In the Senate: finally. It's now time for the GOP to get it together and begin stacking workable legislation on the Presidents desk and challenge him to actually do something. For a change.
Governors: lawdy, are there any Democratic governors left except ours?
Local: the results are pretty much what I thought they would be. Mrs. Bass had a good organization and is obviously popular in the City. She ran a good campaign and killed it, garnering a thousand more votes than the next nearest challenger. Mr. Aveni ran a tough, bare-knuckled, no-holds-barred campaign for reelection. I worked Baldwin all day long and his poll workers weren't distributing the republican sample ballot (which included Mrs. Comstock and Mr. Gillespie) until Sharon shamed them into it and were instructing voters to only vote for one candidate. He came in second. Mr. Elston had a tall hill to climb but his performance in the debates really stirred interest in him and were a difference-maker in his election. He came within about a hundred votes of the two-term incumbent Aveni. A strong showing. Patricia, who I really like, suffered from a slow start but performed much better in the later debates just had too far to go to get there. I hope she stays involved in the community.
What do I think it all means? That's tough. On a personal level this was pretty much what I was trying to avoid – two more years of navel gazing – so I'm glad I am on the sidelines from here on out. As a general electoral comment, moving the elections really had no practical effect on the outcome this time around. Why? Well, we'll have to explore that in blog posts to come….
November 7, 2014 at 1:32 pm
Doesn't mesh with my personal experience at Dean. Mr. Aveni was there in person when I arrived (as was Ms. Richie-Folks), handing out the Republican sample ballot and urging the folks to "vote for two" (which I interpreted as himself and Ms. Bass). You instruct US to not make personal attacks on these pages….
The Manassas results were exactly as I expected they would be. I am a bit surprised though that Ms. Comstock's trouncing of Mr. Faust didn't result in Mr. Gillespie doing better in the cities and PWC.
November 7, 2014 at 1:52 pm
My experience mirror's Mr. Harrovers….4 fun-filled hours of "3 candidates, vote for 1".
November 7, 2014 at 1:53 pm
Andy,
I must agree with Dave, and my experience at Haydon. Volunteers with Aveni shirts were dutifully handing out the MGOP sample ballot, and asking folks to vote republican. Also, the local results look different from my perspective.
MGOP had two nominees to defend the two seats currently held by the GOP (Yours and Aveni's). The MGOP Nominees successfully defended the seats. 100% electoral success.
The M&MPD's nominated two (Elston & Ritchie-Folks) IOT a) Win the UNCONTESTED third seat, and b) try to pick-up a seat currently held by the MGOP. They were successful in the former, and failed in the latter..50% electoral success.
If you look at the their level of success in the Park (Manassas and MP have a combined local unit, so it is germane to the discussion), you'll see similar results. I'd even go so far as to say worse results. An "I" incumbent was the top vote getter, and a GOP challenger came in 2nd. A "D" incumbent came in a distant third, and a former-D running as an "I" was unsuccessful in getting elected. Had he scored enough to grab the thrid seat, he would have knocked off a "D", not an "R".
What I want to remind people of, as focus shifts to 2016, and how it may impact Manassas locals, is we do have an election in 2015: State Senate, HOD, and Constitutional Offices, which promises thrills and chills all its own. Virginia is for lovers (of politics).
November 7, 2014 at 2:09 pm
I've updated the post to be a bit more specific. I can only report what I saw. It wasn't just a single poll worker. Each shift seemed to pass the instructions to the next. I wasn't alone in this observation.
November 7, 2014 at 3:12 pm
At my polling place, the Aveni folks were all about Marc. Nothing about any other candidate.
I also find that gap between Warners results and those of Foust to be enlightening. A solid Democratic candidate did OK even in a Republican year. Weaker candiates (Foust and Ritchie-Folks) did not do well.
November 7, 2014 at 3:30 pm
Steve: My takeaway is a bit less positive. A first time democratic candidate almost came in 2nd and 4th place candidate was only 300 votes behind….in a republican wave year.
As a side note, election data is maddening. Technical stuff is so much easier!
November 7, 2014 at 4:10 pm
Andy,
This is why I leave the governance part to you…and you should leave the politics part to me. You are clearly better at the former, than the later. Straight up 1 vs. 1 are easy to dissect. 4 for 3 a bit more difficult, because of party ID, Social demos, etc. and when you throw in the possibility of undervotes and bullet votes, the margins can be deceptive. Our people were the top 2 vote getters. For the D's to claim even a partial local victory, one of theirs would have had to have gotten more votes than one of ours. All they did was beat one of their own. I'll 'splain it to you, when next we meet.
