10 for ’10: Waves Four and Five.

This past week Free and Strong America have put forth their next two waves of the “10 for ’10″ initiative. With election day only hours away, this is now make or break time for these close candidates. Gallup is showing a 12-15 point edge for Republicans in their final generic Congressional poll. The makings for a majority changing wave are in our hands, we just need to do our part to bring these candidates to victory on Tuesday. Many close races are decided on late breaking support, so remember these names, along with the thirty from the last three updates, and help them when you can.

Fourth Wave:

Jon Barela, NM-01:  The past month has seen Barela climb to a three point lead over his opponent Martin Heinrich.

Mike Fitzpatrick, PA-08: A Democratic firm puts Fitzpatrick down by three, while a university poll puts him up by 5. This race is a tossup and  could rely entirely on last minute efforts from supporters.

Chris Gibson, NY-20:  Siena polling for October has showed a drastic shift in this race after the primary, with Gibson leading 51-42.

Jon Golnik, MA-05:  Golnik aims to defeat entrenched Democrat Niki Tsongas. Though ranked as “likely Democrat” by Cook and RCP, Golnik’s internals reportedly show a Republican up eight points on Tsongas. With some help and a wave this could be an opportunity for a proud pickup. Help him send a message to D.C. family insiders.

State Senator Robert Hurt, VA-05: Hurt has maintained a consistent lead since July, up by eight in the latest polling. Hopefully he will finish strong on Tuesday.

Pat Meehan, PA-07:  Polling has shown this race as razor thin, with Meehan leading by 1-4 points. This is rated as a tossup by RCP.

Scott Rigell, VA-02: Another close race on the East Coast, Rigell has a narrow advantage, leading 42-41 in a poll from last week.

David Schweikert, AZ-05: Schweikert is looking to lead a Republican charge in Arizona against Harry Mitchell. In a poll by a Democrat firm, Schweikert maintains a three point edge: 45-42.

Steve Southerland, FL-02:  This race leans Republican, as two polls from October show Southerland with an identical lead, 50-38.

Todd Young, IN-09: Although the latest poll shows Young down 46-44, the conservative makeup of this district could see him close the gap. Help him today, to bring about that much needed victory.

Bios, links to campaign sites, Facebook, and opportunities to help each of the Fourth Wave candidates are here.

 

Fifth Wave:

Lou Barletta, PA-11:  Barletta is in a tight race, with recent polls showing him both up 7 and down 9. Help him out and prove the optimistic poll correct.

Scott Bruun, OR-05:  Scott Bruun could also use some support in an unpredictable race. Ranked a toss up by RCP, two polls from the same week have shown him down by 12, and leading by 10.

Morgan Griffith, VA-09:  As Virginia trends Republican, Griffith has surged from a double digit deficit into a narrow one point lead in the latest poll.

Randy Hultgren, IL-14: An October poll from a Democratic firm shows Hultgren leading by one point, 47-46.

Harold Johnson, NC-08: The first poll in this district for months, taken in early October shows Johnson trailing by just one point, 46-45. Give him some last minute momentum to close that gap.

Mike Kelly, PA-03: Kelly has maintained a solid lead in the polls through the past three months. The latest shows him leading 44-37.

Mike Keown, GA-02:  Two polls by a Republican firm show Keown leading by 2 and 4, with the momentum favoring Keown.

Jon Runyan, NJ-03: Runyan is making a strong bid to unseat freshman John Adler. Polling from last week ranges from a one point deficit, to a five point lead for Runyan.

Bobby Schilling, IL-17:  The same pollsters who surveyed Hultgren’s race, put Schilling in a 45-38 lead over his opponent. This district leans GOP.

Dan Webster, FL-08: Two polls from the same firm in September and October have shown Webster maintaining a consistent 7 point lead.

Bios, links to campaign sites, Facebook, and opportunities to help each of the Fifth Wave candidates are here.

Although many of these candidates are showing leads, nothing has been won yet! Any and all candidates need all of the support that they can get as election day nears. Together these fifty individuals represent the difference from the current minority status of the Republican party in the House, and a twenty seat majority. Each one represents one fewer vote for Nancy Pelosi, and one more for John Boehner and the responsible fiscal conservative agenda that will help the 112th Congress restore some control to the overreaching and dangerous aims of the Obama administration.

Reviewing the “10 for ’10″ Second Wave

Free and Strong America has now highlighted 30 conservative House candidates as a part of the “1o for ’10″ push to put these narrow races into the win column for the GOP. The first wave of ten candidates were announced and previewed last week and the third was announced and covered here yesterday.  Now, we take a brief look back at the deserving candidates highlighted as part of the second wave in the “10 for ’10″ initiative.

