Jane Campbell's opponent blames others for his role in passing HB2
Above: John Bradford (left) and Victory-endorsed candidate Jane Campbell.
Despite sponsoring and voting for the disastrous HB2 that damaged North Carolina’s reputation and economy, state Representative John Bradford is now blaming others for the bill’s passage. On Saturday, Bradford shared a Facebook post claiming Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts was “hell-bent” on passing a non-discrimination law, and that her effort to protect LGBT people forced him and his state legislative colleagues to strip those protections by passing HB2. His finger pointing revealed his delusion over the reasons for the national backlash, and his leadership role in the debacle.
On Friday, Bradford continued to play politics with LGBT lives by saying he would support HB2’s repeal, but only if Charlotte first repeals its protections for LGBT people. His statement came after the NCAA and ACC announced it would move its championship games outside the state. But a repeal of both laws would keep discrimination against LGBT people legal, and Equality North Carolina denounced any moves to repeal Charlotte’s law, noting it’s HB2 that is prompting sports teams and companies to leave the state.
While Bradford points fingers and denies culpability, his Victory-endorsed challenger Jane Campbell is discussing issues that matter to North Carolinians – increasing education funding and ending unfair highway tolls. Bradford’s support for HB2 is her inspiration for running – and she would work tirelessly to repeal HB2 as the only openly LGBT person in the state legislature. A 25-year Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan, she is ready to take the fight to Bradford and remind voters of his critical role in harming the state’s economy.
On Tuesday, Jane released the following statement:
“John Bradford drafted, sponsored and voted for HB2. His recent statement in support of repeal, on the condition that Charlotte legalizes discrimination against LGBT residents, is a dishonest tactic to avoid blame for his legislative incompetence and poor judgment. Bradford needs no action from Charlotte to repeal HB2. It has been a catastrophe for the economy, has cost us hundreds of millions of dollars, tens of thousands of jobs, and tarnished the reputation of our great state.
But HB2 is just one of several disasters Bradford has championed. He was also a cheerleader for the I-77 toll contract before it was signed, and subsequently decided it was a bad idea without admitting his mistake. District 98 deserves a new and honest leader who will put North Carolina’s economy and families first. I will be that leader.”
An "outpouring of affection" in Atlanta for BeltLine project Cathy Woolard champions
Above: Cathy Woolard (center) on the BeltLine.
An “outpouring of affection” among Atlantans for its internationally-recognized BeltLine project will boost Victory-endorsed mayoral candidate Cathy Woolard, who had the vision and courage to be its first champion while President of the Atlanta City Council. Cathy proved herself a leader in urban renewal as she spent years organizing support and securing funding for the project – holding more than 90 community meetings across Atlanta to get resident feedback and suggestions.
Cathy’s commitment pushed the ambitious project forward, and now residents and even once skeptical politicians support the revitalization effort, which converts old railroad lines circling Atlanta into mixed-use trails lined by pocket parks, public art and other places for civic engagement. Cathy became the BeltLine’s chief advocate knowing it would lead to new jobs, more affordable housing, healthier residents and a more prosperous city, and residents are already seeing those benefits.
But there are still challenges facing the project before its completion in 2030, and some missteps have been made. If elected mayor in 2017, Cathy has vowed to ensure the transformational BeltLine meets the high expectations of Atlantans.
“It’s the most important rail-transit project that’s been proposed in the country, possibly in the world,” said Christopher B. Leinberger of the George Washington University School of Business to The New York Times. And without Cathy’s efforts, it may never have become a reality.
Angie Craig opponent uses family photo to attack her wife and kids
Above: A Facebook post by GOP Communications Chair Vickie Froehlich attacking Angie Craig's family.
On Friday, a local GOP Communications Chair raising funds on behalf of Minnesota Congressional candidate Jason Lewis used a family photo to attack the wife and kids of Victory-endorsed candidate Angie Craig.
In a Facebook post promoting an upcoming Lewis fundraiser, Vickie Froehlich showed a photo of Angie, her wife and four teenage sons playing Scrabble around their dining table, and said:
“In case you're wondering - the family photo page is the families of our candidates and then of Jason Lewis' opponent - Angie Craig. She's liberal and this is her family. She and her female marriage partner and their 4 teenage sons. Support Jason, give to Jason and work for Jason!!!”
Jason Lewis has not denounced this attack, and an apology is unlikely. Like Donald Trump, there’s no group of Americans “Mini-Trump” Jason Lewis has not insulted. He has called young women “non-thinking,” saying they only care about abortion and gay marriage, suggested immigrants are destroying white culture, and implied that slavery might not only be legal, but would be just fine with him.
Jason Lewis is nicknamed “Mini-Trump” for a reason, and his attacks will affect all LGBT Americans if he reaches the U.S. Congress. We need to elect Angie in November.
Read a list (with GIFs) of 10 terrible Jason Lewis quotes.
