Kennedy Communications wins Reed Award for "Best Direct Mail: Democratic State Legislative Candidate"

Kennedy Communications is proud to receive the Reed Award for "Best Direct Mail: Democratic State Legislative Candidate" presented by Campaigns & Elections’ Politics magazine. The award recognizes the piece “Porn and Guns,” part of our comprehensive mail program for the New Jersey Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee.
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Kennedy Communications wins Reed Award for "Best Direct Mail in a
Statewide Campaign"

Kennedy Communications is proud to receive the Reed Award for best statewide mail, presented by Campaigns & Elections’ Politics magazine. The award recognizes the piece “Grandma Mollie,” part of our comprehensive mail program for Delaware Governor Jack Markell.
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Markell to lead 1st State

In the race to hold the highest office in Delaware, the future of the state's economy was one of the hot topics. And experience with handling the state's finances could be one of the reasons the state's current treasurer, Jack Markell, came out on top in Tuesday's election.
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Adler becomes first Democrat to hold New Jersey's 3rd District seat since 1882

The race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton ended yesterday with state Sen. John Adler defeating Medford Mayor Chris Myers to become the first Democrat to represent the 3rd Congressional District in over a century.
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Pennsylvania Democrats expand state House majority by 1, possibly 2

House Democrats will expand their majority by one member and possibly two depending on the still undecided outcome of one race, according to Todd Eachus, chairman of the House Democratic Campaign Committee...They made up for the losses by picking up five Republican seats.
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Delaware Democrats seize control of state House, gain in Senate

Riding a statewide wave, Delaware's Democratic Party has seized majority control of the state House, defeating seven Republican incumbents, and obtained a virtual stranglehold in the Senate by picking up three additional seats. House Democrats now hold a 26-15 majority; Senate Democrats have a 16-5 margin. The biggest upset of the night was Democrat Michael A. Barbieri's ouster of House Speaker Terry Spence, the longest-serving speaker of a state House chamber in the nation.
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Udall defeats Schaffer in a bitter ‘climb’ to Colorado's US Senate seat

Democrat Mark Udall, a strong environmental advocate, defeated Republican Bob Schaffer of Fort Collins, a former congressman aligned with his party’s conservative wing, in their battle for Colorado’s open Senate seat, one of only five nationwide. The 58-year-old Udall succeeds two-term Republican Sen. Wayne Allard of Loveland, who is retiring. "I confess to you, this is the toughest climb I’ve ever taken,” Udall, an avid mountaineer, told supporters in Denver.
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County Democrats sweep for the first time in 25 years

A roomful of Democrats shouted “Yes we can” last night as they swept the national presidential race and elected candidates to the county Board of Freeholders for the first time in 25 years.
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Andrew Kennedy featured in Politics Magazine

As a noted political strategist, Andrew Kennedy is frequently asked for advice on creating winning direct mail—most recently by Campaigns & Elections’ Politics Magazine. Andrew underscored the importance of incorporating insightful research, effective polling, and a professional photo shoot into a comprehensive targeted plan before a piece is ever designed—a defining hallmark of our work here at Kennedy Communications.
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Van Drew unseats Asselta; Dems Albano, Milam win

Jeff Van Drew decided not to seek another state Assembly term to shoot for higher office. The gamble paid off Tuesday...Van Drew's running mates for Assembly, incumbent Nelson Albano and local businessman Matthew Milam, also defeated their Republican opponents. (read more)

Women in N.J. make record gains

Women gained two Senate seats in Tuesday's election, bringing the number of female senators to nine, and were poised to pick up at least nine seats in the Assembly. The gains mean female lawmakers will comprise more than a quarter of the Legislature when it reconvenes in January.
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Democrats win control of PA House after 12 years in minority

Democrats won control of the state House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years Tuesday as Chester County officials settled a pair of tight House races three weeks after the election. The results dramatically alter Harrisburg's political landscape after four years in which Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, has been forced to bargain with two chambers controlled by the opposite party.
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Joe Sestak defeats 10-term entrenched incumbent Curt Weldon in battleground Congressional race

Joe Sestak wasn’t just smiling for the cameras Tuesday night when he walked into the lobby of the Radnor Hotel with his daughter perched on his shoulders and his wife by his side. He was smiling because all the Election Day indicators were pointing toward victory.
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Democrat Doug Gansler sweeps Attorney General race; wins by 22 points