Dan Benishek, MI-01: Dr. Dan in one of the more popular candidates of the conservative wave. Recent polling, including a Democrat firm has shown Benishek up narrowly.

Sean Bielat, MA-04: Bielat is taking on a massive challenge in trying to unseat Barney Frank, but with Frank consistently picking up less than 50% of the vote in polling the veteran Congressman is indeed vulnerable.

Diane Black, TN-06: With Democrat Bart Gordon calling quits, Black is now the heavy favorite to win this open seat. Ranked as “likely Republican” by RCP, Cook, and Rothenberg.

Steve Chabot, OH-01: The latest polling puts Chabot up 12 points on incumbent Steve Driehaus: 53-41.

Paul Gosar, AZ-01: Polling from August and September show Gosar ahead by a consistent 6-7 points in this prime pickup opportunity.

John Loughlin, RI-01: While ranked as “lean Democrat” polling into early October has shown Loughlin close to within 11 points. The momentum is moving his way, and with some help he can jump over the top.

Tom Marino, PA-10: Depending on the firm, Marino is either tied or narrowly ahead in this Northeast Pennsylvania district. No recent polling has shown his opponent with more than 41% of the vote.

Martha Roby, AL-02: Some polling has shown her down, by single digits, though RCP and Cook call this race a toss-up in this heavily Republican (Cook PVI R+16) district.

Tim Walberg, MI-07: This race is a true toss-up, with recent polling showing Walberg down 6, tied, and up 4. This is definitely a district in which added last minute support could push the right man to victory. Watch this one and help Tim Walberg reclaim his former seat if you can.

Brad Zaun, IA-03: Polling commissioned by each campaign in this race shows their man up by about nine points – another true tossup in which any and  all active support will help down the stretch.

As for how you can give your support to these candidates, Free and Strong America.com has all of the info you need, with links to Facebook, Youtube, Twitter for each of these candidates as well as their biographies, campaign sites, and opportunities to donate some much needed last minute funds online. There is only a week before we elect these individuals to lead this country in the House. Do everything you can to make sure that they are all there when the next Congress opens in January.

More “10 for ’10″ Candidates Announced

Another slate of  “10 for ’10″ candidates have been announced by Free and Strong America. The “10 for ’10″ initiative is designed to bring attention on the closely fought races that may very well make the difference in control of the House of Representatives in the 112th Congress. Regarding the latest slate of candidates, Romney stated:

“It is more important than ever before that we have elected officials who will make the tough decisions needed to put our country back on the right track.  It is my hope that this new initiative will serve as a resource for people to learn more about these critical races, and give them an ability to make a real difference that just might put our candidates over the top.  We can take back control of Congress, but only if we work together.

Romney supporters and other fellow conservatives must work with Mitt to see these candidates elected. We need some strong conservative leadership in Congress, and the following individuals represent new opportunities for Americans, that our values can be represented in Washington.

Sandy Adams, FL-24: Florida’s 24th Congressional District is ranked Leans GOP by RCP and Cook.

Rick Berg, ND-AL: Berg’s race in North Dakota also leans Republican; Berg’s lead over Pomeroy has ranged from 3 to 10 points.

Sean Duffy, WI-07: Former District Attorney Sean Duffy leads his opponent Julie Lassa 46-39 in the most recent polling.

Keith Fimian, VA-11: One poll from September has shown Fimian leading Connolly 42-36. This race is ranked as a toss-up by RCP.

Ryan Frazier, CO-07: Latest polling from August showed Frazier leading 40-39. Hopefully the continued wave and ongoing support will bring him to victory next week.

Ed Martin, MO-03:  Ed Martin is running against the family name power of Russ Carnahan. Old polling shows Carnahan leading by 9 or more, though more recent internal polling shows Martin possibly leading. Help Missouri defeat two Carnahans on November 2. 

Kristi Noem, SD-AL:  In a race that has seen the polls bounce throughout the past several months, Noem has once again regained control, now leading by 5: 49-44.

Austin Scott, GA-08: Georgia’s 8th is ranked toss-up, although a Republican firm shows Scott leading by double digits: 51-35

Van Tran, CA-47:  Polling from September shows Tran down only 2, while a more recent poll shows the two dead even. Let’s hope that Tran’s momentum will carry him into the lead next week. Even better, actively help Tran cross the finish line with the win.

