Will Mark Kelly Run?
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on June 28th, 2011 4:40 am by HL
Will Mark Kelly Run?
The Fix takes a deeper look at rumors that Mark Kelly, the husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), might run for office in Arizona and examines the different options available to the Gulf War veteran and retired astronaut.
State legislature: “If Kelly wanted to run for state legislature…he would need to prove Arizona residency for the past three years. Kelly and Giffords are currently living near Houston, Texas, where the congresswoman is going through rehabilitation therapy.”
Giffords’ seat: “That seat could change under redistricting — an independent commission draws the lines, so anything could happen. But the commission did not do much to hurt incumbents last time around, so Giffords has a good chance of keeping her district relatively intact. That district is very competitive, with Giffords winning reelection by less than one percent in 2010. But the couple’s inspiring story, along with Kelly’s non-political background, could only help in 2012.”
U.S. Senate: “Giffords was considered the favorite in that open-seat contest before the shooting that put her in the hospital for five months; in her absence, no new contender has stepped up… That race would be more difficult for a political neophyte. The likely GOP nominee is well-known Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who?announced his candidacy back in February and has been fundraising ever since. As of April, he had $1.5 million on hand.”
Majority of New Yorkers Support New Law
A new Quinnipiac pol in New York finds that 54% of the state’s voters back the new law allowing same sex marriage, including 70% of voters under 35.
The Reverse Revolving Door
While much attention is paid to the vast sums of money made by government employees who move to lobbying and consulting firms in the private sector, a new analysis by The Hill reveals the extent to which lobbyists who come to work on Capitol Hill take steep pay cuts to do so.
“The ex-lobbyists who went to work in the House earned, on average, more than $238,000 per year while working on K Street. Those same lobbyists are on pace to make more than $144,000 per year, on average, in the House, which equals an average pay cut of about $94,000. Ex-lobbyists who went to work in the Senate last year were earning more than $309,000, on average, in their old jobs, according to financial disclosure forms. They are on pace to take in an average of more than $160,000 as a staffer, for an average pay cut of more than $149,000.”
Quote of the Day
“I sure hope that no one breaks into my office this time.”
— Former Sen. George McGovern, quoted by the Washington Post, on his law firm moving to the Watergate.
