Check out this interactive map -- winning back the Senate in 2006

[ailsagirl]

(email from Chuck Schumer)

I believe that now, more than ever, the Senate is all that prevents the Republicans from undoing so many of the social advances we hold dear. Winning the Senate in 2006 is the crucial first step to taking our country back from the right-wing forces that currently control Washington.

Right now, we are six seats away from taking back the Senate. That means that we have to win six states. It is in those key states that the DSCC will make the difference. Some of those battlegrounds are obvious - Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Ohio - but for the other states we'll have to win, we are creating the opportunities.

To help you understand the foundation for this long, tough campaign, I asked the DSCC to prepare this new interactive campaign map that shows you the important Senate races we will contest in 2006.

Because we are successfully defending our Democratic incumbents, we will have far more energy to devote to toppling top Republican targets. Sitting Republican senators across the country are vulnerable in 2006 because they have supported George Bush's over-reaching right-wing agenda. To capitalize on this opportunity, I have been talking to political leaders across the nation, poring over all the research and polling data and crisscrossing the country to talk directly to voters. In state after state, I have recruited committed Democratic candidates that put us in the best position to win.

For example, I personally recruited Bob Casey because I know he is the best Democratic candidate to beat Rick Santorum in 2006. Casey now has the strongest poll numbers of any Senate challenger in the country, Democrat or Republican. Keystone State voters are ready to reject Santorum for putting right-wing causes ahead of mainstream Pennsylvania priorities. The DSCC has already been working daily with the Casey campaign to develop world-class fundraising and message strategies.

Other Republican incumbents across the country are worried about the mounting Democratic trends. In Rhode Island, I know we can beat Sen. Lincoln Chafee because he has consistently supported the far right agenda in Washington after casting himself as a moderate back home. I will make sure we have the tools and resources we will need to beat Chafee in November.

But that's not all. The Democratic gains in last week's special Congressional election in Ohio give me confidence that we can beat Sen. Mike DeWine in 2006. Just this week, the DSCC teamed up with the Montana State Democratic Party to put the heat on Sen. Conrad Burns over his close ties to embattled lobbyist Jack Abramoff, an associate of Tom DeLay.

The bottom line is that if we work together, we can win back the Senate. It won't be easy, and we'll have to get some breaks along the way, but I'm confident that we can win in November 2006.

I took this job because the DSCC plays a special role in Senate elections. We are the only organization that coordinates directly with every Democratic campaign and donates large sums of money directly to the candidates. We are the only organization with the national scope to know when and where to put our resources so they will have the most impact.

I know what it takes to win. I won my last election in New York with 71% of the vote and more than 40% of Republicans, all without forsaking my Democratic values. I am going to share my formula of success with every Democratic Senate candidate across the country.

I'm doing things differently at the DSCC this cycle. We will only expend our resources directly on the races we can win. I won't give a dime to campaigns that do not have the tools and staff they need to build a successful campaign infrastructure. Our strategy is to win elections and take our country back by putting resources in the states that will do the most good. We're not about protesting, we're about winning.

There will be Senate races in 33 states next year, and we need to pick up six seats to take back the Senate. I will be watching each and every race to determine precisely where and when our resources will help Democratic candidates win. The DSCC will run the smartest and nimblest campaigns our party has ever seen. I am committed to winning the Senate in 2006 and putting a stop to the right-wing takeover in Washington.

Sincerely,

Chuck Schumer

http://www.dscc.org/2006races/

[ibegurpard]

1. I DO like this:

"Check out the latest abuse of power by ______________"

[usregimechange]

7. Great place to get information for opeds and the like.

[sakabatou]

21. Reds abusive, Blue is for families...

odd, yet funnny

[Immad2]

2. Excellent! This sounds like a very positive message!

[safi0]

3. Based on who's announced

I think we can win in the following states: Pennsylvania, RI, Montana, and Tennessee. I'm 99.9% certain that either Sherrod Brown, Tim Ryan or Hackett will run against Dewine giving him a top flight opponent. So that's 5 I think we can win. They say Arizona could be won but I'm a little more skeptical, if McCaskill runs in Missouri I definetely believe we can that state and if Mark Warner runs against Allen in VA we could win there otherwise Allen gets re-elected easily. So that's 5 that I think we can win that can go up to 8. Also remember Rome wasn't built in a day and 2008 looks great from our perspective.

