The Real State of the States ... I watch, listen and read so you don't have to (part 1)

Each year, I watch, listen or read the state of the addresses from every governor in the nation.  The annual ritual gives me better insight into the priorities of each governor and a sense of what issues or opportunities could arise from those priorities.  It allows me to better serve my clients and develop better advocacy strategies.  Simply put, it makes me a better state lobbyist.

This year I am starting what will be an annual tradition - highlighting the state of the state addresses.

In 2010, the country elected the largest class of new governors.   So in 2011, most governors had just received the keys to the mansion and were still finding their way around.  Fast forward four years, and the country elected the largest class of incumbent governors.  And now in 2015, many of those governors are considering their legacies via state of the state or inaugural addresses.  

This post is the first of three posts that will cover the 2015 State of the State addresses.  Two will cover speeches from incumbent governors.  A third will focus on newly-elected governors, as they outline the goals of their first (and maybe only) term in office.

Click HERE for Governing (www.governing.com) collection of video and/or text of all the addresses.

This week, I'm highlighting the two longest serving governors in America and the current chair of the RGA and next chair of the DGA, as they all won reelection in 2014.

• California Governor Jerry Brown (January 5, 2015)

Governor Brown's legacy is certainly secure as he enters the second term of his second stint as governor, and fourth term over all. Hard to believe he was sworn in for his first term 40 years ago. In his address, he highlighted the success of several programs including: two recent ballot initiatives (Save Water and Save Money), and his record paying down the debt.

"Over the next four years and beyond, we must dedicate ourselves to make what we have done work, to see the massive changes in education, healthcare and public safety are actually carried out and endured. The financial promises we have already made must be confronted honestly so they are properly funded. The health of our stat depends on it."

The governor's address touched on several programs in areas of education, healthcare and public safely (corrections). He touched on his next phase of pension reform program and his plans for funding long-term infrastructure - including a fund to invest in bridges and roads.  All part of what I believe Governor Brown believes legacy to be - returning the state to fiscal health.

One thing I learned?  Governor Brown was a former Jesuit priest.

• Iowa Governor Terry Brandstadt (January 5, 2015) 

Governor Brandstadt is another governor whose legacy is all but assured, even before he gave his record sixth traditional Condition of the State address.  Governor Brandstadt will soon become the longest serving governor in history.  Hard to believe he needs more of legacy than that.

However, after informing the audience that the condition of Iowa is strong, he dove into the theme of his address - "Together, we can."

"Together, we can," strengthen school safety; invest in rural infrastructure; make college more affordable; and make Iowa the most transparent government in the land.  Those represent the goals of the governor's agenda over the next four years. 

• Tennessee Governor Bill Haslem (February 7, 2015)

Governor Haslam started his state of the state address by saying it would be the shortest in state of the state in Tennessee history - mainly because he gave his second inaugural address two weeks before.  I pulled from both speeches to get a sense of what Governor Haslam would like to be most remembered for.

I think it is clear that Governor Haslam wants to be remembered for vastly improving the state's education system - both K-12 and higher education.  Both speeches and his budget priorities point to that.  The state has made significant statistical improvements over the last four years and the governor wants to continue them.  He also wants to ensure access to higher education and continue his program of making Tennessee community and technical colleges affordable (if not free) for every citizen of the state.  

The governor talked about how these important education improvements and reforms would lead to better jobs, economic growth and a better Tennessee for all. 

• Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy (January 7, 2015)

Governor Malloy led off on several significant accomplishments - raising the minimum wage, reducing the uninsured by half, and legislation aimed at reducing gun violence.  But his speech was all about transportation and infrastructure.

"To be competitive regionally, nationally, and internationally, we need a transformation. For our roads, bridges, rails and ports, even our walkways or bikeways. We need to change the way we commute, the ways our businesses move their products, and the ways we get around our cities and towns. It's time for a Connecticut to establish a collective vision for the next thirty years. A vision for a best-in-class transportation system."

