A new poll shows that New Yorkers overwhelmingly do not want Mayor Bill deBlasio to seek the Democratic presidential nomination next year.

A Quinnipiac University Poll released Wednesday shows that 76 percent of those surveyed do not want deBlasio to seek the White House. The poll indicates that 18 percent indicated support for a deBlasio presidential run.

The second term mayor has been testing the waters for a 2020 presidential campaign, including a recent visit to Iowa, along with attempting to establish himself as a national spokesperson on progressive causes.

New York mayors have had a long history of difficulty in seeking higher office in recent decades. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 campaign for Republican presidential nomination ended in defeat, as did former Mayor John Lindsey’s 1972 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Lindsey also was defeated in his 1980 bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. In 1982, former Mayor Ed Koch was defeated in his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. In 2000, Giuliani dropped a bid for the U.S. Senate following a prostate cancer diagnosis. Former Mayor Robert Wagner was unsuccessful in his 1956 bid for the U.S. Senate, losing the general election to Republican state Attorney General Jacob Javits.

The poll also shows deBlasio with a 42 percent approval rating and a 44 percent disapproval rating of his job performance. The poll comes after a series of negative headlines for deBlasio regarding his handling of the city’s public housing system and his frequent travel outside of the city.

The poll indicated that 43 percent of those polled approve of the job performance of First Lady Chirlane McCray, with 31 percent disapproving of the first lady’s job performance. McCray, her husband’s top advisor and head of a city mental health program, is reportedly considering a bid for Brooklyn borough president in 2021.

The post New Yorkers Don’t Want deBlasio Presidential Run appeared first on John Celock | Writer, Media Affairs Advisor, Author.

By John Celock

A Kansas lawmaker announced his resignation Monday, following the diagnosis of brain cancer.

Rep. Greg Lewis (R-St. John) told fellow lawmakers that he would be leaving the Legislature effective Friday due to a diagnosis following being lightheaded on Christmas Day. Lewis used his farewell address to lawmakers to touch on his advice to lawmakers and to recount his medical journey.

“God has granted me great peace in all that has happened to me,” Lewis said. “The source of that joy is the lord.”

Lewis, who was joined by his wife and son during his farewell remarks, told lawmakers that he had been helped in part by telemedicine legislation that he and fellow lawmakers enacted several years ago. He recounted being stricken while in Kansas City for Christmas and then heading to a nearby hospital thinking he had had a stroke.

Lewis said that the telemedicine bill allowed him to consult with a doctor in Denver. He said that since his diagnosis with cancer, he has had three surgeries and is currently receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Lewis, a farmer who has specialized in agricultural issues in the House, talked to lawmakers about how he did not seek out to serve in the Legislature, but is glad that he took entered state government, citing his service as “an honor, privilege and great experience.”

Lewis, a former school board member and moderate Republican, was first picked by a special Republican district convention in March 2015, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of former Rep. Basil Dannebohm (R-Ellinwood). Lewis was elected in 2016 and 2018.

Lewis currently serves on the House Agriculture, Local Government and Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committees. He is a former vice chairman of the House Government Technology and Security Committee.

Republican precinct committee members in Lewis’ district will now convene in the coming weeks to select a new legislator to serve the remainder of Lewis’ term, which expires in January 2021.

Lewis passed on words of advice to other members of the state House.

“Enjoy every day, enjoy your family, enjoy your friends, enjoy your fellow legislators. Do not take yourselves too seriously,” he said. “Serve your district with a service heart. This is the House of Representatives. This is not the house of self-interest and it is not the house of special interests. It is the people’s house.”

The post Lawmaker Stepping Down Following Cancer Diagnosis appeared first on John Celock | Writer, Media Affairs Advisor, Author.

Kentucky’s control over the youngest statewide elected officials in the country is coming to an end, as a new crop of young officials prepares to take office.

Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner (R), 30, already the nation’s youngest statewide official has now won election to the office, taking over as the nation’s youngest statewide elected official from Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles (R), 35, who has held the title since his 2015 election. Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction-elect Kathy Hoffman (D), 32, will be the nation’s youngest woman in statewide elective office, a title she is taking over from Kentucky Treasurer Allison Ball (R), 37, who has held it since her 2015 election. Hoffman will be the third youngest statewide elected official in the country.

Wisconsin Lt. Gov.-elect Mandela Barnes (D), 32, will be the nation’s second youngest statewide elected official after LaTurner, while newly appointed Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick (R), being the nation’s second youngest statewide official. Fitzpatrick, the state House budget committee chairman, was appointed Wednesday by Gov. Mike Parson (R) to fill an unexpired term. Fitzpatrick will face voters for the first time in 2020. Barnes was elected to the lieutenant governor’s office earlier this year on a ticket with Gov.-elect Tony Evers (D), after easily winning the Democratic primary to join Evers on the gubernatorial ticket.

Quarles will be the fourth youngest statewide elected official in the nation and the fifth youngest statewide official overall. Mississippi Auditor Shad White (R), 33, was appointed to the office earlier this year by Gov. Phil Bryant (R) and will face voters for the first-time next year.

Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway (D), 36, who won her first election to the office this year, following a 2015 appointment by then Gov. Jay Nixon (D), will be the second youngest female statewide elected official in the country. Galloway had been the youngest female statewide official in the country with Ball being the youngest female elected to statewide office.

The list of statewide officials in the country under 40 grows to 26 in 2019 as 11 new officials were elected in this year’s election, along with Fitzpatrick taking office as an appointee.

Wisconsin and North Dakota will each have the most statewide elected officials under the age of 40 next year. In Wisconsin three out of six state constitutional will be under 40 with Barnes being joined by Treasurer-elect Sarah Godlewski (D), 37, and Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul (D), 38, were elected this year to their posts. In North Dakota, Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger (R), Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfried (R), 36 and Auditor Josh Gallion (R), 39, continuing in their offices.

Iowa, Missouri and Kentucky will all have two statewide officials under the age of 40.

LaTurner, a former state senator, was first appointed to the treasurer’s office in April 2017 by then Gov. Sam Brownback (R) following the resignation of Republican Ron Estes, who had been elected to Congress. LaTurner was elected to his first full term as treasurer this year, defeating Democratic state Sen. Marci Francisco.

Hoffman, a speech therapist, jumped into the race to lead Arizona’s public schools following statewide debate over school finance. Hoffman narrowly defeated Republican former California U.S. Rep. Frank Riggs, becoming the first Democrat to hold the superintendent’s job since 1995.

Barnes, a former state assemblyman, easily won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in the spring primary, teaming up with Evers on the general election ticket, where the pair defeated Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (R).

Fitzpatrick, a three-term state legislator, was appointed by Parson Wednesday to fill a vacancy in the state treasurer’s office. Treasurer Eric Schmitt (R) is leaving the office after being appointed state attorney general to fill a vacancy caused by the departure of U.S. Sen.-elect Josh Hawley (R) from the attorney general’s office. Hawley, 39, will be the nation’s youngest senator. Fitzpatrick will complete the remaining two years on Schmitt’s term.

The 2018 election saw three twentysomethings seek statewide office, along with a handful of teenagers who ran for governor in primary elections in Kansas and Vermont. Among the twentysomething candidates, Republican Jonathan Gelbert lost the primary for Arizona superintendent and Democratic state Rep. Aaron Regenburg lost the primary for Rhode Island lieutenant governor. Democrat Kylie Overson lost the general election for North Dakota tax commissioner to Rauschenberger.

