AMERICAN REFORM PARTY CONGRESSIONAL STRATEGY SUGGESTED UPDATES

    NEVADA, SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:  The Committee has concluded that the ideal approach for ARP in Nevada, as we approach the process of attempting to organize a third party summit in that state, is to support an independent candidacy for Las Vegas Sun editor Brian Greenspun in this state's Second Congressional District.  Ideally, should we be able to arrange such a candidacy, we feel that ARP should give the other Congressional and Senatorial races in this state a pass in 2000.
 

    WASHINGTON, SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:  There now appears to be a Republicrat candidate in Washington's 2nd Congressional District who is potential ARP
material.  He is Republican ex-state Rep. Barry Sehlin.  Specifically, he
has been endorsed by a group which calls itself the Republican Mainstream
Committee, whose web site is located at http://mainstream.org/ .  While this
group has not posted any issue positions there which appear to touch on ARP
core concerns, nevertheless it is made up of some high profile members
including folks like Jim Leach and Arlen Specter who have an excellent
record on those issues, so my hunch is that they are made in the
Shays-Campbell mold and can be treated as a reliable leading indicator of
where particular Republicans may be coming from.  Therefore at this time the CSSC adds Barry Sehlin to its list of recommended Republicrat challenger endorsees, and hopes that, at such time as the EC and/or NC decides it appropriate to consider our endorsement list for passage or rejection, they will include the Sehlin recommendation as part of the material submitted by our committee for their judgement.
 

NEW JERSEY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT FIVE:  The current incumbent, Marge Roukema, has already been included in the ESSC's, formerly the CSSC's, May 30 Congressional Strategy report to ARP.  However, there has been an unexpected development in her district.  She is being challenged by a right-winger in the Republican primary next year, and the word is that she could be in considerable trouble with the Republican conservative base.  Under the circumstances, the ESSC recommends that this race be added to our Top Ten Congressional Target List and the Colorado CD 5 race be removed.

WASHINGTON SENATE:  Important news in the Washington Senate race.  The ESSC's backup choice for Senate here, former Representative Maria Cantwell(D) (who up until recently served on the board of the Concord Coalition) has now declared her intention to seek the Democratic Senate nomination here against Republican incumbent Slade Gorton.  Originally the ESSC had recommended that ARP reach out to former Representative Linda Smith as a potential ARP Senate candidate, since her relationship with her original party, the GOP, had become very strained primarily due to her advocacy for campaign finance reform.  However the committee mentioned Congresswoman Maria Cantwell as a possible backup choice.  Now that Cantwell has officially taken the plunge, and now that the ESSC's proposed Public Relations Stable, which includes Linda Smith, is hopefully under review by our possible presidential candidate, Lowell Weicker, the ESSC has concluded that we are better off taking advantage of this favorable turn of events by recommending that the ARP endorse Cantwell and thereby freeing up Linda Smith to play a helpful role in some fashion in the PR Stable.
 
 

CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TWENTY-TWO:  Originally the ESSC had recommended that the ARP endorse moderate GOPer Brooks Firestone in this district or someone of his centrist reformist ilk.  However, not only has the GOP establishment now hand-picked their candidate for this district but our very own Richard Porter has decided to run again for this office.  Under the circumstances the ESSC has concluded that it makes more sense to endorse Richard than to look for a sympathetic Republicrat in this district.
 

VIRGINIA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT FIVE:  There has been an extraordinary development in this district.  The current incumbent, Virgil Goode, has announced that he is quitting the Democratic party and is now an independent.  Goode's record, from our point of view, is one hundred percent.  He supports Shays-Meehan, is (or was) a member of the Blue Dogs, and opposed fast track and NAFTA.  The word is that the Democratic party will go all out to punish him for his apostasy and turn him out of office this fall.  ARP should do whatever it can to see to it that that does not happen.
 
 

UTAH GOVERNOR:  It has not heretofore been the ESSC's policy to endorse candidates for non-congressional positions.  However Bill Orton, an ex-Representative and a Blue Dog Democrat whom the ESSC was hoping would choose to run for one of Utah's two senate seats, has now indicated he wishes to run for the governorship instead.  Should the ARP choose to adopt the overall ESSC strategy of a combined series of congressional endorsements and nominations, we recommend that it include Bill Orton as the ARP endorsee for Utah's governorship.

WASHINGTON: SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:  The ESSC's suggested ARP endorsee in this district, reform Republican candidate Barry Sehlin, whom John McCain endorsed, has withdrawn from the race, leaving the field clear for right-winger Koster in the GOP primary.  At this time, from a total of three there is now only centrist left in this race, due to a lack of endorsements and money being made available to the other two.

