Courtney Cole (D), the Democratic Party candidate in the 121st Legislative District who is challenging incumbent Denny Hoskins (r-noun, verb, CPA), received recognition from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) as one of their top twenty essential state legislative races in the country:
Missouri House District 121– Courtney Cole
Status: Republican IncumbentWhy this Race Matters: Incumbent Republican Denny Hoskins, who won his first election by just 122 votes in 2008, ran for office as a fiscally-conservative CPA, until local media discovered he had $20,000 in unpaid taxes. After that news came out, Hoskins got in a fight on the House floor. This is unquestionably House Democrats’ best pickup opportunity, the first of several pickups they’ll need to close the GOP advantage.
“…he had $20,000 in unpaid taxes…”
We knew that.
“…Hoskins got in a fight on the House floor…”
We knew that, too.
DLCC Announces Essential Races Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2010[….]
DLCC Announces Essential Races
List of Critical Races to be Augmented by Grassroots Initiative
Today, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Executive Director Michael Sargeant unveiled the Essential Races program, a list of crucial state legislative races across the country that will be added to and voted on by grassroots activists nationwide.
“These Essential Races are the key contests for Democratic state legislative control this fall,” said Sargeant. “However, thousands of Democrats are running professionalized, localized campaigns for state legislature in competitive races across the country.”
The DLCC revealed the first 20 candidates in the Essential Races program today; an additional 20 will be announced next week.
The DLCC will also be accepting nominations from grassroots activists around the country for an additional 10 Essential Races. Nominations may be submitted at http://www.dlcc.org/2010Races. Grassroots Essential Races results will be announced on October 13.
With over 6,000 state legislative races on November ballots across the country, state legislative races seldom get the attention even of sophisticated political observers. Individual districts are rarely polled publicly. The Essential Races program helps identify the few races that will be most significant in 2010. At just 40 candidates, the Essential Races list constitutes only a fraction of the competitive state legislative campaigns this year. In 2008, more than 160 state legislative races were decided by 200 votes or fewer. A complete list of races to watch this fall would run into the hundreds.
“This list of Essential Races represents a relative handful of races deserving of special attention,” explained Sargeant. “Some are races we anticipate to be the most competitive in their states. Others are bellwethers for similar districts elsewhere. Still others are examples of key races in critical redistricting battlegrounds.”
The inaugural list of Essential Races contains contests from the states of Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, to name only a few.
###
[emphasis added]
The DLCC “works to win state legislative seats and chambers for Democrats.” The DLCC is not affiliated with the Democratic National Committee nor the Democratic Leadership Council.
It’s obvious that the 121st Legislative District race is on the national radar, even more so, given that the DLCC’s Board of Directors does not have a member from Missouri:
The DLCC is governed by a Board of 22 Democratic state legislative leaders who represent the interests of all Democratic state legislative candidates nationally. Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal is the Chair of the Board. The Chair, along with the other Board members, advocates the interest of Democratic state legislators to other national organizations and ensures that state legislative leaders are involved with DLCC in chambers where it is active.
Executive Board
DLCC Chair
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, IowaDLCC Vice Chair
Senate President Sylvia Larsen, New HampshireDLCC Treasurer
Representative Mike Gerber, PennsylvaniaDLCC Secretary
Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher, MinnesotaDLCC Finance Chair
House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong, VirginiaDLCC Chairman Emeritus
Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, Jr., MarylandBoard of Directors
Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, California
Speaker of the House Pat Bauer, Indiana
Senator Sean Burrage, Oklahoma
Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, Washington
Senate President Richard Codey, New Jersey
Representative Garnet Coleman, Texas
Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, Wisconsin
House Majority Leader Ken Guin, Alabama
Senator Wally Horn, Iowa
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, Nevada
Speaker of the House Dave Hunt, Oregon
Senator Christine Kaufmann, Montana
Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, Virginia
Senate President Brandon Shaffer, Colorado
Representative Mimi Stewart, New Mexico
Representative Mike Turner, Tennessee
Very interesting.
And, of course, Representative Denny Hoskins (r) continues to step in it in the district.
This is one district Show Me Progress has followed very, very closely this cycle (really since Hoskins joined the race last cycle). Of course, HD-121 isn't the only top race in Missouri, and the DLCC is still accepting nominations for ten grassroots additions to the Essential Races list. If you'd like to let us know who should be added to that list, anyone can submit a nomination for any 2010 campaign for state legislature at http://www.dlcc.org/2010Races.-DLCC Staff