State Bytes

Canada:  Steven Dover from Tactix joined us on October 9 for a special episode on the recent, historic provincial elections in Quebec and New Brunswick. Mr. Dover provides an overview of how provincial government is structured. We then discuss the surprising election results in Quebec and the issues the new government will likely attempt to tackle. We also talk about the disorder being experienced in New Brunswick as technically no party won a majority in the election. This is a very educational episode.

Georgia:  Jay Morgan from The J.L. Morgan Company talked with us about Georgia’s election on October 2. Mr. Morgan summarizes one of the hottest gubernatorial races in the country – both Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R) and Stacy Abrams (D) are focused on creating an intensity in their bases. It is a race that has been consistently in the national news and Mr. Morgan speaks to that unprecedented exposure. Mr. Morgan offers insight on how Secretary Kemp (R) and Abrams (D) might work with the legislature to accomplish specific goals.

Iowa:  Tom Cope and John Murphy joined us from Cope Murphy+Co on October 1. Giving our listeners a Republican and Democratic perspective, they outline the issues Governor Reynolds (R) and Fred Hubbell (D) are campaigning on and what is resonating with Iowa voters. We discuss strategies for down ballot races and what the chambers could look like in the 2019 session.

Illinois:  John Kamis chatted with us from Carpenter Lipps & Leland on September 25. Mr. Kamis reminds us what happened in the Republican and Democratic primaries that were held way back in March. We talk about the recent ideological shifts in both parties within the Prairie State and how those could affect the next legislative session.

Kentucky:  Mike Biagi from The Rotunda Group joined us on September 20 to discuss the upcoming state legislative elections in Kentucky. Mr. Biagi gives us an overview of what issues folks are running on and how their campaigns are messaging around current issues. We also chat about what is coming down the pike for the 2019 legislative session.

Rhode Island:  Lenny Lopes from The Victor Group chatted with us about the Rhode Island gubernatorial race on September 18. He summarizes what issues Governor Gina Raimondo (D) and Cranston Mayor Alan Fung (R) ran on in their primaries and what they’re focusing on in the general campaign. Mr. Lopes also recaps the 2018 legislative session.

Massachusetts:  Jay Myers with Locke Lord joined us right after the Massachusetts’s primary election on September 7. We discuss the popularity of Governor Charlie Baker and how his opponent will try to counter that in general. We also talk about some shake ups down ballot in the primary and trends Mr. Myers sees in the state legislative races. He highlights major legislative accomplishments from this past session and we discuss what is left on the table for January. He also graciously gives us some advice on how to approach passing a bill in the Commonwealth.

Alabama:  Graham Champion chatted with us from Public Strategies LLC on September 19 to provide insight on the upcoming state elections in, what he affectionately calls, the Make Me State. Mr. Champion gives us an overview of the governor’s race and his thoughts on a potential upset in a statewide office. We discuss what will likely take priority next session.

Connecticut:  Jim O’Brien from The Connecticut Group joined us on August 22 to discuss Connecticut politics and the upcoming general election. The state’s economy is still struggling, and its citizens have experienced two tax increases in the past eight years. Couple those with the low approval rating of outgoing Governor Dan Malloy (D) and we’ve seen a reliably blue state start to lean away from the Democratic Party of late in the polls. We talk about the campaigns of Ned Lamont (D) and Bob Stefanowski (R), the two men running to replace Malloy. The State Senate has been tied since the last election. It is again considered a battleground chamber this session. Mr. O’Brien also outlines the top priorities of the legislature for next session.

Idaho:  John Watts of Veritas Advisors LLP joined us on September 17 to discuss Idaho politics. Mr. Watts gives us an overview of the gubernatorial race between Lt. Governor Brad Little (R) and Paulette Jordan (D). Jordan (D) pulled an upset in the Democratic primary beating the Party’s heir-apparent though he, like many others, expects Lt. Governor Little (R) to be successful in the general election. We discuss what issues the two are running on, the messaging in each campaign, and how those things are resonating with the voters. In particular, Jordan (D) is running on social issues that Mr. Watts is not convinced Idahoans are ready for. We also talk about the magnitude of the Medicaid expansion ballot question and how it’s effecting the governors’ race. Mr. Watts lays out potential issues for the Legislature to tackle in 2019 and some fun facts about the state.