    That one remaining centrist is Democrat Rick Larsen, who is running unopposed in that party's primary.  At this time, however, after carefully reviewing information in the House Race Hotline, the inevitable conclusion is that there is insufficient information on Larsen to warrant the ESSC considering the issuing of any sort of recommendation at this time.

MINNESOTA SENATE:  The ESSC recommends that the ARP endorse Minnesota Independent Party Senate candidate James Gibson for that state's US Senate seat currently held by Republican Rod Grams.  That seat is up for election in November of 2000.

MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR:  The ESSC recommends that the ARP endorse Mississippi Reform Party gubernatorial candidate Jerry Ladner.  As Kathy Chapman, one of his most enthusiastic supporters, put it:

    "I've met Jerry at a few conventions and think he is a bright, intelligent and
feisty candidate.  "

    The ESSC thanks Ms. Chapman for bringing him to our attention.

IOWA:  FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:  The ESSC recommends that the ARP endorse Iowa Reform congressional candidate Ray Holtorf for the position of Representative from Iowa's Fifth Congressional District.  We would like to thank Nancy Couperus for having brought him to the attention of the ESSC.  Ray is a long-time activist in the centrist reform movement, and is firmly dedicated to the twin principles of social moderation and fiscal responsibility, a good fit for the ARP.

CALIFORNIA: FIFTEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:  A man who has worked closely with Tom Campbell, Jim Cunneen, has declared his candidacy for this district.  Tom Campbell is running for the US Senate, a candidacy which the ARP has endorsed.  So his endorsement carries a lot of weight with us.  However last week Mr. Cunneen put the icing on the cake by declaring his support for John McCain's campaign finance reform agenda.  In addition, a valued member of the ARP California contingent, Nancy Couperus, has reported to the ESSC that "I think he is a very good man.  The more I've learned about him, the more I like him."  Considering all of these factors, the ESSC is happy to add Jim Cunneen to its list of suggested ARP endorsees.

NEW JERSEY SENATE:  At this time, due to certain intemperate remarks by Representative Franks concerning "liberal Democrats" as well as New Jersey ARPer Louise Downing's recommendation, the ESSC has decided to withdraw its recommendation of an ARP Franks endorsement in favor of a no preference position.  The ESSC feels it makes more sense to be on the lookout for a good independent candidate in this Senate race until further notice.

NEW JERSEY, TWELFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:  Somewhat to the surprise of the ESSC, a reform Republican of the name of Richard Zimmer unexpectedly won the nomination in a GOP primary last week.  He is an erstwhile member of Common Cause with a high rating on fiscal issues with the Concord Coalition.  While some in the New Jersey ARP chapter felt that the ARP should hold off on an endorsement to give a chance for an independent/third-party candidate to emerge, the ESSC has concluded that the hour is late, -- too late for that to be a realistic possibility.  Consequently, we recommend to the ARP national leadership that they issue a favorable recommendation on Mr. Zimmer.

RHODE ISLAND SENATE:  Since succeeding to his father's seat by appointment last year following the latter's untimely death, Senator Lincoln Chafee has had an almost perfect record on ARP issues.  He has distinguished himself particularly by voting favorably on every roll call involving campaign finance reforms being introduced by such reform leaders as John McCain and Russell Feingold.  The ESSC has concluded that he deserves ARP's endorsement for re-election.

MONTANA SENATE:  The ESSC heartily endorses Sam Rankin, Reform Party candidate for the Montana U.S. Senate seat currently held by Conrad Burns.  If you take a look at his issues page, located at http://www.samrankin.com/issues.htm, you will find that on core ARP issues, such as campaign finance reform or Social Security, Sam is a forthright courageous advocate of centrist reform positions.  We are sure we will be hearing many good things about Sam Rankin in the coming weeks and months.

VERMONT SENATE:  The ESSC's attention has been brought to the independent Senate candidacy of Rick Hubbard by Vermont ARPer Tom McKenna.  We have subsequently engaged Mr. Hubbard on a few issues through email messages.  As a result, we have concluded that it makes sense for the ESSC to change its recommended endorsee in this race from Republican incumbent Senator James Jeffords to independent candidate Rick Hubbard.  Mr. Hubbard is particularly strong on two issues of particular importance to the ARP, political and fiscal reform.  We thank Mr. McKenna for having brought our attention to Mr. Hubbard's candidacy.