2006 POP Primary Results
September 12, 2006, POP Primary Results
Maryland
Rep. Jane Lawton won the right to once again represent Maryland House District 18 in Annapolis. A 29-year community leader in Montgomery County, Lawton was appointed to represent District 18 in the House of Delegates in October 2005. Her legislative experience and public service career at the federal, county and local level, and her longtime community involvement make her an effective advocate for the district. She served as PTA president at Rosemary Hills Elementary and was elected to the Town of Chevy Chase Council, serving four terms as mayor. Since 1995, Lawton has worked for county residents as the director of the county's Cable Office. She also served as national president of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisers in 1999, as the cable and the telephone industries began converging for new digital and broadband services. Lawton is a recognized advocate for consumers and local government at the national level.
Heather Mizeur won a hard-fought primary to represent Maryland's 20th House District. Mizeur's earliest political memories involve the labor movement that her father proudly served in as a welder and lifelong member of the United Auto Workers (UAW).
Today, U.S. Senator John F. Kerry relies on Mizeur's good judgment, policy expertise, and reputation as an effective coalition builder on Capitol Hill. As one of his top advisers, Mizeur was the principle architect of Kerry's agenda for health care reform during the 2004 presidential campaign. She was also chosen to be his campaign director for the state of Maryland. Mizeur also served as a member of the Takoma Park City Council, where she was known for her pragmatic leadership and attention to constituent services. In 2005, Maryland Democrats elected Heather Mizeur to be their representative to the Democratic National Committee.
Minnesota
Lori Swanson won this hard fought primary for Minnesota Attorney General against two well-known, well-financed men. Swanson currently serves as Minnesota Solicitor General, a post she has held since January 2003. Before then, Lori served as Deputy Attorney General for four years. Swanson also currently serves as chair of the Consumer Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., where she advises the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board and board governors on consumer protection matters, fraud and identity theft, and financial privacy.
Erin Murphy handily won her primary for this safe Demoratic House seat in St. Paul. Murphy put herself through college and began her career in nursing in 1985 as an operating room nurse. Murphy joined the staff of the Minnesota Nurses Association, where she worked as an organizer and a lobbyist. She went on to serve as legislative director for Attorney General Humphrey and community relations director at the Department of Children, Families and Learning. She returned to the Minnesota Nurses Association in 2001 as executive director, where she leads an organization of 18,000 registered nurses and a staff of 42. Murphy and her husband, Joe, have twin daughters in 9th grade at Central High School.
Sandy Wollschlager was victorious in this southeastern Minnesota primary. This is Wollschlager's third attempt at this House seat, each time cutting her vote deficit in half against the retiring Republican incumbent, which puts her in great shape for this now open seat. Wollschlager has served eight years on the Cannon Falls School Board and currently works as a Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist for 3M. She has her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Augsburg College and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard.
Wisconsin
Janis Ringhand was successful in her primary in Wisconsin's 80th Assembly District. Ringhand was elected mayor of Evansville in 2002 and served two terms. Prior to her service as mayor, sher served as an alderperson in addition to working as a small business accountant. She has been involved in her community in many ways, including the VFW Auxiliary, the Chamber of Commerce, the Evansville Energy Initiative, and the Stoughton Hospital Board of Directors. Ringhand now takes on a first term Republican in this Democratic leaning seat.
Rhode Island
Three-term state Senator Elizabeth Roberts successfully defeated her primary opponent to win the Democratic nomination for Rhode Island's lieutenant governor. Roberts goes on to compete in November to become Rhode Island's first female Lieutenant Governor. Roberts has lived in Rhode Island for more than 30 years. After graduation from Brown University in 1978, she met and married Tom Roberts, moved to Cranston's Edgewood section, and raised two daughters, Kathleen and Nora, remaining active in community and civic affairs. Roberts has an MBA in health care management from Boston University and has worked as a business strategy consultant, policy analyst, and health care manager. As co-chair of the legislative committee charged with health care oversight, Roberts led the fight to reform the state's largest health care insurer - Blue Cross and Blue Shield. She also helped expand the state's prescription drug program for seniors (RIPAE). Throughout her career she has been a leader in economic development and job growth. She has fought for cleaner air and water, stronger schools, and increased attention to disaster preparedness.
