Political Insights – August 13, 2024
Political Insights – August 13, 2024
2024 Abortion Referendums: Arizona is the latest of eleven states to add abortion to the ballot in November 2024. Two states with referendums – Arizona and Nevada are crucial in the presidential election. Five states with a referendum – Nevada, Montana, Florida, Missouri, and Maryland – have interesting Senate races with theraces in Montana and Nevada classified as toss ups.
My view, previously expressed here, is that Democrat donors should put their money into the Missouri race because the Kunce/Hawley race would focus the nation on issues important to swing voters everywhere and Lucas Kunce, the Democrat Senate candidate has a compelling story.
Representative Illhan Omar’s primary:
Sadly, Omar, a pro-Hamas Congresswoman who dabbles in antisemitic tropes has been declared the winner of the 2024 primary in Minnesota’s fifth Congressional District with around 56 percent of the vote. The primary in this district has been competitive, however, Jewish groups like AIPAC and Jewish Democrats did not participate. Why did these groups sit this race out after defeating two other squad members – Bush in Missouri and Bowman in New York.
The answer may differ for different groups. More liberal Democrat groups may not want to tick off the party establishment, some of which supports Omar. More conservative pro-Israel groups, who tend to support Republicans, may believe that Omar’s continued candidacy may reduce support for Harris/Walz. In my view, the decision to give Omar a pass was political malpractice.