As far as defending seats due to the ineptitude of Lizzie Dole things look good on that front. The most vulnerable incumbent Bill Nelson will defeat Cruella. Strangely the incumbent who could face the most difficult re-election is the senator who is I believe the most popular senator seeking re-election Kent Conrad. Although he has a mind boggling 71% approval rating the RSCC is recruiting ND's Governor who also has an approval rating in the 70's. But Dayton in Minnesota and Sarbanes in Maryland aren't seeking re-election and both of those will be very difficult to defend especially Minnesota.

[Immad2]

23. I was really sad to hear that Senator Dayton was not going to seek

reelection. He is one of my favorites - he doesn't talk pretty but he is not afraid to states facts as they are. Have any idea why he is not going to run again? Can anyone convince him otherwise? Sarbanes too? Damn!Both of these guys are real DEMOCRATS.

[safi0]

25. Sarbanes my guess

Is a little old and may not want to put up with another 6 years. Standard reason for retiring. Dayton's a little more interesting, he said he was getting tired of always raising money for re-election, his approval numbers aren't great, and apparently the DSCC did some internall polling and it wasn't too favorable.

[OneTwentyoNine]

4. One of our Senators will run for President,the other could commit murder..

And STILL be elected Senator of Kansas.

Pat Roberts will be elected as long as he wants and the farm subsidy checks keep rolling in here in Kansas.

Flaming,crazed,religious nutcase Sam Brownback will give the Oval Office a shot hoping to garner votes from the other flaming,crazed religious nutcases in Kansas and nation wide.

[usregimechange]

5. Kick! Excellent resource

[usregimechange]

6. I think this needs to be on the front page, nominated.

[usregimechange]

8. Damn it nominate this bad boy.

[snowbear]

15. I gave it the 4th thumb's up... Great post !!

:bounce: And Senator Schumer rocks! :bounce:

[usregimechange]

9. Can you get e-mail updates on specific 06 races via DSCC?

[ailsagirl]

19. On the same website as the interactive map, in the lower left, is

a place for you to sign up for email updates...
:)

[usregimechange]

10. kickypoopoo

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. If only we had a solid election system...

[caligirl]

12. This from the Political Wire Allan Lichtman Maryland senate race

The Hotline reports that American University professor and CNN political analyst Allan Lichtman (D) said he is about 90% sure he will enter the Maryland Senate race. Lichtman plans to run a "Paul Wellstone-type campaign" and hopes to raise $1 million for the primary.

In political circles, Lichtman is probably best known for his book, The Keys to the White House, which presented a model predicting the outcomes of all presidential elections from 1860 to 1996.

[safi0]

14. I'll tell you what

That guy will be in for an uphill battle. Running for our nomination for that seat, we have a very well respected US Rep. in Ben Cardin, extremely charismatic former US Rep. and former NAACP leader Kwesi Mfume. Chris Van Hollen another well respected US Rep. decided against it because no one thought he'd have a chance

[connecticut yankee]

13. Let's get rid of Lieberman

and put a real Democrat in the Senate!

[safi0]

16. That's up

To the progressives of Connecticut to do that. You can't expect people like Schumer and the DSCC to fund a primary challenger for Lieberman. Its up to you guys to find that candidate and give him the proper funding needed to knock off Lieberman.

[Nimble_Idea]

17. hey that's some good work!

I was looking for something to this effect
Just a suggestion. When the time comes, put the candidates up against each other with recent polls and stuff.

Like on Crossfire with pics of each candidate one on the left and one on the right with the recent numbers :)

[ooglymoogly]

18. this is perfect for research kick n nom

[WI_DEM]

20. We need to hold our seats and take Montana, Ohio, PA, VA, TN & RI

it can be done, but it won't be easy.

[mconvente]

22. THAT'S the spirit, Charles!!

WOOHOO!! Take back the Senate 2006!! :bounce:

[MindLikeAParachute]

24. Isn't it just 3 states, not 6?

Right now, we are six seats away from taking back the Senate. That means that we have to win six states.

