News stories tagged with "democrat"

(03/02/12) "Politics" are different in Vermont's largest city. Since 1985, a successful third party, the Progressive party, has dominated local government there. Progressive voters essentially sent Sen. Bernie Sanders to Congress after re-electing him mayor of Burlington for successive terms.

But for the first time in almost 30 years, there's no Progressive running for mayor this year.

Paul Heintz covers politics for 7 Days, an alternative weekly newspaper based in Burlington. He says this race isn't so much about issues as personalities and shifting loyalties. And he says that even though there's no Progressive on the ballot, those votes will still make a difference.

He told Sarah Harris there's a history of bad blood between Progressives and Democrats, and this race is a bit of a turf battle. more

(09/15/11) While many are portraying the outcome of New York's 9th Congressional district race as a message to President Obama, a New York based pollster and political analyst says it's more complicated than that. Karen DeWitt has more. more

(06/17/11) This week, it's been all about same sex marriage in Albany. Supporters, led by Governor Cuomo, have been lobbying hard for a vote in the State Senate. Now they're one vote shy of passage.

According to a Siena College poll this week, 55% of New Yorkers support legalizing same sex marriage. Sarah Harris chatted with shoppers in Ogdensburg to get their opinions.

(05/11/11) Yesterday, President Obama took his pitch to overall the nation's immigration laws to the Mexican border. In El Paso, Obama said he's exceeded Republican demands for improved border security. He said now it's time for them to work on immigration reform.

Today, there are at least hundreds of Mexican and Central American men and women working illegally on North Country dairy farms. Last month, a Jefferson County farmer was arrested by federal agents for employing undocumented workers.

For the dairy industry, the biggest problem with current immigration laws is one called H2A. It's a guest worker program, but dairy farmers are not eligible to use it. A bill introduced by Congressman Bill Owens would change that. He spoke with David Sommerstein.

(04/22/11) Congress is out of session. That means representatives are criss-crossing their districts to talk with constituents. Coming off a town hall meeting Wednesday night in Plattsburgh, Democrat Bill Owens made several stops yesterday in St. Lawrence County.
He visited the chamber of commerce in Canton, spoke to a rotary club in Ogdensburg, and met with seniors at a nursing center in Massena. While on the road, Owens spoke with David Sommerstein.
When Owens returns to Washington, he'll face what's expected to be a divisive debate over next year's federal budget and raising the nation's debt ceiling. Owens has said he's likely to vote in favor of raising the debt ceiling.

(12/10/10) When New York's legislature convenes next session, Republicans will once again hold a razor-thin majority in the state Senate. That could give the North Country more influence at the capitol. All three North Country senators, Joe Griffo, Patty Ritchie, and Betty Little, are Republicans.

The stronger North Country voice comes as important decisions are being made, decisions that will have deep impact in the region: funding for healthcare and schools and the future of state facilities like prions and Sunmount.
Martha Foley spoke with Brian Mann about the coming shift in power.

(09/03/10) Conservative Republican Doug Hoffman says he will continue his fight to win the 23rd district House seat, even if he loses the GOP primary later this month.

Hoffman will appear on the Conservative Party ballot line and says he's promised to continue campaigning against Republican Matt Doheny and Democrat Bill Owens.

As Brian Mann reports, the decision has infuriated many Republican leaders.

And it raises questions about the Republican Party's ability to take back a seat that had been a GOP stronghold since before the Civil War. more

(09/02/10) Matt Doheny and Doug Hoffman slugged it out last night in Plattsburgh, when the two Republicans met for their first debate.

They're fighting for the chance to face Democratic Representative Bill Owens in the November election.

With the primary just two weeks away, both men agreed on most of the issues.

But they spent ninety minutes questioning each other's integrity and arguing over who has the best shot to reclaim a House seat that was once a Republican stronghold.

As Brian Mann reports, more than 200 people turned out to hear what the two men had to say. more

(05/03/10) Over the weekend, Democrats from around New York state gathered in Niagara Falls to talk about rural issues. They face some tough fights in November's elections, as they work to defend state Senate and US congressional seats.

Jimmy Vielkind is a political reporter for the Albany Times Union and he was at the conference. He spoke with Brian Mann.

Note: Winning the Democratic rural conference straw poll doesn't mean that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is an official candidate for governor. He has yet to declare that he's running for the office in November.

(04/15/10) A three-term Oneida County legislator wants to unseat Republican State Senator Joe Griffo. Democrat Mike Hennessey lives in the city of Sherill, which has been embroiled in land claim and cigarette tax issues with the Oneida Indian Nation. So it's no surprise Hennessey wants New York to collect taxes on tobacco sold at native-owned stores as a way to close the state deficit. He also wants to eliminate unfunded state mandates, reform state ethics codes, and create jobs. Hennessey is a financial advisor and former small business owner. He told David Sommerstein a visit to a local soup kitchen for veterans compelled him to run for State Senate.