So how did the
down-ballot libertarian(ish) candidates I profiled for the
November issue make out on Election Day?
Victorious!
Ted
Cruz ;(Texas, Senate)– ;Cruised (heh) to victory over
Democratic opponent Paul Sadler. I profiled the Libertarian in the
race, John Jay Myers,
here. Cruz joins a fledgling group of small government minded
Paulite Republicans in the Senate. ;Result:
Cruz 56.6 percent, Sadler 40.5 percent, Myers 2.1 percent.
Thomas
Massie ;(Kentucky's Fourth)– ;With a decisive win here
you can chalk up another victory to the growing Rand Paul machine
in Kentucky. Massie’s biggest challenge came during the primary
where he faced attorney Bill Adkins. Result:
Massie 62.1 percent, Bill Adkins 35.0 percent.
Justin Amash ;(Michigan's Third) ;– ;The “next Ron
Paul” in Congress had to fight back some stiff competition in Steve
Pestka but his victory was never truly in doubt, and he fared
better than Romney in his own district. The Libertarian in the
race, Bill Gelineau, was never a major factor. Result:
Amash 52.7 percent, Pestka 44.1 percent, Gelineau 3.1 percent.
Jeff Flake ;(Arizona, Senate) ;– ;The congressman
managed to claw out a win here over a highly qualified Democratic
challenger, former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, even though a
Libertarian “spoiler,” ; Marc Victor, loomed large in the
race. ; Result:
Flake 50.1 percent, Carmona 45.6 percent, Victor 4.4 percent.
Crushed!
Kurt Bills ;(Minnesota, Senate) ;– Largely a
sacrificial lamb in a state that never was in play for Republicans
this cycle, Bills just never raised the necessary funds to run
competitively in such a large state. Plus, the president most
certainly would have helped beat back any threat he really posed to
Amy Klobuchar. Result:
Klobuchar 65.3 percent, Bills 30.6 percent.
Barry Hinckley ;(Rhode Island, Senate) ;– The northeast
moderate/libertarianish Republican remains on the endangered
species list as Hinckley got his clock cleaned by Sheldon
Whitehouse in a race that was largely ignored by most national
media. Whitehouse was so confident at one point that he spent time
campaigning in Massachusetts for Elizabeth Warren. It remains
unclear as to what is next for Hinckley, a relative newcomer to
Ocean State politics. Result:
Whitehouse 64.8 percent, Hinckley 35.2 percent.
Close But No Cigar!
Mia Love ;(Utah's Fourth) ;– The promising young Utah
mayor will have to wait for another cycle to take a swing at
federal office as she fell just short to redistricted Congressman
Jim Matheson. Love, who set Republicans hearts ablaze with a
passionate yet empty speech at the RNC, appeared slightly favored
to win this district given its new configuration but it wasn’t
enough Result:
Matheson 49.3 percent, Love 48.1 percent.
Richard Tisei ;(Massachusetts' Sixth) ;– The
down-ballot race in my dear Commonwealth I was paying the most
attention to turned out to be one where Republicans could cry foul
over a Libertarian candidate that “spoiled” their chances. Daniel
Fishman, the LP candidate here, made up the difference and more
between Tisei and embattled Congressman John Tierney. It’s not all
Fishman’s fault though, as Tierney’s win can be largely attributed
to the GOTV operation that the highly organized Massachusetts
Democrats assembled for Senator-Elect (!) Elizabeth Warren.
Result: Tierney 48.3 percent, Tisei 47.3 percent, Fishman 4.5
percent.
… Read More
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