Thirty-three states will conduct elections in late 2006 to determine the individual by party affiliation that will represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next six years. These thirty three (33) seats are currently held by Democrats (17), Republicans (15) and (1) Independent.
As early as June and as late as September, states that have the need will be conducting primary elections. If we use the 2002 data reflecting votes cast for the U.S. Senate by party as a recent barometer of voter turnout and sentiment, only 20.59% of the voters who went to the polls in the general election voted in the primary election. In terms of what trends were indicated, we get an array of mixed signals. In the primaries, 58.95% of the voters indicated a preference for the Democratic candidates, 40.45% chose Republican candidates and 0.06% chose "other" candidates. When the general election took place 46.06% of the voters came out for the Democratic candidates, 49.36% voted for Republican candidates and 4.58% chose "other" candidates. In round numbers, less than thirty percent of the age eligible voters vote in the mid-term election years than do in the Presidential election years.
People are beginning to respond to what they feel is incompetent and otherwise unreliable government by taking the approach that they are simply going to vote out the people who are in control, replace them with others and, the problems of government will resolve. If this approach were used, depending of course on the numbers of voters who turn out and cast ballots, how many feel that voting the "party" is more important than voting with a "vision" for better government on a sustained basis and without familiarizing ones-self with VOID - Vote Out Incumbents for Democracy has been saying and mobilizing for, would be voting against the following incumbents:
REPUBLICANS
Arizona - John Kyl Indiana - Richard Lugar Maine - Olympia Snowe Mississippi - Trent Lott Missouri - Jim Talent - Montana - Conrad Burns - Nevada - John Ensign
Ohio - Mike Dewine - Pennsylvania - Rick Santorum - Rhode Island - Lincoln Chafee
Tennessee - Bill Frist - Texas - Kay Baily Hutchinson - Utah - Orrin Hatch - Virginia-George Allen
DEMOCRATS
California - Dianne Feinstein - Connecticut - Joe Lieberman - Delaware - Thomas Carper - Florida - Bill Nelson - Hawaii - Daniel Akaka - Maryland - Paul Sarbanes - Massachusetts - Ted Kennedy - Michigan - Debbie Stabenow - Minnesota - Mark Dayton - Nebraska - Ben Nelson - New Jersey - Ben Corzine - New Mexico - Jeff Bingaman - New York - Hillary Clinton - North Dakota - Kent Conrad - Vermont - Jim Jeffords (I) - Washington - Maria Cantwell - West Virginia - Robert Byrd - Wisconsin - Herbert Kohl
There are of course a number of candidates listed above who will vacate their seats and not run for re-election due to age, other political pursuits, etc. If 100% of all voters were to vote for the challenger and not the incumbent in every case, 17 Incumbent Democrats will be voted out and replaced by 17 Republicans, 15 Incumbent Republicans will be voted out and replaced by 15 Democrats and the 1 Independent would be voted out and replaced by one of the two main parties or another Independent. The Democrats would actually lose 2 seats.
Realistically, this will not take place. What we are hoping for however is that large numbers of ant-incumbent voters will turn out and make a showing that will send a strong message to the incumbents who don't lose their seats and, will carry enough wisdom and determination with them into the voting booth to support a few third party candidates to election.
[Editor's Note: This article was written and submitted by Mr. Steve Smith, a VOID member and supporter.]
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