Allen West, FL-22: The latest poll shows our man, Allen West, leading the competition 47-44.

Many of these candidates are in strong shape heading into the final week of the campaign, but none are safe and all could use the help. Visit Free and Strong America.com for links to their campaign sites and information on how you can help!

(This is actually wave three. Information on the second wave candidates to be posted soon.)

Buerkle Among 10 for ’10.

Governor Romney has introduced his “10 for ’10″ initiative meant to highlight the races of competitive districts in the final stretch before the 2010 elections, ten at a time, with the goal of turning close races into the makings of a new Republican majority. As described on Free and Strong America.com:

The critical November 2nd midterm election is just days away, and we have a very real chance of taking back control of Congress — but only if we work together. This is why Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC has launched its new “TAKE CONGRESS BACK: 10 for ’10″ initiative, which highlights slates of 10 House challengers in key battleground contests who have been endorsed by the PAC. This initiative provides the PAC community — including its over 600,000 grassroots supporters on Facebook — with the tools to make a difference in these important races. Be sure to check back often for additional slates of candidates in the coming days.

 

The first slate of candidates includes NY-25′s own Ann Marie Buerkle, who has surged into a very narrow 40-39 lead against freshman incumbent Democrat Dan Maffei. The page includes brief biographical sketches for the candidates, with links to the campaign site, networking sites, and opportunities to support the candidates with donations.

Alongside, Buerkle, this set of featured candidates include:

Charlie Bass and Frank Giunta of New Hampshire. Bass, in the 2nd district, has both led and trailed among the inconsistent shifting of recent polls. Giunta, meanwhile, has held a consistent lead over Carol Shea-Porter in the 1st district.

David Harmer in CA-11. Polling shows Harmer narrowly leading his opponent 48-42.

Joe Heck in NV-03. The most recent poll, from late September, puts Heck into the lead 47-44.

Raul Labrador in ID-01. He narrowly trails Democrat Walt Minnick.

Mick Mulvaney in SC-05 hasn’t had any recent polling released. Cook and RCP rate this race as a Toss Up.

Steve Pearce in NM-02. Polls show Pearce lead between one and four points.

Jeff Perry in MA-10. He is deadlocked with Bill Keating, trailing 46-43 in the latest poll.

Steve Stivers in OH-15. The latest poll shows his lead up to 9 points, 47-38.

 

Visit the “10 for ’10″ page today for more information on these candidates. They very likely represent the conservative majority of the 112th Congress.

 

Romney adds Doheny Endorsement in NY

In addition to the many endorsements of Central and Upstate New York candidates introduced just before Mitt Romney’s appearance at the CNY Conservatives’ banquet last September, Free and Strong America is now lending its support to Matt Doheny, the winner of the Republican primary in the 23rd district of New York. My best guess is that Romney was waiting for Doug Hoffman, who remained on the Conservative party line, to formally drop out of the race before giving his endorsement. Hoffman did so last week, and now Doheny is the beneficiary of this added boost to his campaign.

Some may remember this district, and the name Doug Hoffman. NY-23 is the infamous upstate New York district that hosted the special election that saw a Republican candidate, Dede Scozzafava, who was actually to the left of the Democrat, Bill Owens. Scozzafava, endorsed by Newt Gingrich and the state GOP, though NOT by Mitt Romney became a party embarrassment as her failing poll numbers eventually forced her to withdraw from the race, at which point she gave her endorsement to the Democrat – who won narrowly over surging third-party candidate Doug Hoffman. That Democrat, Bill Owens, now sits in that seat. Among his first actions upon taking office was to reneg on his promise to the voters of NY-23 and support Nancy Pelosi in her backing of Obamacare.

However, this year, the Republicans have a credible contender in Matt Doheny, and he is ready to return this seat to Republican hands. Cook has rated this race as a “toss up,” and recent polling shows that without Hoffman, Doheny holds a significant 51-37 lead in the two man race. Regarding the candidate, Romney said:

Matt has turned around and restructured failing enterprises. He knows how to do the difficult work that ends up saving companies, and saving jobs. Few organizations need more help right now than our own federal government. Matt can, and will, help turn our nation and our economy around through his hard work and impressive experience.

Read the full story on the endorsement here.