Rep. Grace Diaz decisively won her primary to again represent Rhode Island's 11th House District. Diaz is the first Dominican American woman elected to state office in the country and the founder of a home daycare center. Diaz arrived in Providence in 1990 with $40 and two dresses to her name. She had little command of the English language. Fourteen years later, after establishing the "Teddy Bears Under the Rainbow" daycare center in 2004, she went on to lead a grassroots campaign for state representative in District 11 and won with 53 percent of the vote.
September 5, 2006, POP Primary Election Results
Florida
Rep. Audrey Gibson won her primary with 56.9% of the vote, securing a third term in this overwhelmingly Democratic district. An active member of her community, Gibson ran a strong grassroots campaign. As the representative of state house district 15, she is committed to serving her constituents as well as the entire state of Florida. She is the proud mother of an adult daughter and has two sons in college.
August 8, 2006, POP Primary Results
Michigan
On Aug. 8, Sen. Martha Scott won a hard fought primary in Senate District 2, a diverse district that includes part of Detroit, Highland Park, Harper Woods, and Grosse Pointe. She began as Wayne County Commissioner, got elected to the Highland Park City Council, and, in 1988, she was elected the first woman Mayor of Highland Park, making her the first African American woman elected mayor of a Michigan city. In 1994, Scott was elected to the state house. After serving six years she was elected to the state senate in a special election in 2001, where she serves on the powerful Appropriations Committee. In addition, Senator Scott is past and present Secretary of the National Foundation for Women Legislators, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Insurance for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, and Michigan State Director for Women in Government.
Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman beat out three others on Aug. 8 in Michigan's Senate District 3, which encompasses River Rouge, Dearborn, and a portion of Detroit. Clark-Coleman was the first in her family to graduate from college, strengthening her resolve to be a life-long education advocate. While rearing her own family, she earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Wayne State University in Detroit. In 2002, Sen. Clark-Coleman was elected to the Michigan Senate, where she is in her first term. She sits on the Banking & Financial Institutions, Education, Families & Human Services, and Senior Citizens & Veterans Affairs committees. In 2004, Gov. Granholm appointed Sen. Clark-Coleman to the National Education Commission. She is also a former member of the National School Board Assoc., Michigan Assoc. of School Boards, and the National Alliance of Black School Educators.
Barb Byrum won her primary in the Lansing, Mich. area to fill the seat left by her mother, House Democratic Leader Dianne Byrum. She owns Byrum Hardware in Charlotte and serves as the immediate past president of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. She also chairs the Ingham County Economic Development Board and serves as secretary of the Ingham County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Board. Byrum got her Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management and a law degree from MSU. Barb is married to Brad Delaney, an Ingham County Deputy Sheriff.
Rebekah Warren won her Ann Arbor primary to become the next state representative from Michigan's 53rd district. Warren is the executive director of NARAL Michigan (MARAL). After graduation from the University of Michigan, Warren worked for six years as the chief of staff to Democratic State Rep. Mary Schroer of Ann Arbor and Hubert Price of Pontiac. While serving as a legislative aide for both lawmakers, Warren staffed the Appropriations Committee, gaining valuable experience that will enable her to hit the ground running.
Missouri
Susan Montee handily won her primary to fill Claire McCaskill's seat as State Auditor in Missouri. Montee, both a Certified Public Accountant and a lawyer, began her career in public service when she was elected to an at-large seat on the St. Joseph City Council in 1998. In 2000 and again in 2004, Montee was elected Buchanan County Auditor. Montee and her husband, James, have three children. She is a member of both the Missouri Society of CPAs and the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.
Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford won the right to once again represent Missouri House District 59 in St. Louis. Oxford was elected for her first term in 2004. Prior to that, she was Grassroots Coordinator for the American Lung Association. Rep. Oxford is a member of the Women's Political Caucus of Metro St. Louis and the United Church of Christ's Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns. Rep. Oxford received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Souther Illinois University-Carbondale and earned her Masters in Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary. Rep. Oxford is the first open lesbian to be elected to the Missouri legislatrue.