November 7, 2014 at 5:43 pm
I echo Andy's comments on his experience. I was at Weems and witnessed the Aveni supporters handing out the Rep sample ballot, but giving specific instructions as to which ONE person to vote for! At one point they weren't even sharing the few sample ballots they had with the person working the poll for Sheryl. I say if they want to do things their way then they need to officially be the party they are beholden to…the Tea Party. They are certainly not the reasonable Republicans I have known for years here in Manassas.
November 7, 2014 at 5:51 pm
Andy, let's put cards on the table here. We all know what went down in the City in the last few months and what caused Aveni supporters to feel compelled to bullet vote for him. Someone a long ago decided "we've got to get rid of Aveni." The first phase of that process was to move the elections from May to November. This cycle a Republican was put in a bloc with two democrats. Whether she took part in that strategy or not, neither she nor the city GOP decried it publicly (that I ever heard). Ads for the three were taken out in "the local papers" by several groups. Another Republican councilman endorsed her and the two democrats. The plan to get rid of Aveni the troublemaker was in full gear. Heck Manassas Votes didn't try to hide it. To their credit, they focused their sites squarely on Marc as the enemy of all that is good and holy in Manassas. I'll give them credit for being honest about that. T
So the only way to outflank this little game was to bullet vote Marc. A total no-brainer. It's a shame Aveni supporters were forced into it but it worked and worked beautifully.
Yes, Sheryl "killed it" but she also benefitted from a huge number of democrat votes. Whoever was behind this political strategy did a great job. Fortunately it failed and we still have some balance on Council.
November 7, 2014 at 6:37 pm
My observation at Dean in the morning was that the Sheryl volunteers were the ones not handing out R sample ballots, When I asked him for a Republican sample ballot he rudely turned his back on me. So guess what, I bullet voted for Marc, wasn't planning to, but his actions cost her my vote. This post should be called sour grapes. You all spent a lot of money and effort to get rid of Marc and it failed.
November 7, 2014 at 7:47 pm
Dan: I'd only gently point out that Manassas Votes doesn't have a lock on electoral fun and games with candidates outside of a particular party.
I admit that I'm a little surprised you would publicly admit and endorse an electoral strategy that robs other republicans on the ballot of republican support.
I'd like to get together sometime and chat about it. I've always found you to be a reasonable guy and I'd like to get your input.
November 7, 2014 at 8:27 pm
Andy, I'm surprised that your surprised. Because the first person to employ that same electoral strategy to rob other Republicans on the ballot of Republican support was what your fellow "Republican" Councilman Wolfe did.
November 7, 2014 at 8:38 pm
Andy, anyone who was paying attention knew Sheryl was a lock. The final numbers proved that out. So Sheryl was deprived some votes. If not for the bullet votes for Aveni, democrat Patricia Folks might be on council with Marc on the outs. After all the years you spent with Marc in the trenches I'm sure you would prefer this outcome.
I would relish the opportunity to get together to discuss over coffee or beer. I appreciate the offer. Let's shoot for next week?
November 7, 2014 at 8:50 pm
Dan, it would be great to get together again. I've always enjoyed our meetings. I'm out next week on business but will be back next weekend. OK to email you and schedule a time?
November 7, 2014 at 9:25 pm
I hit you up with a FB message.
November 8, 2014 at 7:15 am
Gman, I'm surprised that you're surprised that I'm surprised..:) I don't control Mark any more than I control Marc.
November 8, 2014 at 11:08 am
Andy,
I am confused. Why would Aveni supporters not bullet vote? or vote for "Two"
All over town Ms Bass signs were in yards with the Democratic signs. I think that was the case with many of the houses around our neighborhood.
It seems to me that that there a effort on the part of many or some Republicans to oust Marc in favor a more liberal spending Democrat? Was that NOT the case?
If I am wrong please set me straight?
Hugh
November 8, 2014 at 11:09 am
For next my comment, I will just yell out the windw since you can probably hear me : )
November 9, 2014 at 8:01 am
Seems like the republican party in Manassas needs to get it together or hand the title over to the tea party and the dems. A 100 vote margin for a 2-termer?
November 9, 2014 at 6:13 pm
Just an observation re: the comment about Sheryl signs in yards with the Dems – there were 3 spots to fill and only 2 Repubs running. I guess many would say just vote/support straight party. But, since there was going to be one Dem elected for sure shouldn't people make a choice as to which one is the 'lesser of the evils'? Bullet voting ony accomplishes one thing – a fractured party.
November 17, 2014 at 8:28 am
Hugh,
It would appear you have the correct assessment. No matter if the individual council member has a "R" or a "D" behind his/her name we now have a council which is 2 1/2 "D" and 3 1/2 "R". This last council run clearly had established that. Now, I guess it's upo the "R" party as to who they will back with resources next election. Oh, one other thing, it didn't hurt the "R"'s that the City tax bill was delivered the Monday before the election. I hope that happens the same way before next election.