pm ET; in the western part, they open at 7:00 am ET and close at 7:00 pm ET. In Mississippi, polls open at 8:00 am ET and close at 8:00 pm ET. Also today, Philadelphia gets a new mayor, and San Francisco and Houston are expected to re-elect their current Hizzoners. Perhaps the most nationally significant elections are taking place in Virginia, where Democrats are trying to win control of the state Senate and Republicans are hoping to hold control based on the power of the immigration issue.
USA Today has a national roundup of the more competitive elections taking place today, including some intriguing ballot initiatives out West.
Also, the likely re-election of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (who shook off scandal a year ago) is expected attract a record LOW turnout.
NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli reports that Frank Guinta, a Republican serving his first term as Manchester’s mayor, faces attorney and former school board member Tom Donovan (D) in today’s nonpartisan general election. The contest is one of the many municipal elections taking place around New Hampshire today, which comes just two months before the expected first-in-the-nation presidential primary. All politics is local, but most of the presidential campaigns’ New Hampshire teams are using today’s vote as an early test of their grassroots strength.
Reid Cherlin, Barack Obama’s New Hampshire press secretary, says the campaign has made “thousands of calls” on Donovan’s behalf, and will be going door-to-door to get out the vote today. Craig Stevens of the Romney campaign said volunteers have spent 100 hours doing lit drops, sign wavings, and phone banking for Guinta. Clinton’s campaign here has encouraged volunteers and paid staff to volunteer some time working the vote today as well. “We obviously think it’s important to support local Democrats and elect more Democrats,” said spokesperson Kathleen Strand. “We’ve been helpful in any way that we can.”
Dodd’s campaign says it has gone a bit further than the others. Dodd endorsed Donovan in August, when there was a larger field of candidates in the race. Donovan declines to play favorites, saying he’s grateful for whatever support he has received. “They’ve all been good,” he said. “They also see it as a good way for them to learn local politics, because our election is a couple months before the primary, and because of that this is a way for them to learn the community, learn how to do retail politics.”
Guinta also stresses the support he’s received from all of the candidates, most recently a joint retail stop on Monday with another mayor, Rudy Giuliani. He even thanks Fred Thompson, who raised some eyebrows when he canceled a scheduled appearance at a fundraiser for the mayor last month. “It was a scheduling conflict that came up at the last minute. In presidential politics that happens,” Guinta said. “But I’m pleased that he’s encouraging me and supporting my effort here.”
