In a surprising move, State Rep. Carolene Mays (D-Indianapolis) becomes the second major Democrat to challenge Andre Carson for the 7th District nomination in the May primary. State Rep. David Orentllicher has already entered the fray. According to Blue Indiana, Orentlicher jumps way out ahead of all other contenders in fundraising. He reported more than $170,000 in receipts by year's end, leading long-time Carson family friend and supporter Wilson Allen to complain that Orentlicher was collecting checks for his campaign before the late U.S. Rep. Julia Carson (D) had even died. "Most of that December money came in before a legal campaign committee was even filed with the Federal Elections Commission on 12/31/07," Allen added.
Many expected Mays to drop her bid after her poor performance at the Democratic slating caucus for the 7th District March 11 election, where Carson was picked over her, Orentlicher and several other serious candidates to face off against State Rep. Jon Elrod (R-Indianapolis). Some speculated she would, instead, opt to run for the seat of the ailing Sen. Glenn Howard (D-Indianapolis), who is not expected to run for re-election. Mays, publisher of the city's black newspaper, Indianapolis Recorder, said in making her announcement, “Indiana needs an experienced, hardworking, and compassionate leader to serve constituents of District 7 and I’m the person to serve the community in that position. I’m extremely committed to continuing the work of being an advocate and community bridge-builder.”
Mays may not be the last to enter the 7th District Democratic race. Former state health commissioner Woody Myers is also said to be planning a run. Some African-American leaders fear a fractured community will pave the way for an Orentlicher victory. Others fear that supporters of Carson's opponents will cross over and vote for Republican Elrod in the special election, hoping to dash Carson's primary bid by causing his defeat in the special election. I'm picking up signs from a number of hardcore Democrats that they intend to settle a score with the Carson machine, which they charge rigged the outcome of the caucus for Carson, and who they believe is imminently less-qualified than any of the other Democratic contenders.
32 comments:
Would those same hardcore democrats you are hearing be the same one's that lead you to believe that Randall Polard was strong in the nomination convention.
Wilson, you're a jerk, you complain about David O campaign tatics, but you never mentions the where a bout of Julias war chest. Wilson=Hypocrit/aka Dorf/Goober!
Well, Caroyln Mayes is a welcome choice compared to voting for a
disciple of Louis Farrakhan or voting Republican. I think she
just won that election by merely registering as a candidate for Julia Carson's sest in Congress.
White Democrats will vote for her.
I certainly shall.
Many people do not understand the
importance of this election - We
must keep a majority in the House!
Other-wise. we have George Walker Bush steam rolling over our freedoms with his rubber stamp majority again.
My God Bless this GREAT nation..
Oh, I watched the Democratic debate
last night - Do you have any idea how powerful a Obama/Clinton or vice versa ticket would be?
That can happen......
Sarge
Hardcore Democrat here. Like, 25 years of precint and ward work.
On this score, Gary is correct. There are MANY fellow loyal precinct workers whose gag reflexes are not that strong. Having a candidate shoved down our throats is not good.
And it won't work.
Wilson is whining about when David O's money was raised?
Then you know you've hit home.
If David O. wins the May primary, which he should, the Carson machine will cry forever, and complain, and threaten to withhold fall support, etc. Threaten away, Burnetta, Tony, et al. Your gig is up. Finally.
But the national Democratic ticket will be so strong in the 7th, that nothing will keep folks home. Nothing. National momentum like this comes along once in a lifetime.
Sorry Wilson but a candidate may start receiving donations when they file there exploratory committee paperwork. David did this about the 20th of December.
Are you sure that Carolene Mays filed in the Democrat primary and not the republican primary? She votes with the republicans so she should run in the that primary and then let the district decide whether they want Republican Mays or a Democrat.
David-O collected $28,000 before Dec. 20th...
Wilson, federal law gives him 15 days to file his statement of candidacy with the FEC after he starts receiving campaign contributions.
My sole observation was that all this fundraising was done before his campaign committee was filed on December 31st, 2007.
SO what? Are you saying he should wait until she died? Then why wasn't Andre? He used her funeral as a staging point for his campaign. How more crass can you get? "Send my seed," indeed!
Eat it wilson......This Dem is tired of your crap. You are making us look stupid....again.
Andre will raise the most money....can you imagine the Carson hater blathering away if he was raising money while his grandmother was on her death bed or prior to her funeral. The GOP will just not let go of their hate for Julia.
Wilson, get over it! You know how the game is played, it sucks doesn't it? It's the American way. What happens to cheater pal, they always loose at the end. Goooooooober!!!
pinky said...
"Wilson, you're a jerk, you complain about David O campaign tatics, ..."
Again supporting the perception that Wilson is anti-Semitic.
AR
False. You made two observations. Your first was that David raised money before Julia died. This was not only false, but irrelevant, given that she had already announced she would not be running again. Your second observation was that he raised money before his "legal campaign committee" was filed and as noted above, that is entirely irrelevant, though without correction your innuendo might have successfully but unfairly smeared him.
dhonig, you noted regarding Wilson:
"...that is entirely irrelevant, though without correction your innuendo might have successfully but unfairly smeared him."
Which is precisely what Wilson does best.
Carolene Mays's entry into this race, while surprising, given that she was telling folks last weekend she was gonna run for Glenn Howard's seat, is not good news to the Carson gulag.
