The print edition of the New York Times for December 12 has this letter by Teed Rockwell, advocating that U.S. voters support a new political party. The Times chose this letter, not only to be printed, but to be the subject of a readers dialogue. The Times will publish some reader responses to the Rockwell letter on Sunday, December 16.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a speech on the evening of December 11 that more national standards for federal elections should be considered. See this story.
Virginia State Senator Charles Carrico (R-Grayson) has introduced SB 723. It would give each U.S. House district its own presidential elector. It would also give the state’s two at-large presidential electors to the presidential candidate who carried the most U.S. House districts. The bill has no provision for dealing with a situation in which the number of congressional elections carried by various presidential candidates is tied. Although Virginia has eleven districts now, in the future it might have an even number of districts. See this story about the bill. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news. UPDATE: the bill does have a procedure for dealing with a situation in which the number of congressional districts carried by each of two candidates is tied; in that event the presidential candidate who won the most popular votes in the state would get the two at-large electors. Thanks to Jim Riley for this correction.
The Hill writes here that California Democratic Congressmen Brad Sherman and Howard Berman spent $11,700,000 in their campaigns against each other to represent the California 30th district. This is the most expensive California U.S. House race ever, when independent expenditures are excluded.
They were both incumbents, forced to run against each other by redistricting. The top-two system did not cause them to run against each other; redistricting did that. But without the top-two system, their race against each other would have been over in the June primary. The top-two system forced them to run against each other in June and in November as well, and thus the top-two system contributed to the record amount spent.
The New York Working Families Party polled 241,531 votes for U.S. Senate last month. This is the first time the party has ever exceeded the 200,000 vote barrier for a statewide office; the previous best showing for a statewide office for that party had been in 2010, when it polled 183,707 for U.S. Senate. The November 2012 U.S. Senate election is also the first time the Working Families Party has outpolled the Conservative Party in a statewide race.
The 2012 U.S. Senate nominee for the Working Families Party was also the Democratic nominee, Kirsten Gillibrand. The Conservative Party vote for U.S. Senate last month was 235,747; its nominee was the Republican nominee, Wendy Long.
The New York State Board of Elections posted the official vote tallies on December 11. Use this link to see the returns.