Besides taking an open U.S. Senate seat and claiming victory for governor, Democrats yesterday also swept two other statewide offices. Montgomery County State’s Attorney Doug Gansler was elected state attorney general, getting 58 percent of the vote to 41 percent for Republican State’s Attorney Scott Rolle of Frederick County.
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Democrats win control of entire Bergen County Board of Freeholders; first time in County history

Todd Caliguire's loss in the county executive race meant an eight-year shutout of the GOP from Bergen's highest elected office. The loss by a pair of freeholder candidates meant that the board would be, for the first time, composed entirely of Democrats. The Republicans, once in firm control of the county's political scene, also failed to deliver a plurality to Tom Kean Jr., the GOP's unsuccessful Senate candidate.
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David Poisson defeats four-term Republican Delegate Dick Black; only Democrat to defeat a Republican Incumbent

The result left observers scratching their heads, trying to understand why District 32, which went easily to President Bush a year ago, turned against a Vietnam veteran who has been among the most anti-tax, anti-abortion voices in the House of Delegates in favor of a pro-choice candidate who supports gay rights.
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Matt Denn Elected As Delaware Insurance Commissioner

Democratic candidate Matt Denn won a high-spending race for the normally low-profile job of Delaware insurance commissioner Tuesday night over Republican David H. Ennis.
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Kennedy Communication’s “Martha Stewart” Mail Piece Receives National Media Coverage

Jailbird Martha Stewart has become an unwitting poster girl in a bitter election battle in her home state of New Jersey. A mailer showing Martha's photo superimposed over a jail cell is making the rounds in Bergen County, where Democrat Leo McGuire is challenging Sheriff Joel Trella.
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Bergen County Republicans Receive The “Biggest Walloping In Recent Memory,” Are Swept Out Of County Offices

Not only did two GOP incumbents lose, but county Republican candidates were swept in what some say was the party's biggest walloping in recent memory.
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Thomas Nelson Becomes Only Democrat To Beat An Incumbent Republican In Wisconsin State House Races

Democrats took back a state Assembly seat in a hotly contested race Tuesday that includes much of Outagamie County. Democratic challenger Tom Nelson defeated state Rep. Becky Weber, R-Green Bay, in a race that remained in doubt until early this morning.
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Mike Gerber And Josh Shapiro Pick Up Two Republican State House Seats In Pennsylvania

Catching a ride on John Kerry's Pennsylvania wave, Montgomery County Democrats captured two State House seats held by Republicans. But because of successes elsewhere in the state, Republicans wound up with a net one-seat gain, extending their majority in the House to 110-93.
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Political Newcomer Larry Rogers Upsets Incumbent in Close Cook County Board of Review Race

Ports said he thinks the biggest factor in his defeat was the literature that Gardina sent out in the final weeks of the campaign criticizing (Ports says "distorting") his record in the legislature. One featured a picture of a wolf in sheep's clothing.
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Democrats Gain Three Seats in Delaware General Assembly

Democrats took two open House of Representative seats and defeated incumbent Republican Bruce Reynolds to bring the balance to 26 Republicans and 15 Democrats, a slightly narrower margin than the parties have had for the past two years. In the Senate, the seats were unchanged, with 13 Democrats and eight Republicans.
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Democratic Caucus Retake CO Senate for First Time in 30 Years

Democrats wrested control of the state Senate from Republicans late Tuesday by unseating an incumbent in a key Arapahoe County race.
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Newcomer Moriarty Elected Mayor of Washington Township

Capitalizing on a split in the local Republican Party, political newcomer Paul Moriarty and his running mates scored a dramatic Democratic sweep yesterday in a hotly contested and sometimes vitriolic election in Washington Township.
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Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez’s Christmas Card Receives National Press Again; Called “most sought-after card”

On Capitol Hill, the most sought-after card is Rep. Loretta Sanchez's. Sanchez always has some fun with her holiday card, and this year is no exception. Her card is going to thousands of constituents, supporters and House and Senate colleagues this week.
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Democrats In New Jersey Post Best Midterm Election in 50 Years