Statewide Officials Under 40
Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner (R), 30
Missouri Treasurer-designate Scott Fitzpatrick (R), 31 (Appointed)
Wisconsin Lt. Gov.-elect Mandela Barnes (D), 32
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction-elect Kathy Hoffman (D), 32
Mississippi Auditor Shad White (R), 33 (Appointed)
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles (R), 35
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson (R), 35
North Dakota Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger (R), 35
Rhode Island Treasurer Seth Magaziner (D), 35
Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway (D), 36
Michigan Lt. Gov.-elect Garlin Gilchrist (D), 36
Iowa Auditor-elect Rob Sand (D), 36
Iowa Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg (R), 36
Nebraska Treasurer-elect John Murante (R), 36
North Dakota Tax Commissioner Jon Godfried (R), 36
West Virginia Auditor J.B. McCluskey (R), 36
Kentucky Treasurer Allison Ball (R), 37
Nevada Treasurer-elect Zach Conine (D), 37
Wisconsin Treasurer-elect Sarah Godlewski (D), 37
Alabama Lt. Gov.-elect Will Ainsworth (R), 37
Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib (D), 37
South Dakota Treasurer-elect Josh Haeder (R), 38
Delaware Treasurer-elect Colleen Davis (D), 38
Wisconsin Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul (D), 38
North Dakota Auditor Josh Gallion (R), 39
Oklahoma Lt. Gov.-elect Matt Pinnell (R), 39
Ohio Secretary of State-elect Frank LaRose (R), 39
Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D), 39

The post Kansas Treasurer Now Nation’s Youngest Statewide Elected Official appeared first on John Celock | Writer, Media Affairs Advisor, Author.

A Vermont resident is the Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat in the seat, along with the state’s sole congressional seat and four other statewide offices.

Businessman H. Brooke Paige officially captured the GOP nominations for state auditor, state treasurer, secretary of state and attorney general on Tuesday, after all four jobs unopposed in the GOP primary. Paige defeated opponents for the nominations for U.S. Senate and Congress.

Paige said in a post on his campaign Facebook page that he is willing to give up the GOP nominations for auditor, treasurer or attorney general if another candidate steps forward to run for one of those offices. Vermont Republicans have until later this month to nominate a replacement for Paige in any race he drops out of. Paige did not indicate if his offer extends to the U.S. Senate, congressional or secretary of state nominations.

Paige is currently challenging U.S. Sen. Bernie Sander (I), U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D), Secretary of State Jim Condos (D), Attorney General T.J. Donovan (D), Auditor Doug Hoffer (D) and Treasurer Beth Pearce (D) in the general election.

While Paige is the only Republican to file in the four down ballot contests and one of a few to run for the Senate or Congress, Vermont Republicans are fielding Gov. Phil Scott (R) as their nominee in his bid for a second term. State House Minority Leader Don Turner (R) is the GOP nominee against Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman (D).

The post Vermont Man Nominated For Six Statewide Offices appeared first on John Celock | Writer, Media Affairs Advisor, Author.

Mississippi’s new state auditor is the second youngest person to hold a statewide office in the country.

Republican Shad White, 32, was appointed earlier this month by Gov. Phil Bryant (R) to fill the auditor’s job caused by the the resignation of Republican Stacey Pickering, who now heads the state veterans’ agency. White’s appointment lasts through the end of Pickering’s second term in January 2020.

White is a former policy director for Bryant in the lieutenant governor’s office and had served as the director of the Mississippi Justice Institute. A graduate of the University of Mississippi, Oxford University and Harvard Law School, White has also practiced law and served as a special prosecutor in the state.

White’s appointment makes him the second youngest person to hold a statewide office in the country after Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner (R), 30. LaTurner was appointed to fill a vacancy in the treasurer’s office last year by then Gov. Sam Brownback (R) and is currently seeking a full term in office.

While LaTurner and White are the youngest to hold statewide offices, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles (R), 34, is currently the youngest person to serve as a statewide elective official in the country. Quarles was elected to the agriculture commissioner’s office in 2015 and is up for reelection next year.

Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway (D), 36, who was appointed to the job in 2015, is the youngest woman to hold statewide office in the country. Galloway is seeking a full term this year. Kentucky Treasurer Allison Ball (R), 36, who was elected in 2015, is the nation’s youngest woman statewide elected official.