Among some short term goals, Governor Malloy called for widening I-95 state-wide and fixing its entrance and exit ramps, and a significant improvement of the state's commuter rail lines and bus lines.  He also called for a transportation lock box, ensuring all transportation funds are actually spent on transportation projects.

Next week, I'll look at some of the 2016 presidential contenders.

MOB Advocacy's Commitment to Community -- Giving Back This Holiday Season

Not sure if it was guilt from many years or Catholic school, or inspiration from one of MOB Advocacy's partner's BillTrack50 giving away one free year of state and federal legislative monitoring service or just sitting around in my Georgetown Law sweatshirt reminiscing about my days raising money for the many pro bono programs and clinics they ran, but I decided that next year MOB Advocacy was going to give back.

So that was how our new pro bono program Commitment to Community was born on Giving Tuesday 2013.  Beginning January 2014, MOB Advocacy will contribute at least 5% of its billable hours to serve one or more non-profit clients.

I know what you are asking, "Isn't pro bono what law firms and lawyers do?"  You are right,  MOB Advocacy is not a law firm. And while I have written laws, I am not a lawyer (who knows, maybe someday). But I modeled my program on the Pro Bono Institute's Pro Bono Challenge anyway.

What are the rules?  Well, it is pretty subjective. The organization does have to be a 501(c)3 maybe a (c)4.  And the organization has to let me know they want to be considered.  Other than that, I am pretty open. We can talk about a long-term or short-term project. It can cover any topic.

You need ideas?

• If you need help with specific state legislation, or you have an idea for legislation that should be passed everywhere.
• Your organization is launching a local, state-wide, regional or national grassroots advocacy campaign
• Your organization, board or volunteers need help with a state or local advocacy day or need advocacy training
• You want help analyzing and tracking state and local legislation or regulations.

Or if you have no idea what kind of help you need/MOB Advocacy can offer, just let me know and we can see if there is a good fit.

I am very excited, and most importantly we already have applicants.  Watch in January when we announce who will be selected.

Happy Holidays!!

About Michael O'Brien...

Michael O'Brien is the founder and principal of MOB Advocacy. He has more than ten years experience as a state and local lobbyist. Michael has lobbied governors, mayors, legislators, state and local agencies and regulators in more than 40 states.

Before starting MOB Advocacy, Michael was the the national state and local government affairs department for RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment). Prior to RISE, Michael launched Molina Healthcare's political and grassroots advocacy programs, created strong public-private partnerships as director of The Washington Center, and developed a federal, state and grassroots advocacy program for The National Conference for Community and Justice.

About MOB Advocacy...

MOB Advocacy is a full-service, multi-state government relations firm located in Fairfax City, Virginia. Founded in 2012, MOB Advocacy has quickly become a recognized leader in state and local government relations.

MOB Advocacy's clients range from established corporations, tech start-ups, nationally recognized non-profit and advocacy groups. Our clients chose us because MOB Advocacy offers the full range of solutions of a large government relations firm with the personal service of a boutique firm. Mob Advocacy helps its clients to navigate the complex world of state and local legislative and regulatory affairs, procurement bureaucracy and appropriations processes to achieve their organizational goals.

Its Over (finally) ...

It's over! (finally)...  Otherwise known as my 2013 post-election wrap-up.  Let's take a look at what happened or didn't happen this Election Day.

Virginia

Virginia continues to show why it is turning into a perennial swing state.  Eight years of Democratic control of the Governor's Mansion, then four years of Republican control, and then a race that was supposed to go down to the wire.  And it did, though I not what I had guessed a couple weeks ago. Terry McAuliffe is now the governor-elect, defeating Tea Party favorite Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

With no surprises Ralph Northam won the Lt. Governor's race and the race for Attorney General was too close to call.  Less than 500 votes separate Republican Mark Obenshain from Democrat Mark Herring. A recall will decide the winner, which may not be decided before Decemeber.

