Post by Admin on Jul 27, 2014 7:53:44 GMT -8
Don't forget to get your ballots in by August 5th!
Ballots for the state's primary election, to be held August 5th, will be sent out Friday July 18th. Ours is a 'top two' primary, where the top two vote-getters in the primary will face each other in November. We want to be sure that candidates who support internet poker legislation are able to advance to the general election. This primary vote will do just that.
There are twenty-six legislative races with more than two candidates, and some of these are important to us for advancing the issue of internet poker. We'll take a look at some of those here.
5th District, Position 2: There are four candidates in this race, only David Spring (D) responded to our request for a position on internet poker. He straight up told me he would sponsor a bill if elected. It's unfortunate we did not hear from the other candidates. It indicates they are unconcerned or simply not interested in our issue. We recommend a vote for David Spring to advance him to the general election.
10th District, Position 2: Four candidates in this race as well, and only one candidate responded to our inquiry. Brien Lillquist (R) is informed on the issue, aware of the other states that have moved forward, and told us "Count me in, if we can do it like NV. only within the state." We recommend a vote for Brien Lillquist to advance him to the general election.
17th District, Position 2: This is Rep. Harris' seat, and he faces two challengers, a Democrat and a Libertarian. Rep. Harris has championed the cause, introducing a bill to decriminalize the players in 2013, and drafting a regulatory measure in this past session. He did not introduce that measure, as the Committee Chair would not give it consideration. It still would have been good to see it introduced, even if it stalled. That said, Rep. Harris has not responded to our inquiries. Only Libertarian candidate Chris Rockhold responded to our requests, and indicated he would be proud to champion our proposal. All of the Libertarian candidates support our freedom to play, and we recommend a vote for Chris Rockhold to advance him to the general election.
28th District, Position 2: Five candidates in this race, with two of those responding to our inquiries for a position on internet poker. Democrat John Connelly and I spoke on the phone and he was supportive of our cause. Independent Kevin Heiderich responded by e-mail indicating he supported repeal of the criminal provisions for playing and would support a regulatory bill. We are recommending a vote for John Connelly to advance him to the general election.
31st District, Senator: This is a very important three-way race between two Republican women and a faux Democrat. Cathy Dahlquist has given up a safe House seat to challenge Pam Roach for this Senate seat. Cathy Dahlquist is a supporter of our issue, and will be a key ally in the State Senate. Through the Senate is likely to be the best path forward in the next session, and having Cathy there will be a big plus for us. We recommend a vote for Cathy Dahlquist to advance her to the general election.
33rd District, Position 2: Jeanette Burrage (R) showed great interest and support for our issue. She is in a three way race with Les Thomas (I), who also showed support for our cause, and Mia Su-Ling Gregerson (D) who did not respond to our inquiries. We recommend a vote for Jeanette Burrage to advance her to the general election.
35th District, Senator: In this three way race, we received a reply from only one of the candidates. Republican Travis Couture is a strong supporter of our freedom to play the game. Another valued supporter in the Senate is what we need, and we recommend a vote for him to advance him to the general election.
37th District, Senator: This is a wide race, with five Democrats and a single Republican. Not surprising, the lone Republican is the only candidate to express support for our cause. Rowland Martin is a poker player and a supporter of our issue, and we recommend a vote for him to advance him to the general election.
42nd District, Position 1: Nicholas Kunkel, a Libertarian, is a strong supporter of our freedom to play the game. He also was the only candidate in this four way race to respond to our request for a position on the issue. We recommend a vote for Nicholas Kunkel to advance him to the general election.
49th District, Position 1: Sharon Wyle is the incumbent in this race, and sits on the Government Oversight Committee. She is not going to support our efforts, adding another 'nay' on that committee. One of her opponents, Republican Dr. Anson Service, while expressing concerns on the subject of problem gambling, supports individual freedoms. I shared a great deal of information with him regarding gambling addiction and they advantages online poker has in recognizing and addressing same, to which he responded positively. We recommend a vote for Anson Service to advance him to the general election.
These picks are based on replies from the candidates to our questions on their position on a single issue. A vote for our recommendation does not assure them the seat. Rather, it advances them to the general election, and gives us a better opportunity to get pro-ipoker candidates into the legislature.
