07/ 25/ 2007
With five states holding elections this fall, NFIB will have an opportunity to strengthen its influence by taking an active role in representing small-business interests at the ballot box. In the coming months, we'll evaluate and monitor several campaigns to identify the best opportunities for political involvement.
Three states are holding gubernatorial elections.
Louisiana
Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced that she would not seek reelection; U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, an NFIB Guardian Award winner, is leading the field to replace her.
Mississippi
Incumbent Gov. Haley Barbour is likely to be easily reelected.
Kentucky
Gov. Ernie Fletcher faces a tough reelection against former Lt. Gov. Steve Beshear.
In addition, voters in Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia will choose candidates for state legislatures, as these states face key small-business issues, including labor law, eminent domain and tax relief.
These elections also give us an opportunity to test new strategies, messages and technologies that will not only help achieve victory this year, but lay a strong foundation for success next year. In 2008, 11 states will vote for governor, 34 will vote for senator and all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be on the ballot. With such a close partisan divide in Washington, it's critical to continue the fight to support pro-small-business candidates and get our agenda to the forefront.
For more information about these campaigns and other political news, go to www.NFIB.com/politics throughout the election cycle.
Georgia Race Decided by Runoff
Candidates in a special election held June 19 to replace the late U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood in Georgia's 10th District headed for a July 17 runoff. State Sen. Jim Whitehead, who was endorsed by SAFE Trust, NFIB's PAC, garnered the top spot with 43.7 percent of the vote. He will face physician Paul Broun, who finished less than half a percentage point ahead of the third-place candidate. Under Georgia law, since no candidate received 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates must face each other in a runoff election. Go to www.NFIB.com/politics for updated information.