Loads of Iowa Endorsements from Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney has released thirty-eight (!) endorsements in the state of Iowa for this November. These range from Senator Grassley, and several Congressional incumbents and candidates in the state down to the level of Iowa State Senate, and State House. Altogether, Free and Strong America PAC is dedicating $41,500 to Iowa candidates. While Romney has endorsed dozens, if not hundreds of candidates nationwide, Iowa is only the second state that he has given this level of attention. The other: New Hampshire – so take what you will from that as far as Romney’s 2012 plans…

These endorsements go alongside the previous early endorsement of Terry Branstad, who is now solidly leading in his gubernatorial race. Check the entire list below or at Free and Strong America.com. If you live in Iowa, most likely you have a few candidates who have received Governor Romney’s support today.

Chuck Grassley – U.S. Senate

Steve King – U.S. House, 5th district

Tom Latham – U.S. House, 4th district

Ben Lange – U.S. House, 1st district

Mariannette Miller-Meeks – U.S. House, 2nd district

Brad Zaun – U.S. House, 3rd district

Brenna Findley – Iowa Attorney General

Dave Jamison -  Iowa State Treasurer

Matt Schultz -  Iowa Secretary of State

(Image from FreeandStrongAmerica.com)

Mitt Romney’s Letter to Central New Yorkers for Ann Marie Buerkle

Courtesy of the 25th district Republican candidate’s Facebook.

It’s not happening the way President Obama and Congressional Democrats had planned.  Unemployment has grown to 9.6%.  Private sector investment in new jobs and capital has languished.  Even the heads of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers and White House National Economic Council have resigned.

Now the president and House leaders are doing everything in their power to retain their majority in Congress, even if that means glossing over their failure when it comes to jobs and the economy and ignoring their own poor record to distort those of their opponents.

Washington needs to discard its anti-investment, anti-jobs, and anti-growth policies for a new pro-jobs, pro-prosperity focus. Washington needs Ann Marie Buerkle in Congress. That’s why I am so proud to endorse her candidacy earlier this week.

Thanks to the innovative, can-do spirit of the American people, the economy will recover. But the same leaders who gave us the job-killing, so-called health care reform, cap and trade, and massive stimulus spending aren’t likely to change course to adopt a growth and jobs agenda.

So we need new leadership. We need to send Ann Marie Buerkle to Washington.

Ann Marie is a mother and grandmother, a Registered Nurse, small business owner, and accomplished attorney. She understands that the best way to spur our economy is to lift the burdens imposed upon small business by the president and this Congress. Ann Marie knows that raising taxes and expanding entitlements is a recipe for economic disaster.

In Congress, Ann Marie will extend the Bush tax cuts for Upstate families, enact real health care reform that doesn’t discourage job creation or take from Medicare, and stop the excessive spending.

If Central and Western New York voters want to change Congress, they need to change congressman. Won’t you join me in supporting Ann Marie Buerkle by contributing $25, $50, $100 or more to Ann Marie’s campaign? Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Mitt Romney

Romney in Central New York

Tonight, Mitt Romney will be visiting yet another state, as he travels to Liverpool, New York, just outside of Syracuse where he will be speaking at a banquet for the Central New York Conservative Parties. The banquet, which last year saw Mike Huckabee as its keynote speaker, will honor several long serving conservatives in the region, including James Vargason, William Sanford, and the late Bernard Kraft.

As expected, the arrival has coincided with today’s announcement that Romney will be supporting ten New York candidates for Congress. These include Syracuse’s own Ann Marie Buerkle running against Dan Maffei in NY-25, and Richard Hanna in the neighboring 24th district:

At a time when we need leaders who will enact pro-growth policies that will turn our troubled economy around and put people back to work, too many Washington politicians are instead focused on growing the size of government. New York – and our nation – deserves leaders who will put the interests of the people ahead of the special interests, and work to get our economy back on track.  That is why I am proud to stand with these candidates today.

New York’s 25th is my own district, by the way, so I am particularly pleased to see these endorsements. Although the 25th is still listed as “Likely Democrat,” Buerkle is in striking distance of Maffei in the few polls that have been taken, and can win this with some enthusiasm behind her campaign. I hope the support by Romney will get the ball rolling on that. Meanwhile, Hanna in the 24th only narrowly lost to Arcuri in the Democrat wave that was 2008. NY-24 is a very strong opportunity for a Republican pickup this November.

New Free and Strong America

Another brief update here, pointing out that the Free and Strong America website has had a makeover. All of the same good stuff is there for anybody looking to get up to date on Governor Romney and his endorsements, but it is now presented in a more streamlined, and just plain fancier fashion. The site also comes with a quicker way to access it for those running out of characters in their tweets. Just type in the new shortened URL: Mitt.ly

Along with the flashy new website, Romney has also released a series of endorsements for candidates from the state of New Hampshire. Check those out while you are there.

