Good news from Utah, Oklahoma, and now South Dakota, and all in a three day time period! What's next, Indiana? Well, stick around ... there's a story to tell, and
we're going to tell it. Yes, there's good news from Indiana on the way too. But let's start last night in Oklahoma ...
Tulsa to be precise.
Tulsa will soon have a new mayor. Democrat Kathy Taylor battled incumbent Republican Bill LaFortune for the city's top job and won.
Taylor picked up more than 39,000 votes, or 51-percent. LaFortune won 47-percent of the vote. Beneford Faulk was a distant third, followed by Paul Tay.
This election saw a record number of ballots cast, a testament to the GOTV operation of both campaigns, but specifically the new Democratic Mayor, Kathy Taylor. Taylor will be sworn into office this Monday. Much like races in Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, and Utah in 2005 and 2006 -- this race provides further evidence that Democrats are able to compete, and win, in places most believed were hardened Republican outposts. Expect more of this throughout the year, and especially on election day this November. Onward!
To South Dakota...
South Dakota Republicans still hold an advantage in the coming battle for the state Legislature, but Democrats are fielding more candidates than they have since 1992 -- and that includes more candidates in districts in and around the Black Hills. "I'm really exuberant," state Democratic Party chairwoman Judy Olson Duhamel of Rapid City said Tuesday. [...]
Olson Duhamel agreed that HB1215 "was a factor" in her party's success in recruiting candidates this year, but she also credited getting three extra staff positions for the state party, paid for by the Democratic National Committee. "I want to thank Howard Dean," she said.
Get some of that. There's reason to be very excited about 2006 because of the fifty state strategy, especially about places Democrats have not won in quite some time. And to think that I haven't even come to you yet with detailed information about places like Ohio and Wisconsin. Well, in addition to Indiana, I'll have very very good news from those states as well in the coming days too. Enjoy!