Two senators per state, assuming you turn the state, = 3 states.

[safi0]

26. No

Each state has two senators wh are up for re-election during different years

[0rganism]

27. Only a third of the senators are up for election in any 2-year period

and never two from the same state at once.

So it's six in 2006.

[trogdor]

38. It's SIX because they have 55.

You need to get them down to 49 to achieve a majority.

[paineinthearse]

28. Good idea, but I clicked on Vermont

"Vermonters From Both Parties Back Jeffords
Feb 16, 2005
By: Christopher Graff

MONTPELIER, Vt. - Sen. James Jeffords may be a man without a party, but he has plenty of high-powered friends. Facing his first re-election bid since leaving the Republican Party, the Vermont independent on Wednesday got an endorsement from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and a boost from Republican Gov. James Douglas, who said he will not campaign against Jeffords because he "has served the state well."

:wtf:

The map needs a bit of content verification and updating.

[calico1]

32. I thought I heard on the news that Jeffords was retiring n/t

[zulchzulu]

29. Link to Flash file

http://www.dscc.org/flash/map_large.swf

I'm going to keep this around for reference.

[justis suffram]

30. 06 elections

Elections don't mean squat right now. What;s the point when the fix is in. Here is a must read about the situation

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=7625

Until we address this problem, we are all just blowing steam.

j.s.

[beltanefauve]

31. And here's another resource:

and this one has updates:http://www.modernvertebrate.com/elections/2006-national/

[Stevepol]

33. Please, Please, Please don't forget the voting machines!!!!

Unless the voting machines provide a voter-verified paper ballot and there is a REQUIRED AUDIT FOR ALL ELECTIONS, it's not possible for the Dems to win squat.

Please first educate yourself about this issue and then raise your voice to high heaven about it. Write LTTEs, tell all your friends, contact elections officials, do everything in your power to get this issue the attention it has to have if we are to avoid another stolen election like the 04 national election (which Kerry won by about 3% nation-wide, wining OH and probably FL as well but for the voting machines).

[FreeStateDemocrat]

34. They need to target Chafee in blue Rhode Island, not a moderate.

[bluedog]

35. St Petersburg Florida.(grassroots)

The grass roots movement is being to move in our city....years have come and went when their was no opposing canidate to run against the "inners"..but something has changed.maybe it was the Dean movement.....

but here we go....we start small and work our way up..........read on. okay DU'ers...hit city races.county races.we will take this govenment back..

.read on..


All races contested on this city ballot

Incumbents won't have it as easy as last time as many newcomers run after discontent with the presidential election.


.read on.

ST. PETERSBURG - Thank George W. Bush for the crowded slate of candidates in this November's city election.

...four open City Council seats are filled with political newcomers inspired during the 2004 election by groups like ........MoveOn, which mobilized a massive, though unsuccessful, grass roots movement to unseat Bush.
And due to a shift in focus in the local Democratic Party, the candidates will be getting professional help for their campaigns.

The challengers may not be as politically savvy as the incumbents, and several have no government experience at all. But this group said they've already fulfilled one goal: giving voters a choice.
snip

snip..the Pinellas Democratic chairman, said the party will be focusing more on city elections than it has in the past.

"These candidates are our farm team," Wadlinger said. "We'll give help to any Democrat who needs it."

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/13/Southpinellas/All_races_contested_o.shtml

[dunn]

36. How are Democrats Supposed to Win Back the Senate...

with all of the election fraud and Democrats being bought out to not say anything?

[ailsagirl]

39. Good question... I hope that issue is being worked on

BTW, Welcome to DU, dunn!!

:hi:

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

37. The fact that...

...we no longer have honest elections in this country is most certainly a very tough pill to swallow, but denial isn't gonna
solve the problem. The Christo-republifascists (many of whom are themselves, like Dubya, illegitimate officeholders) that now reign over both the House and Senate aren't about to approve any kind of meaningful election reform. If they did they'd lose their lock on power and they know it. Stay in denial over this if that's what gets you through the day, but we'll never get our country back that way.

[ailsagirl]

40. We've GOT to get our elections back on track...

Welcome to DU!!

:hi: