by Briana Huxley, Director of Political Affairs

BIPAC Action Fund Endorsed Candidate Results

Senate:
*    MI: Terri Lynn Land Advanced to General Election

House:
*    MI-3: Brian Ellis: Lost Primary
*    MI-11: Dave Trott: Advanced to General Election

Kansas

Senate:

Senator Pat Roberts (R) will be back in the Senate for a fourth term after defeating his primary challenger radiologist Milton Wolf.   Wolf, backed by Tea Party groups such as the Senate Conservatives Fund, had a campaign plagued with scandal, after he posted x-rays of his patients on Facebook.  Roberts, however, had his own campaign issues to deal with, more specifically the criticism that he lives in Virginia.  He owns a home in Kansas, but leases it out.  Roberts is safe in the general election.

House:

KS-1: Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R) easily beat back a primary challenge from Alan LaPolice, a former school superintendent.  Huelskamp, a Tea Party favorite, took heat from the agriculture and ethanol industries in Kansas for his recent policy standings.  Huelskamp is favored in the general.

KS-4: Rep. Mike Pompeo (R) beat back a challenge from former Congressman Todd Tiahart.  Pompeo had a cash advantage and was leading in the polls up to the election.  Tiahart, who had endorsed Pompeo in his previous Congressional races, was running to Pompeo's left in the election, a rare occurrence in GOP primaries.  Pompeo received the backing of Koch Industries, the Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity.  This is a safe Republican seat and Pompeo is expected to easily win the general.

Michigan

Senate:

Rep. Gary Peters (D) and former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R) faced no primary opposition in their Senate bids to succeed retiring Senator Carl Levin (D).  As such, they have been campaigning for the general election for weeks now.  Michigan went to President Obama in 2008 and 2012, and Peters has been leading in the polls, however BIPAC Action Fund endorsed candidate Land has proved to be a serious candidate and this will be an extremely competitive race.

House:

MI-1:  Congressman Dan Benishek (R) had a primary challenger, but the competitive race in this district is the general.  Benishek handily defeated Tea Party candidate Alan Arcand on Tuesday.  He now faces Jerry Cannon (D), a former county sheriff and retired Army Major General, in what could shape up to be a race to watch.

MI-3:  Rep. Justin Amash (R) staved off a primary challenge from businessman Brian Ellis.  Amash, a Tea Party darling in the House, was one of the few Republicans whose primary challenger was endorsed by business groups, such as BIPAC and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  Amash had help from Tea Party groups, such as the Club for Growth, and the advantage of a primary electorate on his side.  He is safe in the general.

MI-4:  State Sen. John Moolenaar won the GOP nomination to succeed Rep. Dave Camp (R).  Moolenaar was endorsed by both Rep. Camp and Tea Party groups, including the Tea Party Express. Paul Mitchell self-funded his campaign.  The race was tight up to Election Day, with the candidates close in the polls.  This is a safe Republican seat and Moolenaar will be the next Congressman.

MI-8:  Former State Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R) and Ingham County Treasurer Eric Schertzing will be vying to succeed retiring Rep. Mike Rogers (R) in the general election.  Bishop was backed by Rep. Rogers and is favored in the general election, but this is still a race to watch.  

MI-11:  Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R) becomes the next incumbent to fall in the primary season.  He had a competitive primary on his hands this year, after being dubbed an accidental candidate in 2012, when Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R) failed to qualify for the ballot.  This year, the BIPAC Action Fund endorsed candidate Dave Trott in challenging Bentivolio.  As expected, he beat Bentivolio.  Trott also had the backing of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Detroit Regional Chamber and Michigan Farm Bureau.  Trott will face Bobby McKenzie in the general election.  Trott starts with the advantage. 

MI-12: Debbie Dingell (D) has been the heir apparent to the open seat of her husband, Rep. John Dingell(D), for some time, and it is now official. Dingell is a Democratic strategist, former GM executive and chairwoman of the Wayne State University board of governors.  She faces nominal opposition in November.

MI-14:  Four Democrats ran in this race to succeed retiring Rep. Gary Peters (D) with Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence winning the nomination.  This is a solid Democratic district and Lawrence will be the next Congressman. 

Missouri

There were no competitive primaries in Missouri, and no competitive general election races.

Washington

House:

WA 4:  Rep. Doc Hastings (R) is retiring, giving another Republican a chance to hold this seat. Eight Republicans ran for the seat, along with two Democrats and two independents. Washington is one of the few states that does all mail ballots for elections, and the top two vote getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.  Two Republicans, former state Agriculture Commissioner Dan Newhouse and Clint Didier, a former NFL player advanced to the general.  Newhouse was the frontrunner going into the primary, as well as the establishment choice, and will continue to have the edge for November.

WA-1: Tea Party oriented Robert Sutherland edged Microsoft Executive Pedro Celis (R) to challenge Rep. Suzan DelBene (D) in November. Celis was one of four Republican candidates vying for the nomination and was considered the best shot for Republicans to make this race competitive.  DelBene is favored to return to Congress.

Another strong sign that private sector job creators are showing increased confidence in our recovering economy...

Learn more in today's Associated Press story, "U.S. employers post most jobs in 7 years in May; more Americans also quit in sign of confidence."

The June jobs report from the BLS is out.  Following a positive ADP report, we see an increase of 288,000 non-farm private sector jobs added to the economy.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that:

The revised reports from May and April, plus June's official U.S. Department of Labor stats continue to show promise that we are rebounding.  As I write this blog post, CNN also reported that the Dow surpassed the psychological 17,000 today. 

Although job gains are still mostly coming from the traditional low-paying sectors:  retail (+40k) and leisure and hospitality (+39k), economists and analysts continue to show increased confidence due to the skilled laborer increases - such as manufacturing (+16k) and construction (+6k).

To learn more, read WSJ's story from today by Jonathan House and Ben Leubsdorf.

Good news from the U.S. Department of Labor, via today's USA Today story, "Job Openings Soar to Highest Since 2007" by Doug Carroll:

To learn more about this report, please visit http://www.bls.gov/jlt/.

Exports supported 11.3 million U.S. jobs in 2013.  This is an increase of 1.6 million since 2009. Learn about the fight for jobs, supported by exports, from the CNH Industrial Digital Trade Toolbox and CNH Industrial’s Joseph Samora.

The CNH Industrial Digital Trade Toolbox includes a tool so you can make your voice heard in the fight for jobs that are supported by exports.  Visit www.cnhindustrialtrade.com and click on the “Write to your Congressperson” link to help support the re-authorization of the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) before its authorization expires on September 30.  In 2013, Ex-Im helped to finance $37 billion in U.S. export sales, supporting approximately 205,00-0 export-related American jobs.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the May Jobs report this morning, saying:

To learn more, read the Forbes ongoing story, "Jobs Report: U.S. Economy Added 217K Jobs In May, Unemployment Remains Unchanged At 6.3%" by Maggie McGrath.

Missouri 8th District: State Rep. Jason Smith (R) has won the special election to replace former Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (R) who resigned in January to join the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The state parties choose the special election nominees and the seat was expected to stay in Republican hands. The Democratic nominee was state Rep. Steve Hodges. The current House breakdown is now 234 Republicans and 201 Democrats.

New Jersey: New Jersey held its primary yesterday for the statewide November elections. Gov. Chris Christie (R) and state Sen. Barbara Buono (D) are now the official gubernatorial nominees. This has not been a competitive race so far, with Christie maintaining a 30 point lead over Buono. Besides the gubernatorial race, all 120 state legislative seats are up for reelection. Overshadowing the NJ primary is the recent news of Sen. Lautenberg’s (D) passing. Attention has been focused on Gov. Christie and who he will appoint as successor, Republican or Democrat, to Lautenberg’s seat in advance of a special election in August.

Former SC Gov. Mark Sanford (R) beat Democratic candidate Elizabeth Colbert Busch (D) in yesterday’s 1st Congressional District special election to fill the vacancy created by former Rep. Tim Scott (R).  Scott was appointed to the Senate in January of this year to replace retiring Sen. Jim DeMint (R) who left the Senate to head up the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.

As the early favorite in the race, Sanford was barely able to overcome his recent legal issues and scandalous past. Sanford, who left the gubernatorial office amid a personal scandal, had lost support from the National Republican Congressional Committee after being accused of trespassing, hurting his campaign in the final weeks.  Prior to being governor he actually served in this district but term-limited himself and left in 2001.  He was the top vote getter in the Republican primary with 37% of the vote, but needed 50% in order to avoid a runoff. He competed in the runoff on April 2nd, against former Charleston County Councilman Curtis Bostic, and won with 57% of the vote.

Colbert Busch started as the underdog in this conservative district, but became a viable candidate with great name ID, strong connections in the community and the ability to fundraise. And having a famous brother didn’t hurt. However it wasn’t enough to overcome the strong Republican leanings in counties like Berkeley and Dorchester.

With Sanford heading back to Congress, the current breakdown will now be 233 R, 201 D and 1 vacancy in Missouri’s 8th Congressional District.

2013 can hardly be described as an “off” election year.  There are four federal special elections scheduled for 2013 (so far), and if you combine the number of primary, runoff and general election dates you will find a total of eight federal election dates on the calendar.  Throw in the statewide elections held in VA, NJ, OH and WI and the number of significant election dates increases to 16. To help you keep track of the numerous elections held this year, below is an update on all the special elections scheduled for 2013.

U.S. House: South Carolina-01

A special election in SC’s 1st Congressional District is being held to fill the vacancy created by former Rep. Tim Scott (R) who was appointed to the Senate in January of this year.  Sen. Scott was chosen to replace retiring Sen. Jim DeMint (R) who left the Senate to head up the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.  The primary for the House seat (held Tuesday, March 19th) has provided an enormous amount of entertainment for those following the race closely.

The Democratic nominee is Elizabeth Colbert Busch – sister to comedian Stephen Colbert. Although she’s seen as the underdog in this race, Colbert Busch has great name ID, strong connections in the community, and the ability to fundraise. And having a famous brother doesn’t hurt.  She currently works for Clemson University’s Restoration Institute as Director of Business Development.

The Republican primary had over 16 candidates vying for the nomination. Top vote getter was former Gov. Mark Sanford who left office amid a personal scandal. Prior to being governor he actually served in this district but term-limited himself and left in 2001. He received 37% of the vote, but needs 50% in order to avoid a runoff. He will compete in the runoff on April 2nd, against former Charleston City Councilman Curtis Bostic.

The winner will compete in the general against Colbert Busch on May 7th.  This is a conservative district and the eventual Republican nominee has a strong advantage. One thing to note – Colbert-Busch’s name will appear on the ballot twice, once as the Democratic nominee and again as the nominee for the Working Families Party. SC is one of eight states that allow candidates endorsed by multiple parties to appear on the ballots separately for each one.

U.S. House: Illinois-02

Illinois has scheduled a special election for their 2nd Congressional District in order to replace former Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D), who resigned for health and ethical reasons in November of last year. The primary election has already taken place (February 26th), and the general election will be on April 9th between Republican Paul McKinley and Democrat Robin Kelly.

Robin Kelly (D) earned headlines thanks to significant outside support from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) who turned this primary into a race about gun control. His Super PAC spent over a million dollars on the race, targeting former Rep. Debbie Halvorson’s (D) positions on gun control.

In complete irony, the winner of Republican primary was Paul McKinley, a reformed ex-convict who served time in jail for armed robbery.  I would expect nothing less from Chicago politics. This district is a very liberal seat and Kelly is expected to be the newest member of Congress as soon as the general election is held April 9th.

U.S. House: Missouri-08

Missouri’s 8th Congressional District will hold a special election on June 4th in order to replace former Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (R), who resigned in January of this year.  Emerson now serves as CEO for the National Rural Cooperative Association in Washington, D.C. No primary election was held for this seat.  Instead the local parties selected their respective nominees from a field of multiple candidates earlier this year.  The general election will be a three-way race between Jason Smith (R), Steve Hodges (D), and Bill Slantz (Lib).

Jason Smith is a state representative, small business owner and is 32 years old. Steve Hodges, the Democratic nominee, is also a state representative for Missouri and has served for six years. The Libertarian candidate, Bill Slantz owns his own consulting firm.  This is a very conservative district (apparently it includes Rush Limbaugh’s home town…), and Republican nominee Jason Smith is expected to easily win the special election in June.

U.S. Senate: Massachusetts

Due to the resignation of Sen. John Kerry (D) to become Secretary of State, Massachusetts will hold a special election to elect a new U.S. Senator. Governor Deval Patrick (D) appointed William “Mo” Cowan (D) as interim senator to fill the seat until the new senator is sworn in, however, Cowan will not run in the special election. The primary election for the new senator will take place on April 30th.

On the Democratic side, the two candidates vying for the nomination are both current members of Congress: Ed Markey (CD 5) and Stephen Lynch (CD 8).  Markey is the establishment choice for this seat and has the support of the national party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Markey has served in the House since 1977. Lynch is running as the “Washington outsider”, playing on Markey’s reputation for rarely spending time in the state. Lynch is consistently rated as the most conservative member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation. The most recent polls have Markey leading Lynch 35% to 24% with 40% undecided. The majority of voters expected to turn out in an off-year special election will probably be more liberal, definitely giving Markey a strong advantage.

The candidates on Republican side are fairly unknown:  State Rep. Dan Winslow, Former U.S. Attorney and former acting Director of ATF, Michael Sullivan and businessman and former Navy Seal Gabriel Gomez. Few polls have been conducted for the Republican primary since former Sen. Scott Brown announced he wasn’t running, but the most recent numbers show Sullivan with 28%, state Rep. Winslow with 10% and Gomez with 8% of support.

Both Democratic candidates lead each of the Republican candidates in every match up. Despite the fact that the majority of Massachusetts registered voters are Independent, this seat is likely to stay in Democratic hands. The winner of the special election will serve in Kerry’s seat until the end of his term in January, 2015 and if he chooses to run for reelection will compete in 2014 mid-terms.