This year’s election has prompted multiple young candidates to seek statewide elective office, including three twenty-somethings, Democrat former state Rep. Kylie Oversen, who is running for North Dakota tax commissioner, Democrat state Rep. Aaron Regenburg, who is running for Rhode Island lieutenant governor and Republican Jonathan Gelbert, who is running for Arizona superintendent of public instruction.

Statewide Officeholders Under 40

Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner (R), 30, (Appointed to Fill Vacancy)
Mississippi Auditor Shad White (R), 32, (Appointed to Fill Vacancy)
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles (R), 34
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson (R), 34
North Dakota Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger (R), 34
Rhode Island Treasurer Seth Magaziner (D), 35
Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway (D), 36, (Appointed to Fill Vacancy)
Iowa Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg (R), 35, (Appointed to Fill Vacancy)
North Dakota Tax Commissioner Jon Godfried (R), 35
West Virginia Auditor J.B. McCluskey (R), 35
Kentucky Treasurer Allison Ball (R), 36
Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib (D), 36
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley (R), 38
North Dakota Auditor Josh Gallion (R), 38
Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D), 39
Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R), 39

The post New Mississippi Auditor Second Youngest Statewide Officeholder appeared first on John Celock | Writer, Media Affairs Advisor, Author.

Groups representing state governments are claiming victory following Thursday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that states could collect sales tax on online purchases.

The Court ruled in South Dakota v. Wayfair that states could collect sales tax on online sales from companies that do not have a physical presence in the state. The 5-4 ruling culminates an over a decade effort by a group of state government groups to allow for the collection of online sales taxes, citing a loss of billions of dollars by state governments nationwide.

“Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a victory for Main Street America. Brick and mortar stores will no longer be penalized for collecting the tax revenues that fund our schools, infrastructure, and the vital public services that state and local governments provide. For states, today is just the beginning,” National Conference of State Legislatures President Deb Peters, a Republican state senator in South Dakota, said in a statement. “We’ve waited 26 years. Good tax administration is good public policy and state officials look forward to working with all stakeholders in the coming months as we move forward to level the playing field for all of our nation’s retailers.”

Peters was the author of the South Dakota law at the center of the Supreme Court ruling.

NCSL, along with the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers, has been at the center of the push to allow states to collect online sales taxes. NCSL estimates that state governments collectively have lost out on $23 billion annually in online sales taxes.

Following a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that said that the court would be interested in reviewing the online sales tax issue, NCSL developed model legislation for states to use to push the issue forward for court consideration. The legislation allows for the collection of online sales taxes if a business does over $100,000 a year in sales in a state.

The online sales tax issue has its roots in a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, Quill v. North Dakota, which allowed for state governments to collect sales tax on catalog sales. The 1992 court case was first pushed by U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) when she was North Dakota’s tax commissioner.

NCSL, NGA and NASBO had been pressing the online sales tax issue from a legislative perspective, including in the form of the Marketplace Fairness Act, an annual priority for the state government groups. The legislation, which passed the U.S. Senate in 2013, was developed following the development of technology to allow for the collection and states addressing collection issues across state lines.

While the Marketplace Fairness Act saw a Senate victory, the bill never advanced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Supporters said the bill would allow states to collect a tax that they were already owed, while opponents said it would create a new tax. Consumers had the option of paying sales tax to the state following an online purchase.

Supporters would also press that the legislation would help brick and mortar businesses, noting that consumers were going to Main Street businesses to browse and then would order online to avoid sales tax.

The post States Excited Over Online Sales Tax Ruling appeared first on John Celock | Writer, Media Affairs Advisor, Author.

Culminating a political career that shook up Missouri politics and ended in a series of scandals, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R) announced Tuesday that he is resigning on June 1.

Greitens’ announcement comes after five months of scandals and indictments have plagued the former Navy SEAL and brought Missouri politics to a standstill. Greitens has faced an indictment on charges that he secretly took a nude photograph of a woman he was having an affair with and threatened to blackmail her with it, along with an indictment that he illegally used donor lists from his charity for his gubernatorial campaign. Greitens, who had been cleared of his first indictment and was facing a potential reindictment, was also facing impeachment proceedings in the Missouri Legislature.