Bolstered by a huge campaign war chest and a district map that favored their candidates, Democrats bucked history and seized control of the state Senate on Tuesday and expanded their hold on the Assembly. Losses by Senate Co-President John O. Bennett of Monmouth County and legislative veteran Rose M. Heck of Hasbrouck Heights dashed GOP hopes to transform the political weakness of Governor McGreevey into Republican power in the Legislature.
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Newcomer Madden Defeats Longtime Incumbent Geist for NJ State Senate Seat

Fred Madden - a political neophyte backed by millions of dollars from Democratic leaders - held a lead of fewer than 100 votes over Republican State Sen. George Geist in a race that went down to the wire yesterday. Madden, a career state trooper who rose to become acting superintendent under Gov. McGreevey, declared victory in the Fourth District shortly after 10:30 p.m., but Geist refused to concede.
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Upstart Ferguson Defeats Longtime Incumbent King County Council Chairwoman

Cynthia Sullivan, chairwoman and senior member of the King County Council, conceded yesterday to Bob Ferguson in their winner-take-all Democratic primary election after newly counted absentee ballots widened his thin lead. It was the biggest upset of Tuesday's primary.
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“For Our Kids” Ticket Seen as Big Winners in Newark School Advisory Board Elections

Officially, the election was a victory for "For Our Kids," a three-member slate dedicated to retaining Marion Bolden as the city's superintendent of schools, which trounced the "Home Team," a ticket backed by Mayor Sharpe James that wanted to hire a school chief from out of state.
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Linda Sanchez Wins Congressional Seat, Joins Loretta Sanchez In Becoming First Sisters in Congress

Democrats Loretta Sanchez and Linda Sanchez won election victories that made them the first pair of sisters to serve in the House of Representatives, signaling another milestone in the increasing power of the Hispanic vote.
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Democrats Elect County Executive For First Time In Bergen County, NJ

Bergen County voters elected their first-ever Democratic county executive Tuesday, choosing Dennis McNerney over his Republican challenger after a multimillion-dollar campaign that broke all spending records in county races.
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Joe DiVincenzo Stages Stunning Come-From-Behind Victory, Goes On To Win Essex County Executive Race

With the song Ain't No Stopping Us Now continuously playing in the background at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, the Line A Democrats, led by Joseph DiVincenzo, celebrated their sweep of the Democratic primary Tuesday night over a slate of candidates led by Thomas Giblin.
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Independent James Meeks Defeats Entrenched Shaw in IL State Senate Race

Rev. James T. Meeks, a South Side pastor whose independent candidacy turned the normally predictable 15th state Senate District race into a down-and-dirty political power struggle, narrowly upset Democratic incumbent Sen. William "Bill " Shaw on Tuesday.
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Gardina Knocks Off “Rising Star” In Baltimore County Council Race

Two years ago, after he helped engineer the stunning defeat of County Executive C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger's unpopular property condemnation bill, Del. James F. Ports Jr. looked like the rising star in Baltimore County politics. After Tuesday's election, he is out of a job.
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Salas Forces Nov. Run-Off Election for Chula Vista Mayor

As early as last summer, Councilman Steve Padilla and Councilwoman Mary Salas began actively raising money and collecting endorsements in their bids to be the city's next mayor. But it most likely was not enough for a conclusive win. With absentee ballots still being tallied, preliminary results from the city's 85 precincts show that Padilla and Salas are headed for a November runoff. Petra Barajas significantly trailed both candidates.
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Jeff Van Drew Wins in Republican-Leaning 1st Assembly District

Democrats won the day Tuesday, seizing a majority in the Assembly and forcing a 20-20 split in the Senate on the coattails of Democratic Gov.-elect Jim McGreevey...In Cape May County, Jeff Van Drew upset veteran Republican incumbent Assemblyman John Gibson.
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Carper "Stuns" Long-Time Incumbent Senator Bill Roth

Sen. Bill Roth has told friends and fellow politicians he was shocked by his loss to Gov. Tom Carper because his campaign's polls showed him winning by a comfortable margin."He absolutely expected to win. He said the internal polls showed him they were way up," state Republican chairman Basil R. Battaglia said in the aftermath of Roth's 12 percent defeat. "We thought we were in good shape," Roth said during Return Day festivities in Georgetown Thursday. "We ran a positive campaign and had a positive message. But the people of Delaware decided it was time for a change.
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