Thread: Races to watch re Anti-Immigrant Candidates

http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_art ... cc1050ed14

Races to Watch: Anti-Immigrant Candidates and Propositions on the Ballot

New America Media, News Report, Elena Shore, Nov 05, 2006



SAN FRANCISCO--As voters go to the polls Tuesday, observers on all sides of the immigration debate will be watching the outcomes of these key races.

In Arizona, voters will decide on four anti-undocumented immigrant propositions. Proposition 300 would end taxpayer subsidies for education and child-care services for undocumented immigrants. Students who are not U.S. citizens would have to pay out-of-state fees to attend public colleges. Proposition 100 would deny bail to undocumented immigrants charged with serious felonies. Proposition 102 would block undocumented immigrants from being awarded punitive damages in lawsuits; and Proposition 103 would make English the official language of Arizona.

In Colorado, where the ballot includes a number of controversial initiatives including banning gay marriage (also on the ballot in Arizona), authorizing domestic partnerships and legalizing the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana for anyone over 21, Referendum K would authorize the Colorado State Attorney General to file a lawsuit against the U.S Attorney General to demand the enforcement of all immigration laws by the federal government.

Arizona and Colorado are among a number of states in which candidates have campaigned on anti-undocumented immigrant and enforcement-only platforms, according to Immigration2006.org, which tracks immigration issues in election races around the country. These candidates include:

Arizona: Republican incumbent Senator Jon Kyl; Republican Gubernatorial candidate Len Munsil; and Republican State Legislator Randy Graf who is seeking to fill retiring Rep. Jim Kolbe's seat in Arizona’s Congressional District 8.

Colorado: Gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez, who is a member of the anti-immigration Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus led by Colorado Republican Tom Tancredo; and Republican Rick O'Donnell who is seeking to fill Beauprez ‘s seat in Congressional District 7.

Florida: Republican Senate candidate Katherine Harris; and, in the seat she is vacating, Republican candidate Vern Buchanan in Congressional District 13.

Indiana: Republican Rep. John Hostettler, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, who is running for re-election in Congressional District 8.

Kansas: Republican Gubernatorial challenger Jim Barnett.

New Jersey: Republican Senate candidate Tom Kean Jr.

Pennsylvania: Republican incumbent Senator Rick Santorum; and Republican incumbent Rep. Jim Gerlach in Congressional District 6 in suburban Philadelphia.

Washington State: Republican Senate candidate Mike McGaverick.

Wisconsin: Republican Gubernatorial challenger Mark Green.

Meanwhile, eight cities across the country have passed city ordinances that ban landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants, according to John Trasviña, interim director of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). These include the Pennsylvania cities of Hazleton, Altoona, Bridgeport, Mahoney City, West Hazelton and Hazel Township; Riverside, New Jersey and Escondido, California. The measure has been introduced in another 25 to 30 other cities across the country, according to Trasviña.

An estimated eight cities have rejected ordinances that would have made English the official language, banned landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants or penalized employers who rent to them. The cities where these measures didn’t pass include: Arcadia, Wisconsin; Sandwich, Massachusetts; Gadsden and Huntsville, Alabama; Farmers Branch, Texas; Kennewick, Washington; and Avon Park and Palm Bay, Florida.

Message Sent

Ms Elena Shore:

Your map is incorrect.

You only have 14 flags placed while over 70 cities and towns are now considering ordinances to fight illegal immigration.

Also, you only have 8 states marked for candidates running on anti-illegal immigration platforms. You are missing over 30 states!

Are you not aware of all of the candidates in NC, TN, GA, TX, VA, NJ, CA, etc that are running on this issue?

You need to add about 60 flags and 30 more states to your map to come even close to being accurate!

An estimated eight cities have rejected ordinances that would have made English the official language, banned landlords from renting to undocumented immigrants or penalized employers who rent to them. The cities where these measures didn’t pass include: Arcadia, Wisconsin; Sandwich, Massachusetts; Gadsden and Huntsville, Alabama; Farmers Branch, Texas; Kennewick, Washington; and Avon Park and Palm Bay, Florida.

San Bernardino, Ca. was left out on this list. Unfortunately, It was one of the first cities to reject the ordinance, initiated by Joseph Turner.

Hi William,

Thanks for your comment. The flags on the map do not represent the
cities where the ordinance is being considered. They represent two
very specific groups: cities that have passed an ordinance banning
renting to undocumented immigrants; and the cities that have rejected
these ordinances, according to MALDEF. (See the key in the map.)

The states marked for candidates running on anti-illegal immigration
and enforcement-only platforms are a list of Gubernatorial,
Senatorial and Congressional candidates, according to the website
Immigration2006.org.

If you have additional information or sources about state candidates
in other states that are running on anti-illegal immigration and
enforcement-only platforms, please let me know. (We are not counting
local races -- just statewide, gubernatorial, senate and congress.)

Thanks,
Elena


-------------- My Response ----------

Elena,

Yes, there are many candidates not covered by Immigration2006.org that are running on immigration.

In NC, Vernon Robinson has made it his main issue but Congressman Walter Jones and Charles Taylor and many other federal candidates are also running on the issue.

Here is our list of national endorsements. Most of these campaigns have made immigration enforcement and opposition to Guest Worker amnesty part of their campaigns.

ALIPAC's 2006 Federal Candidate Endorsements
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=C ... age&pid=30

You can see more info about how many of these candidates are using the illegal immigration issue in their campaigns from their survey responses.

Surveys
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... forum&f=25

You can see that Immigration2006.org has missed many many states where federal candidates for US Congress and Senate are running while making their opposition to illegal immigration a key campaign issue.

William Gheen
www.alipac.us
AMERICANS FOR LEGAL IMMIGRATION PAC
Post Office Box 30966, Raleigh, NC 27622-0966
Tel: (919) 787-6009 Toll Free: (866) 329-3999
FEC ID: C00405878

Cc: Immigration2006.org