Since 2011

Gabe Fleisher, Editor-in-Chief

wakeuptopolitics@gmail.com ● wakeuptopolitics.com ● @WakeUp2Politics

THIS IS YOUR WAKE UP CALL

Election Central

Results Day: West Virginia and Nebraska Results from last night’s

primaries in West Virginia and Nebraska:

West Virginia In the Senate race, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito and Secretary

of State Natalie Tennant won their respective Republican and Democratic

primaries, as expected.

Going into November, Capito (R) has the strong upper hand in a state that

has not sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1956. Either candidate in

the race to replace retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D) will make history as the

first female Senator from West Virginia...since last night official made both

candidates in the race women. More on that in Question of the Day....

In a big win for the tea party which hasn’t had many wins yet this cycle (and

wasn’t crazy about Capito), former Maryland GOP chairman Alex Mooney

won the 7-candidate Republican primary for Capito’s House seat...in West

Virginia. Mooney, who won the primary with 36% of the vote, received

received support from the Senate Conservatives Fund and national

conservative figures including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). He also has quite a

career, all over the map, with service logged in the Maryland State Senate,

as chair of that state’s Republican Party, as a Capitol Hill staffer, running for

New Hampshire State Senate, and just this cycle, announcing a short-lived

run for Congress in Maryland. When ethic rules got in his way, Mooney

moved to West Virginia for his fourth political campaign...in three states.

This one he may actually win, although Democrats are excited about a top

recruit ex-state GOP chair Nick Casey, who they believe could flip the deep

red seat.

Nebraska The good night for the tea party continued in the Cornhusker

State.

University president Ben Sasse won the Nebraska Senate GOP primary,

taking 49% of the vote, with the backing of Club for Growth, the Senate

Conservatives Fund, as well as Cruz and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT). Sasse was

billed as the tea party candidate – the newest member of the Senate’s “Cruz

caucus” – vs. the establishment candidate, ex-Bush aide Sid Dinsdale. There

were few ideological differences between the two candidates, but outside

money was poured into the state for Sasse, and a loss would have been very

embarrassing for the tea party.

Also, in the Nebraska gubernatorial race, businessman Pete Ricketts

emerged victorious in the six-candidate Republican primary. Ricketts barely

edged out his closest opponent, state Attorney General Jon Bruning. The

former won 26.5% of the vote, to Bruning’s 25.5%. Ricketts received the

enrosements of a number of potential 2016 presidential candidates, including

Govs. Scott Walker (WI) and Mike Pence (IN), Rep. Paul Ryan (WI), and of

course, Cruz – who, as you can tell, has spent this election cycle running

around the country campaigning for like-minded candidates, with eyes ever

on 2016. The Republican is heavily favored to win the race against

Democrat Chuck Hassebrook.

County Clerk: Longtime Rep. John Conyers Ineligible for Ballot Line

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) was well on track to becoming the most senior

member of the U.S. House of Representatives. All he had to do was win

another election: something he’s done 24 times over the past 50 years (and

never with less than 77% of the vote).

But the Wayne County Clerk ruled Tuesday that Conyers was ineligible to

appear on the ballot in the August 5 primary, because he did not submit

enough valid petition signatures.

After 50 years in office, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) may not be allowed

on his primary ballot this August. AP photo

According to the Washington Post, Conyers will appeal the ruling with the

Michigan Secretary of State. The congressman is the second longest-serving

member of the House, coming behind fellow Michigan Democrat John

Dingell, who is retiring this year.

The final ruling frm the County Clerk’s office said that although Conyers

submitted 2,000 signatures, more than the required 1,000, jut 592 were valid.

Thousands of signatures were invalidated over a challenge from Conyer’s

primary opponent Horace Sheffield, who said they were not collected by

registered voters. The Michigan law requiring that is currently under a

lawsuit from the ACLU.

“It is a very unfortunate circumstance that an issue with a circulator of a

petition would disqualify the signature of valid registered voter. However, I

am bound by the current laws and statutes of the State of Michigan that set

forth very specific and narrow instructions regarding candidate petitions and

the authority of the County Clerk,” the office’s report read.

If necessary, Conyers aides have signaled he would be willing to run as a

write-in candidate in the case his appeal is shot down.

White House Watch

The President’s Schedule President Obama will fly to New York today to

urge Congress to pass a new transportation plan. The President will make his

case at the Tappan Zee Bridge by New York.

And of course, if he’s going to the Big Apple, there will be fundraising

involved too. Obama will also headline a DSCC reception at the home of

Democratic bundler Blair Effron.

The President and First Lady will spend the night in NYC, where they will

help dedicate the 9/11 museum tomorrow.

Question of the Day

Today’s Questions Two trivia questions today:

When was the last time to women were the major-party nominees in a Senate

race? (Three possible answers from 2012 races)

Which civil rights icon worked for Rep. John Conyers?