June 6, 2006, POP Primary Results
California
Secretary of State:
State Senator Debra Bowen's victory is great news for Democrats, as she is an excellent candidate who is well-positioned to beat the sitting Republican Secretary of State, Bruce McPherson. First elected to the state legislature in 1992, Bowen has been a champion for government reform, consumer protection and privacy rights, environmental conservation, and open government. Bowen was the endorsed candidate of the California Democratic Party. She has also secured the endorsements of the California Labor Federation, California League of Conservation Voters, State Building and Construction Trades Council, California NOW, the California Democratic Legislative Women's Caucus, Senate Pro-Tem Don Perata, and Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez.
State Board of Equalization District 1:
While Betty Yee is a current member of the State Board of Equalization, this is actually the first time she has run a race to serve on the Board. She was appointed to the Board to complete the term of Carole Migden after Migden was elected to the State Senate. Yee's victory came from hard work, as she secured the endorsement of every major Democratic stakeholder in the state, including the California Federation of Teachers, the California Nurses Association, and the California Labor Federation, to name just a few. At this time, Yee is the only woman currently holding a constitutional office in California.
State Board of Equalization District 4:
Judy Chu, who is a current member of the State Assembly is being forced out due to term limits. She won her primary after proving herself a leader on tax and fiscal policies in the Assembly and an outspoken advocate for women and people of color. Chu has the backing of the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs, the California League of Conservation Voters, the California Teachers Association, a long list of labor organizations, and the majority of her colleagues. Chu is a leader in the Asian American community and has a bright political career ahead of her.
State Senate District 2:
Pat Wiggins is a former State assemblymember and currently serves on the California Waste Management Board. She was able to clear the field in this safe open Democratic seat. With a Wiggins win, this seat moves from being held by a Democratic man to a pro-choice Democratic woman - a pick up for women.
State Senate District 10:
Ellen Corbett is a former assemblymember who was termed out in 2004. She has defeated two men in the primary, one a former assemblymember and the other currently in the Assembly. This was one of the most expensive Senate races in the June 2006 primary. Corbett carried the support of the California Nurses Association, California Teachers Association, and the California League of Conservation Voters.
State Senate District 28:
Jenny Oropeza is a currently member of the California State ASsembly and has defeated a former member of the State Assembly for this open Senate seat. Oropeza served on the Long Beach School Board as well as the Long Beach City Council before her election to the Assembly in 2000. She carried the support of the California League of Conservation Voters, Congresswoman (and EMILY's List candidate) Juanita Millender-McDonald, the California Nurses Association, and SEIU.
State Senate District 32:
Gloria Negrete McLeod is a current member of the California State Assembly who has defeated Joe Baca Jr., an assemblymember from a neighboring district. Negrete McLeod has the support of several former EMILY's List candidates, including Congresswoman Linda Sanchez and Congresswoman Hilda Solis. Other endorsements included the San Bernardino/Riverside Central Labor Council, the California Nurses Association, California Federation of Teachers, and the California State Firefighters. This is a big victory for a strong female candidate who defeated a "political machine" candidate.
State Assembly District 17:
Cathleen Galgiani currently serves as Chief of Staff to Assemblywoman Barbara Matthews, who currently represents this district. She has defeated nominal primary opposition, but will face a tough general election in the fall. Galgiani has been endorsed by Assemblywoman Matthews, Senator Mike Machado, and the California State Firefighters. This Central Valley seat will likely be the Republicans' top target to take from the Democrats in November.
State Assembly District 18:
Mary Hayashi defeated teh current Alameda Fire Chief in this open Democratic seat, and looks all but assured of becoming the first Korean American elected to the California State Assembly. She has the support of SEIU, the Planned Parenthood Gold Gate Action Fund, and the California Federation of Teachers.
Hayashi is the founder and president of the Iris Alliance Fund, a children's mental health foundation, and serves as a commissioner of the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. She was also the Chairperson of Planned Parenthood Political Action Fund and a board member of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. Hayashi advises top policymakers, from Sacramento to Washington, D.C., working to give the underserved a voice in critical health debates. And she has built unprecedented partnerships to create financial support for essential health care services, including over $10 million in national health cooperative agreements with organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State Assembly District 79:
Mary Salas, a former member of the Chula Vista City Council for eight years, has defeated her primary challenger in this safe Democratic district. As the first Latina elected to the Chula Vista City Council - the second largest city in the county of San Diego - Salas championed improvements in education, economic development, and a better quality of life for the people of the South Bay. Mary worked hard in this campaign to receive every major Democratic endorsement.