Lt. Gov. Mike Parsons (R) takes office as governor on Friday to complete the remaining two and a half years on Greitens’ term.

Greitens said during a Tuesday afternoon press conference in Jefferson City that he was stepping down to spare his family any more scrutiny from the charges against him. Greitens continued to deny the charges he has been faced with.

Greitens saw his indictment on the photography charge dismissed earlier this month following questions on evidence and Greitens pushing for the St. Louis County prosecutor to take the stand on the charges. A special prosecutor has been named in the case and is considered likely to refile the indictment.

Earlier this year, a report from a legislative committee investigating Greitens found the governor’s accuser “credible” and detailed allegations against the governor that included sexual assault accusations. Greitens has denied the charges in the report.

The report led to lawmakers to begin impeachment proceedings against the first term Republican, with lawmakers convening an impeachment committee last week in a special session devoted to the subject.

Greitens stormed on to the political scene in 2016 with a gubernatorial campaign that followed his gaining international acclaim as an author, charity leader and motivational speaker, built upon his time as a Navy SEAL and a Rhodes Scholar. Greitens defeated several more established Republicans in the primary then Attorney General Chris Koster (D), in the general election, to capture the governor’s mansion.

Greitens’ tenure in Jefferson City was seen as a prelude to a future presidential bid, with the governor having registered domain names for a potential presidential campaign before he had launched his gubernatorial bid.

Greitens’ time in Jefferson City was marked by battles with political establishment leaders in the capital, who had never formed a close relationship with the governor.

Greitens will be succeeded by a lieutenant governor who is his opposite in many ways. Parson is a long time Jefferson City insider, who is known for forging alliances in the Legislature. A former county sheriff, Parson served in both the state House and state Senate prior to his 2016 election as lieutenant governor.

Parson, who was elected independently from Greitens, has never been close to the outgoing governor, focusing largely on his prescribed duties in presiding over the state Senate and chairing several state boards.

Parson is the first Missouri lieutenant governor to succeed to the governorship since Democrat Roger Wilson succeeded Gov. Mel Carnahan (D) in 2000 following Carnahan’s death in a plane crash. Wilson completed the remaining two and a half months of Carnahan’s term.

The post Missouri Governor Resigns appeared first on John Celock | Writer, Media Affairs Advisor, Author.

Pennsylvania’s embattled lieutenant governor has been defeated in his bid for a second term.

Returns from Tuesday’s primary show Lt. Gov. Mike Stack finishing fourth out of five candidates for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Braddock Mayor John Fetterman captured the Democratic nod to join Gov. Tom Wolf (D) on the ticket.

Fetterman captured 38 percent of the vote followed by former Philadelphia Deputy Mayor Nina Ahmad with 24 percent, Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone with 19 percent, Stack with 17 percent and Sosa with four percent. Fetterman, who unsuccessfully sought a U.S. Senate seat in 2016, won the nomination with large support from western Pennsylvania and smaller communities around the state.

Fettterman had made advocacy for small cities the centerpiece of his campaign for lieutenant governor.

Stack’s defeat Tuesday caps a tumultuous four year term that saw Stack have a distant relationship with Wolf, who did not make his lieutenant governor a major part of the administration. Stack was paired with Wolf on the 2014 ticket following separate primaries for the two posts.

Wolf, a long time state senator from Philadelphia, captured the lieutenant governor nomination in 2010, based on his high name recognition in the Philadelphia area.

Stack’s tenure saw accusations of him and his wife mistreating their State Police security details, along with the household staff at the state owned lieutenant governor’s residence in the Harrisburg suburbs. Wolf stripped Stack and his wife of their security details and placed restrictions on the work of the staff at Stack’s official residence.

Fetterman has said that he would not live in the official residence if he becomes lieutenant governor and would largely base himself in Braddock, coming to Harrisburg when needed.