I think this election shows that Virginia is less conservative that people thought two years ago, and that while there are pockets of very conservative voters, moderates have a great chance to win any state-wide race.  If you can paint yourself as a credible moderate, especially a moderate Republican, you are going to have a chance to win.

A lot will be made about Robert Sarvis, and if he cost Cuccinelli the election.  I think in the end, I think some early Sarvis supporters "came home" to Cunncinelli, and at the same time some soft McAuliffe supporters felt safe enough to cast a protest vote.  In the end, I think he was a non-factor.

I think more telling than the Sarvis factor, is the Republican's lack of primaries or competitive primaries in the recent past.  There is a lot of value in developing the kind of ground game needed to win a primary, and then building on it for a general election, rather than starting from scratch.  I think you get better candidates with primaries.  If nothing else, it is good practice for the general.

More telling that both Savis and the lack of primaries - Would Lt. Governor Bill Bolling have made a difference as the Republican nominee, or even with a strong endorsement of Cuccinelli?  I think he would have.


New Jersey

In New Jersey, there were no surprises.  Governor Chris Christie cruised to victory, while the legislature stayed safely in Democratic control.  The most interesting thing that I saw, was the first public sighting of what may turn out to be the Republican 2016 Presidential ticket.

You can see #TheGov and Governor Martinez (R-NM) singing each other's praises on the stump - talking about leadership and the ability to work with Republicans, Democrats and Independents.  Two Republican governors from traditional blue states could make a strong (and unconventional) ticket.

The knock against Governor Christie is going to be that he had no coattails.  Let's be honest, he was never going to have any coattails in New Jersey.  It is too Democratic, and the Republican party does not have the GOTV apparatus needed to facilitate a real coattail effect.  But once Governor Christie is out on the trail, his message could play very well in some swing districts with tight races in states with better party support.  We'll know more when we see how effective Governor Christie is as incoming chair of the RGA, and see if he can at least keep if not grow the number of Republican governors.


In little surprise Democrats dominate mayoral races (i = incumbents)...

• Atlanta - Kasim Reed (D/i)
• Boston - State Rep. Marty Walsh (D)
• Charlotte - Patrick Connan (D)
• Cincinnati - John Cranley (D)
• Cleveland - Frank Jackson (D/i)
• Detroit - Mike Duggan (D)
• Houston - Annise Parker (D/i)
• Miami - Tom Regalando (R/i)
• New York - Bill de Blasio (D)
• Pittsburg - Bill Peduto (D)
• San Francisco - Ed Lee (D)
• Seattle - State Sen. Ed Murray
• St. Paul - Chris Coleman (D/i)

Republicans do well in New York (in races outside of NYC) ...

• Republicans took over the majority in Erie County (Buffalo, NY area) Legislature.  

• In Nassau County, current County Executive Ed Mangano defeated former County Executive Tom Suozzi in a rematch from four years ago.  

• In Westchester County, County Executive Rob Astorino, the man being described as New York's Chris Christie, was reelected in a heavily Democratic county.  The bad news for Mr. Astorino is that he immediately became the favorite to challenge well-financed and popular Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

Some interesting ballot measures in 2013...

• Colorado proved once again that very few electorates will ever vote directly to impose a tax on themselves.  The state-wide ballot measure to invest $1 Billion in education failed.

• Texas voters approved a $2 Billion water infrastructure plan, but that was taxes people already paid.

• Washington state joins California by mandating labels for GMO food, with the anti-Monsanto bill. 

• New Jersey voters approve minimum wage hike, and tied future hikes to inflation.

• In a few city-wide ballots: Seattle rejected a plan to provide public financing for campaigns, Houston voters condemned the AstroDome and Cincinnati voters reject pension reform.

Bad News for Big Coal...

