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July 3, 2009 —

US House: Some at-risk Dixie Democrats vote with GOP

In a compilation published in The Hill newspaper, 5 of 14 vulnerable Southern Democrats in the US House cast a substantial number of votes against their party on some major issues, such as the energy bill, the stimulus package and funding to move Guantanamo prisoners to the US. The most defections were by freshman Bobby Bright (AL), who cast 13 votes with the GOP to 2 with his own party. Bright is already a major Republican target for 2010 and his votes will remove some controversial issues from the GOP’s quiver. Other Southern Democrats who left their party on the 15 key votes were Travis Childers (MS) 8; Parker Griffith (AL) 8; Jim Marshall (GA) 7; and Glenn Nye (VA) 6. Several embattled Dixie Democrats, however, stuck close to the party line, including freshman Gerry Connolly (VA), who didn’t side with the GOP on a single one of the 15 major votes; Ciro Rodriguez (TX) with only one GOP vote; and Suzanne Kosmas (FL) with two defections.

Alabama: Cobb bows out of governor’s race

The decision of state Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb not to run for governor next year probably boosts the Democratic Primary prospects of US Rep. Artur Davis, who could become the state’s first African-American governor. Influential Democrats in the state have been looking for a “Great White Hope” to wrest the nomination from Davis, whom they believe will hurt down-ballot Democrats. Currently, only state Agricultural Commissioner Ron Sparks is in the race with Davis; Davis’s polls show him leading Sparks. Other potential Democratic contenders include state Sen. Roger Bedford and Circuit Judge Charles Price. Six Republicans have announced. Incumbent Gov. Bob Riley (R) is term-limited.

North Carolina: Perdue’s poll numbers poor

Tar Heel Gov. Beverly Perdue (D), in office some six months, is experiencing a significant down-turn in her approval rating among the state’s voters. An InsiderAdvantage survey taken June 22 showed her with a 36% favorable, 56% unfavorable rating -- compared to President Obama’s 50%-to-37% favorable-unfavorable ratio. The poll was taken five days after Perdue backed a $1.5 billion state tax increase. Two other polls also had bad news for the governor. A Tel Opinion Research poll, taken June 15-18 for the Civitas Institute, showed her with 36% approval, 38% disapproval. And a Public Policy Polling (D) survey, taken June 16, gave Perdue 30% approval, 53% disapproval.

North Carolina: Burr trails badly

When asked if US Sen. Richard Burr (R) deserves another term, 29% of Tar Heel voters said yes to 49% who said it’s time to give someone else a chance. Part of Burr’s problems: Low support among his fellow GOPers, with only 49% of them agreeing he deserves another term. His approval rating is 34%, about the same as it has been for the past six months.

Florida: Crist, McCollum lead in surveys

Gov. Charlie Crist (R), at this point the GOP’s likely US Senate nominee in 2010, would handily defeat either of two Democrats who are competing for their party’s US Senate nomination, according to the most recent Rasmussen Reports poll, taken in late June. Crist had a 50%-to-29% lead over US Rep. Corrine Brown and a 46%-to-28% lead over US Rep. Kendrick Meek. Brown and Meek, both African-Americans, are competing in next year’s Democratic Primary. In a Mason-Dixon poll taken about the same time, Crist had a 48%-to-26% lead over Meek and 55%-to-24% lead over Brown. Crist also leads in the GOP primary, with a solid 51% to 23% lead over former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio. In the Democratic Primary, Mason-Dixon shows Meek with 27% to Brown’s 12%, with a whopping 61% undecided. In next year’s governor’s race, Rasmussen shows Republican Bill McCollum, Florida’s attorney general, ahead of Democrat Alex Sink, the state’s chief financial officer, by 42% to 34%.