Wolf and Fetterman will face Republican gubernatorial nominee state Sen. Steve Wagner and his running mate, businessman Jeff Bartos, in November.

Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor is largely a powerless office with the sole official duties to serve as president of the state Senate and president of the Board of Pardons. Wolf tapped Stack to chair boards overseeing local government relations and the state’s emergency management system, traditional posts for the lieutenant governor. Stack, a veteran, also took on work with regards to veterans policy and helping communities with military installations.

The last Pennsylvania lieutenant governor to succeed to the governorship was Republican Mark Schweiker in 2001 following the resignation of Gov. Tom Ridge (R), to join the Bush Administration. Schweiker did not seek a full term in 2002.

The post Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Defeated appeared first on John Celock | Writer, Media Affairs Advisor, Author.

New York lawmakers have begun the search for a new state attorney general with several candidates pointing to another as the most qualified.

A joint legislative committee on Tuesday launched two days of interviews with a dozen candidates to fill the remaining seven months on the term of former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D), who resigned last week following accusations of sexual misconduct. Candidates for the post outlined their own visions for the office but also noted support for acting Attorney General Barbara Underwood continuing in the job.

“Because I know Barbara so well and worked with her in developing extraordinary constitutional cases, if it is your will to select her I have no problem with that,” former U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman (D-Brooklyn) said, noting that Underwood worked for her when Holtzman was Brooklyn’s district attorney.

Underwood received 90 minutes of questioning from lawmakers at the beginning of the hearing, with lawmakers probing her background in 12 years as the state’s solicitor general and her prior experience in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, along with her service as principal deputy U.S. solicitor general and six months as acting U.S. solicitor general.

Underwood touched on her experience in the state attorney general’s office and her prior experience in saying that it gave her the background to lead the office for seven months. Underwood noted that she would not seek election to a full term this year in the office.

“The fact that I will be not be distracted by any political activity will let me have the office move forward on all the great work it is doing,” Underwood told lawmakers.

Underwood said that she has spent the past week as acting attorney general focused on moving the office past Schneiderman’s sudden resignation and she has garnered support from the office staff. Underwood has gained support statewide for the legislative appointment including from legislative Republicans, influential clergy members and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). Cuomo first tapped Underwood for state solicitor general, when he was elected attorney general in 2006.

Underwood said that she would continue the cases launched by Schneiderman, including against the federal government, along with cases relating to consumer protection issues. She also noted that her background as serving as a top deputy in the office, gives her knowledge about the management of the office and the operations across divisions.

Underwood told lawmakers that she would not make any management changes in the office and that if the next elected attorney general offered her the solicitor general’s job she would consider staying on in that role.

Lawmakers also heard from Assemblymen Thomas Abinanti (D-Greenburgh) and Danny O’Donnell (D-Upper West Side), state judge Doris Ling-Cohen, Holtzman, former gubernatorial aide Lloyd Constantine and Port Authority Commissioner Leecia Eve.

Abinanti stressed his three decades in elective office and noted that he did not have plans to run for the attorney general’s office this year. He said that he would serve the seven-month term and run to regain his Westchester County Assembly seat. Abinanti faced questioning from lawmakers on his management experience, noting that he currently runs a small legislative office and the attorney general runs a 1700-person agency. Abinanti noted that previous attorneys general had not run large agencies before taking the job, including former Attorney General Oliver Koppell (D) being an assemblyman before he took office in 1994.

O’Donnell, the brother of comedian Rosie O’Donnell, found most of his interview focused on his four-year tenure as chairman of the Assembly Correction Committee. O’Donnell said that he spent much of the time touring the state’s prisons in order to gauge the conditions of the prison system and develop policy recommendations for the state Department of Correctional Services. O’Donnell moved over to the chairmanship of the Assembly Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development Committee last year.