Four candidates backed by opponents to a proposed coal export facility have won seats on the seven-member Whatcom County (Washington) Council. The election of the Carl Weimer, Rud Browne, Barry Buchanan and Ken Mann probably means the end of the plant which would have shipped as much as 48 million tons of coal to China.  

As we know, while the 2013 cycle is over the 2014 and 2016 cycles are just getting warmed up.  So look for our 2014 preview in our next post.

About Michael O'Brien...

Michael O'Brien is the founder and principal of MOB Advocacy. He has more than ten years experience as a state and local lobbyist. Michael has lobbied governors, mayors, legislators, state and local agencies and regulators in more than 40 states.

Before starting MOB Advocacy, Michael was the the national state and local government affairs department for RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment). Prior to RISE, Michael launched Molina Healthcare's political and grassroots advocacy programs, created strong public-private partnerships as director of The Washington Center, and developed a federal, state and grassroots advocacy program for The National Conference for Community and Justice.

About MOB Advocacy...

MOB Advocacy is a full-service, multi-state government relations firm located in Fairfax City, Virginia. Founded in 2012, MOB Advocacy has quickly become a recognized leader in state and local government relations.

MOB Advocacy's clients range from established corporations, tech start-ups, nationally recognized non-profit and advocacy groups. Our clients chose us because MOB Advocacy offers the full range of solutions of a large government relations firm with the personal service of a boutique firm. Mob Advocacy helps its clients to navigate the complex world of state and local legislative and regulatory affairs, procurement bureaucracy and appropriations processes to achieve their organizational goals.

Down to the Wire -- What a Difference a Year Makes

We are just under two weeks away from Election Day, with state legislative and gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia and some big mayoral races in Boston, Detroit, New York and others.

One year ago, I thought the gubernatorial races could be interesting and closely contested.  At least I was right about interesting part.

A year ago New Jersey was about to get hit by Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the Jersey coastline. To make matters worse an early snow storm (and Congress) delayed recovery efforts.  A year ago, Newark Mayor Corey Booker was still considering challenging Governor Christie, in what would have been an epic battle of political heavy weights.

Hurricane Sandy allowed Governor Christie to demonstrate strong leadership in a crisis, which allowed the governor to begin to move ahead of any potential Democratic challengers.  It didn't hurt that he was able to embrace President Obama for the president's leadership before, during and after the storm.  It didn't hurt that Christie called out Speaker John Boehner and House Republicans for holding up Sandy Relief funds in a game of political chicken.  It didn't hurt that Mayor Booker opted for a Senate run, rather than face the popular governor.  And it didn't hurt that Governor Christie was able to keep Mayor Booker off the November ballot by holding a special election for an open Senate seat in October.  All of that has Governor Christie coasting to an apparent victory.

So instead of an close and interesting race, we are left wondering what might have been.  And wondering how much does Christie have to win by to be considered a credible candidate for president in 2016.

A year ago Virginia was looking at an ugly gubernatorial race involving two very polarizing candidates - former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.  No two candidates were as hated by the base of their opponents as these two candidates.

A year seems like a very long time ago for Virginia Republicans.  In February this year, Governor Bob McDonnell's (R) crowning legislative achievement, a much-needed transportation bill, passed after being embraced by the Demcorcatic candidate and denounced by the Republican one.  Over the summer, Governor McDonnell became engulfed in a scandal regarding his relationship with Virginia businessman Jonnie Williams.  The scandal also threatened to derail the Attorney General's campaign for governor.  To further add to Cuccinelli's problems, Virginia Republicans nominated a little-known, far-right candidate for Lt. Governor.  The surprise nomination of E.W. Jackson forced Cuccinelli, a very conservative Tea Party favorite himself, to cancel post-convention press events.  Even Northern Virginia Republican icon, former Delegate Vince Callahan endorsed the former DNC chair.