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Victory candidate exposes voter database flaw in Washington state
Washington voters’ personal data – including cell numbers and email addresses – was easily accessible via the state’s voter registration until Victory-endorsed candidate Tina Podlodowski identified the issue and informed officials Wednesday. Access to the data was quickly shutoff after Tina explained the problem in a letter to her opponent Secretary of State Kim Wyman, yet the data had been vulnerable since 2012, raising serious questions about Wyman’s competence.
"The breach was real and hopefully fixed," Tina said. "However, (Wyman) should submit to a full cyber audit done by the cyber security officer (which is outside the secretary of state's office) and not just rely on her own people.”
#Update to story below. It was @Tinapo, @KimWyman12 opponent, who brought security loophole to @secstatewa attention pic.twitter.com/scQNaiiHsk
— Natalie Brand (@NatalieBrandK5) September 9, 2016
Tina has criticized Wyman for declining voter turnout, and her failure to identify an issue that may have led to a significant data breach could further erode turnout among Washingtonians concerned about their personal information being compromised when registering to vote. Tina has made increasing voter turnout and streamlining access to the ballot box the central issues of her campaign, while her opponent has failed to support efforts to make the voter registration process easier.
In a letter thanking Tina, the state’s chief information security officer said: “Thank you again for following the industry standard for responsible disclosure of a potential cyber security issue and helping keep the citizens data safe.”
North Carolina Governor releases second ad targeting transgender people
Above: A scene from North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory's ad.
In his latest attack on the transgender community, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory released a television ad titled “Common Sense.” In it he says allowing transgender people to use the bathrooms of their gender identity is dangerous, and claims LGBT advocates believe political correctness supersedes the safety of children. After the video’s release, Governor McCrory doubled-down by tweeting: “Retweet if you agree political correctness shouldn’t outweigh our children’s privacy and safety.”
While McCrory’s bigoted remarks are a desperate bid for attention as his gubernatorial opponent Roy Cooper leads in the polls, it remains critical that an LGBT voice is added to the state’s legislature next year. Victory-endorsed candidate Jane Campbell announced her candidacy for the North Carolina State House when her now opponent in the race sponsored and voted for the discriminatory HB2 bill McCrory signed. Since then her promise to overturn HB2, increase education funding and end unfair highway tolls has resonated with voters.
Meanwhile a Raleigh News & Observer editorial emphasizes his bigoted ad does not resonate: “the governor’s latest pathetic attempt to deceive the public on the merits of the catastrophic HB2 law won’t fool anybody. … The governor’s rhetoric is misguided on many levels. … So maybe the question here isn’t the one McCrory asks, ‘Are we really talking about this?’ but rather ‘Why is the governor really talking about this?’”
Jane is talking about issues that truly matter, and it is crucial she succeeds in November so true “common sense” prevails.
Victory candidates win primaries in Massachusetts
Victory-endorsed candidates in Massachusetts did extremely well last night, with four of our five candidates winning their primaries and now heading to the general election. Results are below:
- Eileen Duff won her primary for Massachusetts Governor's Council, Dist. 5, Gloucester, with 100% of the vote;
- Julian Cyr won his primary for Massachusetts State Senate, Cape & Islands District, Truro, with 54% (9,262 votes) of the vote;
- Stan Rosenberg won his primary for Massachusetts State Senate, Hampshire/Franklin/Worcester District, Amherst, with 100% of the vote; and
- Jack Lewis won his primary for Massachusetts State House, Dist. 7, Framingham, MA with 37% (824) of the vote!
Martha McSally refuses to denounce Trump comments on women in the military
Martha McSally – who is running against Victory-endorsed candidate Matt Heinz – refuses to denounce Donald Trump despite his latest comments blaming military women for sexual assault. Matt has consistently condemned Trump’s divisive and hateful rhetoric, and has called on McSally to do the same.
Last night in a national security forum, Trump defended this 2013 tweet that blames women in the military for the incredibly high rates of sexual assault:
“26,000 unreported sexual assults [sic] in the military-only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?”
Despite McSally’s silence on Trump’s latest attack on women, Matt’s campaign was quick to respond:
“This type of blame the victim mentality is just the latest in a long line of despicable comments from the Republican presidential nominee” said Matt’s campaign manager Nichole Johnson. “Voters deserve to know if McSally will stick to her principles and denounce Donald Trump and his campaign."
Kyle Thorson calls for leadership as violence erupts over Dakota pipeline
Victory-endorsed candidate Kyle Thorson, running for a state House seat in North Dakota's district 18, released a statement calling on the governor to take action after violence erupts over the Dakota pipeline:
"Growing up in North Dakota, I know that we are a state that strongly values our land and our people -- in fact, this is one of my favorite things about this state that we call home. This is why the scenes from the Dakota pipeline site are deeply disturbing to me, and I am concerned about, and categorically condemn, the escalating violence. Governor Dalrymple’s silence and band-aid solutions have only exacerbated tensions and have created a powder keg that must be defused immediately.