Holtzman’s interview focused primarily on her four terms in Congress and two terms as Brooklyn district attorney, along with her four years as New York City comptroller. Holtzman was first elected to Congress in 1972, and her tenure included service on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings and a stint as chairwoman of the Immigration Subcommittee. Holtzman left Congress in 1980 to unsuccessfully seek a U.S. Senate seat.

Holtzman was elected to the district attorney’s office in 1981, the first woman to be elected a chief prosecutor in New York City. Holtzman said that during her tenure as district attorney she stressed a need for prosecuting solid cases.

“As DA, I stressed that convictions are not the most important thing, justice was,” Holtzman said.

Holtzman also noted that she stressed hiring qualified people during her tenure as district attorney and in the comptroller’s office. She noted this included hiring Underwood and former U.S. Attorney Zachary Carter.

Holtzman, who said that she is considering a run for attorney general in this year’s election, said she would also use this for hiring in the attorney general’s office.

“If you think you know all the answers you’re wrong,” she said.

The post New York Lawmakers Begin Attorney General Hunt appeared first on John Celock | Writer, Media Affairs Advisor, Author.

By John Celock

Kansas is one step closer to requiring a minimum age to run for governor with lawmakers voting Wednesday to send a bill to Gov. Jeff Colyer (R).

The state House of Representatives voted 70-52 Wednesday to pass a bill that would set a minimum age of 25 to run for governor and lieutenant governor along with a minimum age of 18, and a residency requirement, to seek the other statewide offices. The bill comes after several teenagers have announced candidacies for governor and secretary of state this year, along with an out of state resident announcing for governor.

“This needs to get fixed as soon as possible,” Elections Committee Vice Chairman Blake Carpenter (R-Derby) said, noting that a New York City resident recently announced his bid for governor.

The bill previously passed the state Senate 36-4.

The bill would not preclude any of the teenagers or out of state residents currently seeking statewide office from running this year. The requirement would take effect on January 1 of next year.

Under the terms of the bill, all candidates for governor and lieutenant governor would need to be 25 years old and qualified electors in the state. Candidates for secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer and insurance commissioner would need to be qualified electors, setting a minimum age for the offices at 18. The bill also requires that the attorney general be a licensed attorney in the state, a common requirement around the country.

Kansas is one of two states without a minimum age to seek the governorship, the other being Vermont. After the first teenager announced for the governorship in Kansas this year, a 13-year-old middle school student in Vermont announced his candidacy for governor in that state.

The bill was part of a conference committee report that also included new rules relating to absentee voting signature requirements for the disabled and election audits. Elections Committee Ranking Minority Member Vic Miller (D-Topeka) said that while he agreed with the other parts of the bill he took issue with the age minimum, saying that it would discourage young people from running for office, a commentary that Rep. Brandon Whipple (D-Wichita) echoed on social media following the vote.

Rep. Brenda Landwehr (R-Wichita) announced her opposition to the bill noting that she was not in favor of the requirement of a law license to serve as attorney general. She said that the attorney general’s job is to be the state’s chief law enforcement officer and that a law license requirement would potentially prohibit a law enforcement officer from running for attorney general.

Landwehr cited former Attorney General Vern Miller (D), a University of Oklahoma Law School graduate, who won the job in 1970 despite not having tried a case in court. Landwehr noted that Miller’s career had been centered in law enforcement, including two terms as Sedgwick County sheriff and prior service as a deputy sheriff and the county marshal. Miller had been elected on a platform of vowing prosecution of the state’s drug laws.

Miller left the attorney general’s office in 1974 to unsuccessfully seek the governorship and later practiced law in Wichita and served as the Sedgwick County district attorney.

The bill had been headed to defeat in the House prior to Carpenter’s speech, which centered on New York resident Andy Maskin’s recent decision to enter the gubernatorial race. Maskin said that he does not intend to move to Kansas during the campaign but has planned a campaign stop in Topeka. Maskin told the Topeka Capitol Journal that his campaign has largely involved calling and sending postcards to residents of Greeley County, which he said he picked because it was named after the late New York City journalist Horace Greeley.

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