This is a thread, if anyone’s interested of course, to plug your favorite non-Presidential candidate of this cycle. No incumbents, just challengers(although people who have served in the particular office before like Evan Bayh or Russ Feingold are fine). I just want to get a sense of who people are really excited to see go to DC or govern their st ates. I always like to follow new or returning talent. This is a positive thread, so no, “I’m really excited because incumbent X is going to be driven out of office!” Tell us who we should genuinely be excited to see be influential on the political scene after 2016.
Minnesota has neither federal senatorial nor gubernatorial races this year so it’s a less exciting ballot than in other years. I am supporting Terri Bonoff’s challenge to Erik Paulsen’s congressional seat, though.
n/m
Well, I was excited about Martin O’Malley, but he was seeking the Presidency, and… didn’t get too far. O’Malley '20 (or '24)!
I’m a huge political junkie. I’ll definitely vote in November, I always do, but I can’t say I’m really excited about anyone this year.
O’Malley really was one of the best executives in the country. I really hope he gets another shot. Probably will. Usually you need to run and lose before you can run and win. People know his name now. Plus I’d say he’s got a really good chance of working in the Clinton administration as a Cabinet officer.
Unfortunately there are no Republicans I’m excited about this year, unlike 2010-2014 when I was excited about a lot of them. But I am thrilled that Tammy Duckworth is probably going to the Senate and I’m glad to have Evan Bayh and Russ Feingold back(probably, assuming they win). All three are Democrats who have been willing to buck leadership and question Democratic orthodoxy. None of them are beholden to the party’s traditional interest groups. With them, Susan Collins, Jon Manchin, Mccain and Graham, and a few other nonconformists holding the balance of power, the Senate should only pass good legislation in the 2017-2018 term.
As strange as a VP pick is, Kaine.
Some of the initial announcement made it seem like the working relationship with Clinton will have him doing more than attending state funerals and waiting for Hillary to keel over. A pragmatic centrist with some history of bipartinsanship getting that possible influence makes me happy. Even better he’s got armed forces, intelligence, and budget committee experience to go with his governor service.
Good point about Kaine. Seems like a smart, well-adjusted, capable guy, and Hillary seems to like him personally, which bodes well for their working relationship.
Yeah, Kaine is excellent, although the Democrats have been making excellent VP picks for some time: Gore, Biden, now Kaine. The losing Democrats did a poor job picking VPs, so maybe the VPs matter more than we think?
Michael Bennet because his opponent is a crazy person.
(buzzer sounds) Only candidates who are great on their own merits. Plus Bennett is an incumbent. And one whose career has peaked, being a rather unremarkable Senator.
Zephyr Teachout seems pretty cool, and a memorable name.
I would have liked to see more candidates affiliated with Black Lives Matter.
Yes, Marylanders were so thrilled with Omalley that his Black handpicked successor with military experience was sacked by a fat White Republican with no political experience in a state with twice as many Democrats as Republicans, and one of the highest black populations in the country by percentage.
Hogan won by running against Omalley’s taxes. Omalleys decades long warfare on the City of Baltimore couldn’t help turnout the base for Brown, imagine that! At least Hogan had the decency to close up Omalley’s torture chamber on Eager Street, but that wasn’t enough to prevent the fatherless children, victims of Omalley’s reign, from throwing a fit one day after school and spurring a riot at Mondawmin, and the looting of every liquor store between Park Heights and Station North
Is it somehow cool to purposefully misspell O’Malley’s name?
It’s a bit of a hastle on a phone to put in apostrophes which is why I also left it off at the end.
Anyway since when is it not cool to throw shade at torturers?
I’ve seen enough TV ads in the West Palm Beach area (formerly Allen West’s district, so you know it’s weird) to take a strong liking to Randy Perkins, who is running to replace future Senator Patrick Murphy in the House.
You mean having to go back to daddy for support because he’ll be unemployed Patrick Murphy?
An adaher prediction! Bank it. 
So you get it, Murphy actually *wants *the job. Your guy, not so much. As you know.
He wants the job because he wants to establish a legacy outside of his dad. Couldn’t succeed in business so he became a poiltician. Too many of those, we don’t need another.
It’s looking better with every one of your posts.
Liking Ted Strickland a lot rn.