"North Dakota elected leaders must be a bridge to solutions that go beyond temporary fixes. Governor Dalrymple must convene all parties, including federal officials to end the violence and address the legitimate concerns of all parties around the right to safe, uncontaminated drinking water, respect for culture and burial grounds, and the right to work without the fear of violence or injury. The leadership vacuum of the last several weeks has only underscored that dialogue is the alternative to the chaos. Governor Dalrymple should act immediately to take concrete steps to deescalate the situation and protect the lives of all North Dakotans. I know that if we work together, we can find a solution that benefits all people in this great state."
10 Quotes Proving Minnesota’s “Mini-Trump” Deserves the Title
Let us introduce Minnesota’s own “Mini-Trump,” Jason Lewis, who is running for Congress against openly lesbian progressive candidate Angie Craig. His bigoted views make his “Mini-Trump” title well-deserved. Take a look yourself:
1. “In fact, if you really want to be quite frank about it, how does somebody else owning a slave affect me? It doesn’t… Uh, you know if you don’t want to own a slave, don’t. But don’t tell other people they can’t.”
Sure, Donald Trump says slave-owning President Andrew Jackson was “great” and “had a history of tremendous success for the country,” and his outreach to Black Americans exposes his tremendous ignorance. But legalizing slavery?!?! (source)
2. “You’ve got a vast majority of young single women who couldn’t explain to you what GDP means. You know what they care about? They care about abortion. They care about abortion and gay marriage. They care about The View. They are non-thinking.”
Reducing women to abortion-loving gay-obsessed know-nothings is one thing, but to imply they all watch The View is insulting.(source)
3. “Forget about an unarmed man, of course I have the right to shoot an unarmed man.”
His opponent Angie Craig says Americans “should be focused on common sense ideas to curb the ongoing threat of gun violence.” We assume NOT shooting unarmed people is part of her gun violence prevention plan. (source - 59:42)
4. “Now the latest is allowing transgendered students to use the rest room or locker facility of their choice. That is an abomination that no school district should adopt.”
“Abomination” seems a better word for an extremist politician that publicly attacks kids who want to pee at school. (source - 48:25)
5. “The problem is it’s [Latinos] the fastest growing population in the country… America, has been committing political suicide—has been committing cultural suicide… I don’t want to make a racial thing out of this but white people are not having kids… It means you gotta go in there and educate, you gotta go in there and convince and persuade… White births are already in the minority in California, so you know culturally it’s key to do this.”
All this crap about Western civilization’s cultural superiority is evidence he has never seen Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. His opponent Angie Craig says she will “work tirelessly toward making sure every family lives in an America where they feel safe and valued.” (source)
6. “Gay couples are no more discriminated against than the polygamist, the drug user, or the loan shark.”
Or there is his opponent Angie Craig: “There is still so much work that needs to be done in this country to eliminate discrimination against members of the LGBT community in housing, in the workplace, [and] in adoption, among other areas.” (Source: 6.Power Divided is Power Checked, Jason Lewis, pg.116-117)
7. “…the median income for blacks in America would make them rich in most African nations, not most - all.”
Yeah, white Americans’ median income would make them rich in most African nations too. What’s your point? (source)
8. “…Global warming theory… looks weaker every day… Across the globe, the last few winters have been exceedingly harsh. The global-warming hysteria is based on computer models, not empirical data, because the records simply don’t go back far enough.”
And then there is Angie Craig: “When I’m elected to Congress, I will fight to protect the environment, address climate change, and create jobs in the clean energy sector.” (source)
9. “Maybe it’s time somebody said ‘white lives matter.’ Because friends, if you look at data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, that’s who the victim typically is—white person in an interracial crime. And the perpetrator is usually a person of color.”
First, his “statistics” are bulls***t. Second, Black Lives Matter. (source - 3:20)
Alright... convinced Jason Lewis truly is the “Mini-Trump”? We’ll leave you with a bonus quote that may strike fear among the Minnesota Nice voters:
10. “I write things, I say things because I hold them near and dear … I’m not about to walk away from them.”
(source - 2:03)
Brady Walkinshaw shows strong fundraising momentum
Today, Victory-endorsed candidate Brady Walkinshaw announced strong fundraising momentum - raising $225,000. The campaign reported that 86 percent of the contributions are from Washington state supporters, a sign of strong homegrown grassroots support for his candidacy. When The Seattle Times endorsed Brady in June, it emphasized he is the pragmatic progressive that understands the real concerns of voters. His fundraising numbers echo his connection to and strong support from the voters of district 7.
“We are both progressives in this campaign,” said Brady in a statement, “but this race is about who will build the bridges to deliver results for our community. I love the Northwest, and I am proud that the overwhelming majority of support for our campaign is from right here at home.”
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