Any other African-American in the race will siphon potential Carson votes.
And he cannot afford to lose any votes if David O. stays in the race.
So, look for Wilson and Co. to trash Carolene even more.
Which many will participate in gladly. Because she's a DINO. And her record stinks.
One good thing: if she stays in this race, she cannot run for re-election to the legislature. She cannot possibly win the 7th,so she'll be out of public service.
Mazel Tov.
dhonig: Orentlichers complete finance report is available on the Net. Stop making statements that are easily disproven such as that Orentlicher did not raise money before Ms. Carson died: on the contrary, there are indeed large donations made on Dec. 12th (Julia passed away on Dec. 15).
Wilson, I ask you for the fourth time- did Andre raise any money or do any campaign work AFTER Julia announced she would not run but BEFORE she died? What is improper about that?
David O is really in a most enviable position. While the African American candidates bruise and batter one another only David O will remain above the fray. With far more money raised and a positive campaign message to ALL voters in the 7th District primary David O will walk away the winner, thus ending the reign of what little remains of the Carson gang.
No, it won't be a landslide for David O but he will get just enough votes to take a win.
The real fireworks begin after this vanity contest called a Special Election.
My $'s on David O to rise above the certain bloodbath that will take place.
Welcome to politics Andre. Enjoy the ride thru the mine fields.
At least I see that David O. filed something. I didn't see any filings of any type for Mr. Carson.
Why might that be?
AR
Because André Carson did not file his official committee with the FEC until Jan.1, 2008 and thus was not required to file anything for any 2007 reporting period.
Interesting. Did he collect any money before January 1? If so, will you breathlessly report "Andre took money before his LEGAL committee was formed!!"? No? I did not think so.
On the other hand, if he did not, he has a LOT of catching up to do. Maybe his grandmothers apron strings aren't that long after all. Oh I'm sorry. Did I say that? I meant coat tails.
Wilson wrote:
"Because André Carson did not file his official committee with the FEC until Jan.1, 2008..."
Why not? What's he hiding? I guess he doesn't want us to see those contributions from the NoI or LF.
AR
Leave Julia alone...this is getting old....and will backfire.
There you go again with your religious bigotry, smears and lies ...
Wilson said:
"There you go again with your religious bigotry, smears and lies ..."
Wait - Wilson dares accuse OTHERS of religious bigotry? That's rich. I am not a religious bigot by any means, and I don't think I've made any statements to the contrary.
As I've said before, I don't care if Mr. Carson is Muslim. That makes no difference to me. But, as you know, he's been under increasing criticism for his association with LF and perhaps his previous association with the NoI (you say he's no longer affiliated with them, I won't dispute that.)
But it is ironic, that he waits until January 1 so he can comply with the LETTER of the law. Now he can rake in money from all kinds of sources, and I believe the next reporting period will be just before the election, correct?
Shady, very shady. I mean, come on, Wilson, that's what you say about others. Why is it not fair to say it about Mr. Carson?
Hypocrite, thy name is Wilson.
AR
AR knows darn well that André Carson's campaign treasurer Erin Rosenberg will report immediately to the entire world any money whatsoever coming from the NoI or LF but AR would rather peddle his tired, discredited and bigoted religious smears and lies...
Wilson, I don't know a thing about Erin Rosenberg (other than that she is his treasurer.)
Why would Mr. Carson not have filed his paperwork before? Because he didn't have to? You know that's not a good reason.
There is a reason he didn't file before January 1. The fact that he waited is indeed interesting.
We'll find out when he does report though, won't?
And calling me a religious bigot doesn't make me one. Of course, you will believe what you want - to you, that's the most convenient course.
Just throw a name (racist, sexist, homophobe, etc.) and the damage is done. Well, not with me, it isn't.
Hurl away.
By the way, Wilson, I thought you once said you are retired. Must be a full-time job trying to clean up the messes YOU have made for Mr. Carson.
AR
AR: cleaning up the lying and deceitful messes made by the GOP Elephant with political diarrhea is a constant task around here...
Alright, Wilson, then YOU answer the question, and be truthful:
Why did Andre Carson not file until January 1?
AR
Perhaps Andre was busy with the death and funeral of his grandmother and in grieving process. He did not decided until the first of the year that he would run........Would you have wanted the funeral service stopped in process so he could have filled out papers for the committee.
Someone wrote:
"Would you have wanted the funeral service stopped in process so he could have filled out papers for the committee."
This has to be a joke, right? He didn't decide to run? EVERYONE knew he was going to. It was just a formality of "going through the motions."
Before Congresswoman Carson died, even Andy Jacobs said that he should replace her. She apparently told a couple of members of Congress to "send [her] seed."
Please.
Filing that paperwork is neither difficult nor time consuming. And, as I recall, the funeral was prior to December 31.
So, there are only two conclusions I can try:
(1) He didn't file because he wasn't sure he was running (a fact which I absolutely do not believe.)
or
(2) He didn't file because there is something in those reports he doesn't want people to see until the last minute. I'll take Wilson at his word that Mr. Carson's treasurer will report all contributions and what not, and anything else that is legally required. I don't doubt that for a moment (to not do so is a good way to imperial the candidate.)
As Wilson would say, "shady, very shady."
And what's the deal with David O. filing? He's not even running in the special election.
AR
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