Romney’s New England Candidates

As stated in the previous post, Governor Romney has had a busy weekend working hard for conservatives as voters in several states seek to nominate the best reformers in their primaries this Tuesday. These have included not only the stop in New Hampshire, where he pledged support for the winner of their Senate primary, but also campaign appearances for several candidates in Romney’s former state of Massachusetts and neighboring Connecticut.

Charlie Baker is running against Deval Patrick for Governor of Massachusetts. This is obviously a race that means very much to Romney, as the past four years have seen the budget surplus and business friendly policies instituted by his administration tossed away by the reckless mismanagement of Patrick’s tenure. Throughout the summer, Baker has been arguing that Massachusetts has “had enough… Enough of the tax hikes, the broken promises, the insider deals, the special interests controlling what gets done on Beacon Hill, the unwillingness to make tough decisions that will help cities and towns save money, the lack of meaningful reforms.” Baker promises to make those tough decisions that have been avoided by Patrick. These include in his early agenda, limited state benefits only to residents of Massachusetts, cutting unnecessary construction projects, and bureaucratic reform designed for making Massachusetts a better place for business. Along with government cuts, Baker will focus on job growth for the state, through lowered sales taxes, lowered income taxes, a simplified tax code for business, and reformed government programs.

Charlie Baker for Governor 2010

Karyn Polito is running for State Treasurer in Massachusetts, where her opponent, determined tomorrow, will be either Steve Grossman or Steve Murphy. Returning to his former state, Romney was able to bring a strong personal endorsement for Polito, stating:

When I was governor, I could count on Karyn Polito to stand with me when it came to keeping taxes low and cutting wasteful spending. She is a fiscal conservative who’s not afraid to take on the political machine. As treasurer, Karyn will be a watchdog for the people, and we need more people like her in state government.

Polito meanwhile states that she intends to bring the fiscal conservative philosophy brought to the state by Governor Romney to her approach as State Treasurer. She will join Governor Baker in her support for reduced taxes and a simplified tax code providing a competitive atmosphere for business in Massachusetts. Meanwhile she will seek alternate means toward fixing the budget deficit in the state, specifically cutting spending and alternate sources of revenue such as expanded gaming contracts.

Karyn Polito for State Treasurer

Jeff Perry has also received Romney’s attention in these final days before the Massachusetts primary as the former Governor has included campaign stops in the 10th Congressional district during his recent visit back in Massachusetts. Containing the south shore and Cape Cod regions of the state, the tenth is among the more conservative parts of Massachusetts, and having been vacated by retiring Democrat Bill Delahunt is very much in play this November. As a State Representative he has fought valiantly against efforts to see taxes raised in the state, opposing higher taxes as the answer to budget shortfalls and actively seeking the reduction of sales and fuel taxes. If victorious in tomorrow’s primary and in the November election he will bring the same philosophy to Washington, favoring low taxes and trusting the growth of small business as the answer to the unemployment problem.

Jeff Perry for Congress

In Connecticut, Thomas Foley has received a great deal of support from Governor Romney. Connecticut has shown a leaning toward its Democratic candidates throughout the summer, but has since tightened considerably as Senate candidate Linda McMahon is now closing on Democrat Richard Blumenthal, and Foley is now within seven points of Dan Malloy. With Malloy still under fifty percent support, Foley’s message still has a solid opportunity to catch on to the voters of Connecticut, and there is significant reason to believe it will. For instance, his effort to make Connecticut “Employer Friendly.” Foley sees a growing unemployment rate as business flees the high taxes and complicated government mandates coming from Hartford. Though Jodi Rell has attempted to keep taxes low, Democrats in the state legislature have on multiple occasions overridden her veto to impose unnecessary fees and regulations on business. As a result, Connecticut’s taxes remain among the highest in the nation. As Governor, Foley will work hard to see the end of this, working to reduce government spending and see a bipartisan plan toward reducing taxes passed so that Connecticut can be more competitive for business.

Foley is also running with Mark Boughton, the popular mayor of Danbury, and a proven reformer who has guaranteed the safety of his constituents while keeping spending under control.

Tom Foley for Governor – More Jobs, not More Taxes

In addition to this, Romney has also focused outside of New England, where he has endorsed eight candidates from Nebraska, complete with financial contributions from Free and Strong America PAC. The many good points of these eight reformers, including popular and effective Governor Dave Heineman will be addressed in a coming post.