01/03/2008
The new year has just begun, but the 2008 elections have been on the minds of voters for a while now. Over the next several months you'll continue to hear predictions and statistics relating to the presidential and congressional races, and NFIB is here to keep you informed and help you make sense of it all.
With issues like health care, taxes, immigration and the economy on small-business owners' minds, NFIB will be keeping a close eye on the presidential race to determine which candidate supports small business. The Iowa caucus, which will be held Thursday, Jan. 3, is expected to serve as a barometer of the candidates' performances and will kick off the 2008 election season. We will then look to the New Hampshire primary Jan. 8, and subsequent primaries in Michigan (Jan. 15), Nevada (Jan. 19), South Carolina (Jan. 19) and Florida (Jan. 29) to gauge voter preferences early in the election season.
In the Senate, where the Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority, we will be focusing our resources to support small-business candidates and defend our incumbent allies based on their voting records on small-business issues such as tax relief, federal regulation and labor mandates. Important races to watch include:
- Minnesota: Sen. Norm Coleman (R) faces a tough challenge from either Al Franken (D) or Mike Ciresi (D). A bellwether state.
- Oregon: Sen. Gordon Smith (R) vs. Oregon Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley
- New Hampshire: Sen. John Sununu (R) vs. former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen (D), whom he narrowly defeated in 2000 with only 51 percent of the vote
- Maine: Sen. Susan Collins (R) vs. current U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D)
In the House, we will also continue to support pro-small-business candidates and fight to protect open seats in crucial swing districts. Important House races to watch include:
- AZ-1: Open Seat (Rick Renzi retiring)
- MN-3: Open Seat (Jim Ramstad retiring)
- MN-6: Michelle Bachmann (R)
- MO-6: Sam Graves (R) – facing the mayor of Kansas City
- NC-8: Robin Hayes (R)
- NM-1: Open Seat (Heather Wilson running for Senate)
- WA-8: Dave Reichert (R)
There are 11 governors' races in 2008, compared to 36 in 2006. The two most important races NFIB will be keeping an eye on are in Indiana and Missouri. Gov. Mitch Daniels (Ind.) and Gov. Matt Blunt (Mo.) were both popular when they were first elected but have experienced many problems in recent years. Low polling numbers will make these two of the toughest reelection battles in the nation.
Stay tuned to NFIB.com/politics for frequent updates on the most important races, results of primaries and special elections, and the latest political news.
