All about guns, legislation and politics in New York
Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik seems to have gotten the message that he is not going to be the next State Senator from SD-41. I would like to take some credit for ending his campaign and hopefully his entire political career.
Let’s review some of the fun we’ve had over the years with him:
The results are in for the Poughkeepsie Mayors race and we’ve come up a little short in the effort to oust incumbent MAIG member John Tkazyik. Absentee ballots have been counted and he won with 95 votes, about 1% over opponent Ken Levinson.
As a follow up to Mayor Mike’s involvement in Virigina State Senate races, it appears that even though his chosen six candidates all won, the GOP is poised to take control of the upper house anyway. According to the Daily News:
“… Concerned about the Democrats’ slim 22-18 margin in the Virginia Senate before Tuesday’s election, Bloomberg donated $25,000 apiece to six candidates who largely share his anti-gun views. All six won. But the Republicans flipped one seat in southern Virginia and appear set to take another — barring a recount … There are 10 gun bills that have passed the GOP-controlled General Assembly and now could also pass the Senate, including one that would repeal Virginia’s current mandate that a person can only buy one gun a month …”
Dave Adams writes about the political implications on the VSSA blog.
The following NYSRPA-PVF endorsed candidates appear to have won their races:
Campaigns against members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns:
Bonus: Erie County Executive Chris Collins, who joined the MAIG spin-off County Executives Against Illegal Guns, imploded and lost to Mark Poloncarz 47-53%.
It seems that not everyone in Indianapolis is pleased with Mayor Mike getting involved with their local elections:
“… Kennedy has also chastised Ballard for his refusal (thank goodness) to join New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns. This is a small (and growing smaller) group of liberal mayors across the United States who are trying to rescind the Second Amendment rights of citizens to own firearms and use them to protect themselves and their families from criminals. Their agenda would take guns away from law-abiding citizens, but realistically would have no impact on criminals with guns …”
Good letter. However, it won’t discourage Bloomberg from giving or supporters like Kennedy from taking campaign donations. Only political action from NRA, ISRPA and VSSA targeting the recipients of Bloomberg’s bucks will do that.
On a positive note, Kennedy is down in the polls so Bloomberg’s donation is probably too little, too late.
Mayor Mike is spreading some money around in Indianapolis as well as Virginia:
“Democratic mayoral candidate Melina Kennedy received a $25,000 contribution Thursday from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “I am very pleased to receive the support of Mayor Bloomberg,” said Kennedy. “Mayor Bloomberg started Mayor’s Against Illegal Guns, a bi-partisan group of mayors across the nation who are working together to get illegal guns out of the hands of criminals. I am willing to take a stance on this tough issue with a reasonable approach that 600 other mayors support as well. Mayor Ballard’s refusal to sign on with this nationwide bi-partisan group of Mayors to go after illegal guns in the hands of criminals is disappointing.”” …
Mayor Mike is trying to buy some influence down in Virgina by donating to antigun Democrats. The Washington Post reports:
“… Bloomberg (I) has donated $25,000 of his own money to six Senate Democratic candidates, who are involved in some of the closest races in the state … He plans to travel to Northern Virginia next week to appear with some of the candidates … Republicans are aggressively trying to take control of the state Senate, where Democrats hold a slim 22-18 majority. Bloomberg is concerned that a Republican-controlled Senate will further loosen Virginia’s gun laws, including overturning the state’s one-gun-a-month restriction …”
This is pocket change for him. He made larger campaign contributions to local reps. in support of gay marriage.
While the candidates probably appreciate the cash, I question whether his going down there to campaign with them is going to be viewed by the public as a positive for these incumbents. It just looks like him meddling in other people’s affairs. However, if Bloomberg wants to go and ruin other antigun politicians careers more power to him.
Fresh off Bob Turner’s upset win comes speculation that New York will be in play in next year’s presidential election. From the NY Post:
“Gleeful Republican leaders said tonight that Bob Turner’s stunning victory for Anthony Weiner’s vacant city congressional seat shows that New York is in play in next year’s presidential race … Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said a GOP presidential nominee could carry New York for the first time since Ronald Reagan in 1984 and help defeat President Obama …”
It is too soon to suggest that New York will be up for grabs, but if things keep going the way they are going it is not out of the question. The first warning sign came last month when the President’s poll numbers showed for the first time his negatives were higher than his positives in the state. Obama is having similar problems in California too. The CD-9 election was a warning shot across the bow which the Obama campaign seems to be taking seriously.
More fallout in CD-9. The Queens Chronicle reports, “Upset! Republican Turner wins congressional seat“:
“… [David Weprin] tried to paint [Bob Turner] as a radical Tea Party Republican whose views are out of line with the people of the district … Turner also backs Second Amendment gun rights, while Weprin is pro-gun control …”
This is the first media statement I have seen calling Turner pro-gun. I’ll believe it if he votes for H.R. 822.
As for Weprin, what did the Brady’s/NYAGV do for their man? Nothing.
Here are the results from yesterdays’ elections in the few races I’ve been following:
A side effect of Bob Turner’s victory is that now the Democrats have to pick another Congressional seat to give up. New York is slated to lose two Congressional seats next year due to redistricting. It was thought that one would be an upstate Republican-held seat and one would be a downstate Democrat-held seat, District 9. With Turner’s win, the Democrats will have to pick another incumbent district for elimination. Carolyn McCarthy’s seat in District 4 was mentioned in the past.