Let your conscience be your guide when filling out your ballot. Be sure to vote in this primary election, the above races are crucial to our success.
Ballots for the state's primary election, to be held August 5th, will be sent out Friday July 18th. Ours is a 'top two' primary, where the top two vote-getters in the primary will face each other in November. We want to be sure that candidates who support internet poker legislation are able to advance to the general election. This primary vote will do just that.
There are twenty-six legislative races with more than two candidates, and some of these are important to us for advancing the issue of internet poker. We'll take a look at some of those here.
5th District, Position 2: There are four candidates in this race, only David Spring (D) responded to our request for a position on internet poker. He straight up told me he would sponsor a bill if elected. It's unfortunate we did not hear from the other candidates. It indicates they are unconcerned or simply not interested in our issue. We recommend a vote for David Spring to advance him to the general election.
10th District, Position 2: Four candidates in this race as well, and only one candidate responded to our inquiry. Brien Lillquist (R) is informed on the issue, aware of the other states that have moved forward, and told us "Count me in, if we can do it like NV. only within the state." We recommend a vote for Brien Lillquist to advance him to the general election.
17th District, Position 2: This is Rep. Harris' seat, and he faces two challengers, a Democrat and a Libertarian. Rep. Harris has championed the cause, introducing a bill to decriminalize the players in 2013, and drafting a regulatory measure in this past session. He did not introduce that measure, as the Committee Chair would not give it consideration. It still would have been good to see it introduced, even if it stalled. That said, Rep. Harris has not responded to our inquiries. Only Libertarian candidate Chris Rockhold responded to our requests, and indicated he would be proud to champion our proposal. All of the Libertarian candidates support our freedom to play, and we recommend a vote for Chris Rockhold to advance him to the general election.
28th District, Position 2: Five candidates in this race, with two of those responding to our inquiries for a position on internet poker. Democrat John Connelly and I spoke on the phone and he was supportive of our cause. Independent Kevin Heiderich responded by e-mail indicating he supported repeal of the criminal provisions for playing and would support a regulatory bill. We are recommending a vote for John Connelly to advance him to the general election.
31st District, Senator: This is a very important three-way race between two Republican women and a faux Democrat. Cathy Dahlquist has given up a safe House seat to challenge Pam Roach for this Senate seat. Cathy Dahlquist is a supporter of our issue, and will be a key ally in the State Senate. Through the Senate is likely to be the best path forward in the next session, and having Cathy there will be a big plus for us. We recommend a vote for Cathy Dahlquist to advance her to the general election.
33rd District, Position 2: Jeanette Burrage (R) showed great interest and support for our issue. She is in a three way race with Les Thomas (I), who also showed support for our cause, and Mia Su-Ling Gregerson (D) who did not respond to our inquiries. We recommend a vote for Jeanette Burrage to advance her to the general election.
35th District, Senator: In this three way race, we received a reply from only one of the candidates. Republican Travis Couture is a strong supporter of our freedom to play the game. Another valued supporter in the Senate is what we need, and we recommend a vote for him to advance him to the general election.
37th District, Senator: This is a wide race, with five Democrats and a single Republican. Not surprising, the lone Republican is the only candidate to express support for our cause. Rowland Martin is a poker player and a supporter of our issue, and we recommend a vote for him to advance him to the general election.
42nd District, Position 1: Nicholas Kunkel, a Libertarian, is a strong supporter of our freedom to play the game. He also was the only candidate in this four way race to respond to our request for a position on the issue. We recommend a vote for Nicholas Kunkel to advance him to the general election.
49th District, Position 1: Sharon Wyle is the incumbent in this race, and sits on the Government Oversight Committee. She is not going to support our efforts, adding another 'nay' on that committee. One of her opponents, Republican Dr. Anson Service, while expressing concerns on the subject of problem gambling, supports individual freedoms. I shared a great deal of information with him regarding gambling addiction and they advantages online poker has in recognizing and addressing same, to which he responded positively. We recommend a vote for Anson Service to advance him to the general election.
These picks are based on replies from the candidates to our questions on their position on a single issue. A vote for our recommendation does not assure them the seat. Rather, it advances them to the general election, and gives us a better opportunity to get pro-ipoker candidates into the legislature.
Let your conscience be your guide when filling out your ballot. Be sure to vote in this primary election, the above races are crucial to our success.