San Jose Mayor:
Cindy Chavez, the current Vice-Mayor of San Jose, has finished first in the Mayoral election and earned a slot in the November runoff. She was the only woman and Latina in a field of ten candidates in the first round of voting. Chavez led all of her opponents in key endorsements, including the South Bay Labor Council, EMILY's List-supported Congresswomen Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren, all members of the San Jose City Council (excluding her two opponents), as well as every Democratic legislative leader in the area, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and several community, neighborhood, and business leaders. Chavez is a rising star in California Democratic politics, and she would be the first Latina elected mayor of a major U.S. city.
Montana
State Senate District 8:
Carol Juneau's victory in this Senate primary is a great success story of a woman of color moving up in the ranks. Currently a State Representative, Juneau is a Mandan-Hidatsa Native American and lives on the Blackfeet Reservation in this district. She is considered to be a champion of Native American education and has centered her campaign on this issue. She helped create the community college on the reservation and served as its first president. Juneau received the endorsement of the Blackfeet Tribal Council. Additionally, she gained support of the Montana Education Association, the Browning City Council, the Progressive Labor Party of Montana, and the Montana Public Employees Association.
State House District 63:
Now that Jennifer "JP" Pomnichowski has won the primary, victory in this seat, come the November general election, could give the Democrats an outright majority in the Montana House. Pomnichowski is a fifth-generation Montanan who is very active in her community. She is the current president of the Bozeman Planning Board, chair of the Bozeman Zoning Commission, and a former president of her neighborhood association. She has also served as a volunteer EMT/firefighter for 10 years.
State House District 64:
Franke Wilmer's primary victory in this safe Democratic seat likely adds another strong pro-choice Democratic woman to the legistlature. Wilmer is a political science professor at Montana State University - Bozeman and served as the head of the department from 2001 to 2005. In 2005, she was appointed by Governor Schweitzer to the Montana Human Rights Commission and was also a founding member of the Gallatin Human Rights Task Force in 1991.
State House District 97:
Michele Reinhart, a 26 year old full-time student at the University of Montana, is the next generation of pro-choice Democratic women leaders. If elected in November, she will be the youngest woman in the Montana State Legislature. She is a former environmental lobbyist and a rising star in the environmental community who is finishing a Masters of Science in Environmental Studies. Reinhart won the race by tirelessly knocking on doors in the district since the first moment she entered the race.
May 16, 2006, POP Primary Results
Oregon
Tina Kotek, who is making her run for the Oregon state House in district 44, won her May 16 primary with 50.31 percent of the vote. In 2004, Kotek lost a House primary by less than 850 votes, but immediately regrouped and came to a POP candidate training.
Kotek is an openly gay candidate who is a respected lobbyist on hunger issues and children's needs. Given the strong Democratic tilt of the district, she is heavily favored to win the general election and add another pro-choice Democratic woman to the Oregon House.
Kudos go to EMILY's List elections expert Lisa Sohn, who worked with Kotek from the moment she started running and was on the ground helping run their get-out-the-vote efforts on election day.
Pennsylvania
On May 16, Rep. Babette Josephs won her reelection primary for district 182 with 52 percent of the vote against a well-funded primary challenger in a strongly anti-incumbent environment.
Josephs is currently the longest-serving woman currently serving in the Pennsylvania legislature and the only woman who chairs a House standing committee. Josephs is the author of the only pro-choice legislation to be enacted in Pennsylvania and is an active supporter of state funding for embryonic stem cell research and raising the minimum wage.
This affluent Center City Philadelphia district is strongly Democratic, making Josephs all but assured of victory in the November general election.
In another part of Philadelphia, district 198, Rep. Rosita Youngblood also faced a strong primary challenger, but won her election with a convincing 69 percent of the vote. This tough legislator is known for her independent streak and her willingness to buck her leadership to do what is right for her constituents. Youngblood, one of the few African American women in the legislature, is actively fighting against the outsourcing of jobs from Pennsylvania, and is fighting for domestic violence victims and better access to funding for college.