39 Days to the 2010 Election: UPDATE
Since we first covered the exciting race between Pelosi Budget Chairman John Spratt and Republican Mick Mulvaney in June, we’ve seen continuous developments that suggest the GOP is in a prime position to win this November. Polling numbers show a dead heat and Spratt has been plagued with issues, ranging from comparing his opponent to Osama bin Laden to accepting tainted lobbyist donations.
It’s clear that Spratt is losing his grip, and the clearest sign has been in his shirking of responsibility. As Chairman of the Budget Committee, Spratt is tasked with creating the entire federal spending plan – something he flat out refused to do this year. That means no long-term plan to cut spending, no long-term plan to decrease the national debt, no long-term plan to create jobs – and after November, will hopefully mean no more John Spratt in the House of Representatives.
With these developments, it’s no wonder that non-partisan political handicapper Charlie Cook moved this race to the “Toss Up” column over the summer. Even though DCCC is trying to show a strong hand, reserving air time for Spratt in an initial attempt to provide cover to one of their longest serving members, its clear national Democrats are worried about Spratt’s prospects and may end up pulling out of the district.
Needless to say, Mick Mulvaney has been running a strong campaign, never shrinks back from a fight, and even achieved the top level of “Young Guns” status in the NRCC’s recruitment program. With your continued support, Mick will be headed to Washington as part of the new Republican majority, ready to tackle the fiscal mess caused by the Democrats and get America back to work.
2010 Race of the Day: Taking Back the Palmetto State
With the political climate shifting to the GOP’s favor, we have a clear shot at victory in South Carolina’s Fifth Congressional District. As Washington Democrats dither away day by day without passing a budget for the American people, Nancy Pelosi’s Budget Chairman and the chief architect and sponsor of ObamaCare, John Spratt, comes one day closer to his last day in Congress at the hands of state Sen. Mick Mulvaney.
The Fifth District covers northern South Carolina and borders the Charlotte, N.C. area. It includes Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster and York counties, and includes parts of Florence, Lee and Sumter. Much of the district is rural, but the Charlotte suburbs are rapidly expanding. John McCain and George W. Bush each carried South Carolina’s Fifth District in 2004 and 2008, with Bush earning 57% of the vote in 2004 and McCain earning 53% in 2008. The district rates as R+7 in the Cook Partisan Voting Index.
John Spratt, first elected to Congress in 1982 and once a moderate Democrat, has become a Pelosi lapdog, supporting every major piece of legislation his liberal leadership has put forth: the failed stimulus, the job-killing cap and trade scheme, and government-run healthcare. Spratt has a record of voting with Speaker Pelosi 97.9 percent of the time. As Pelosi’s hand-picked Budget Chairman, Spratt had a lead role in crafting the $3.4 trillion budget that paved the way for her big-government agenda and has played a key role in failing to bring a new budget up for consideration in 2010. No budget mean no plan to cut spending, no plan to create jobs, no plan to keep taxes low and no chance for Spratt to return to Washington after failing the American people one too many times.
Mick Mulvaney is a leader. As a small businessman and state legislator, he exemplifies the conservative values that South Carolinians are looking for in their public servant and has been recognized as a taxpayer hero for his work in Columbia. Mulvaney has an excellent chance to defeat Spratt, as he recently released an internal poll showing him in a statistical dead heat (41% - 43%) with the incumbent. Rothenberg Political Report rates this race as “Toss-Up/Tilt Democratic.” Mulvaney, who has achieved ‘Contender’ status, the second tier of the NRCC’s three-level Young Guns recruitment program, has already proven his ability to build a winning campaign and achieve vital fundraising goals.
Be sure to check out Mick Mulvaney’s website and follow him on Facebook and Twitter for the latest on this race