So we are instead of a close race, we are left wondering if we can read anything into the Clintons stumping for their old friend in the final weeks of the election.  What does a big McAuliffe win mean for Secretary Clinton and her decision to run again in 2016?

A lot of political pundits are saying these elections could be a bellwether for 2014's midterms, when 36 states (and three territories) will hold gubernatorial and legislative elections and when Congress (most likely just the Senate) could be up for grabs.  Some are even saying these 2013 elections will have an impact on early front-runners for 2016.

As of right now, 2014 should be interesting with many closely-contested races.  There are some very vulnerable governors out there - Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy (D), Florida Governor Rick Scott (R), Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (D) and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett (R).  And a few interesting open races -- Maryland, Massachusetts and Texas are shaping up as interesting primaries and possibly interesting general elections.

I am looking forward to an politically interesting 2014.  Will 2013 be a bellwether?  All I can say is, what a difference a year makes.

Yes, There Is An App For That, My favorite new civic-engagement startups for 2013

I recently attended #govfest, an event put on by Fosterly and I was amazed by the number of startups working in the public sphere.  I know it has been a growing trend for a while now, but seems to have exploded recently (in what feels like the last few days).

When I started working in state and local government relations there were few choices for vendors of any kind.  Most of us were doing bill tracking by hand and few were lucky enough to hire one of two or three big multi-state lobbying firms.  I am not sure if all the state legislatures were even on line when I did my first nation-wide tracking project - looking for and tracking bills related to disparities in healthcare and other issues.  You get the picture.

Then I discovered Capwiz and fell in love with the idea of e-advocacy (not sure if that is an official term).  I was an early adopter and was constantly amazed by the new tools and services they kept rolling out.  There were a few others advocacy platforms that took off about that same time, but to me Capwiz was the far and away best in its class.  

Outside of Capwiz, there seemed to be a lull.  Maybe not really a lull, more accurately I was just uninspired.  I know it wasn't a complete lull because one day I was listening to a speaker talk about the future of grassroots advocacy and they said that it was not going to be long before we would be asking, "What is our FaceBook strategy?" (maybe they actually said MySpace, which could explain the lack of inspiration) when planning grassroots campaigns.  And then came Foursquare.  And Twitter.  It seemed like every year something new would come out that was considered a "game changer" that I never believed would really catch on for advocacy.

One day someone told me about POPVOX.  Right away I knew they were different.  POPVOX seemed to be ground breaking.  No longer would we send emails or faxes or letters to the hill, but real data.  And I got my first smartphone.  And open government started to happen.  Mayor Bloomberg's right hand man Kevin Sheekey launched BGov.  And Mayor Corey Booker became a superhero on Twitter.

That brings me to where I am today, which is again "all in" on tech and startups, and especially tech startups, for government relations, civic engagement and advocacy.  These startups are everywhere.  There are some great new grassroots platforms - VoterVoice (not really new, but recently launched their DC office) and Votility.  New state legislative and regulatory tracking services like my favorite startup - BillTrack50 (which was recently named one of Denver's Hottest Startups).  And apps for EVERYTHING!  State and local governments have their own apps for news and information (Delaware has a great app), to legislatures (I really like Ohio and Utah), to procurement sites (Virginia's eVA is a great example) and everything in between.

Here are a few of my favorites that I have been introduced to this year (most in the last couple of months) ...

• TrendPo - Not really an advocacy tool, but a great way for elected officials and candidates to see how well they are connecting with the public - in case the single digit approval ratings weren't enough of a clue.  JD Chang and his team are going get famous calling races based on social media scores.

• Capitol Bells - A new all-mobile app for grassroots advocacy.  Let's you vote right along with your Member of Congress.  It is unique in that the data goes right to the Member, because your Congressman downloaded the app to keep track of votes.  They have some kinks to work out, but I think they are onto something.

• FiscalNote - These guys are brand new, I haven't even seen their beta yet.  However, I get intrigued when one startup comes up in conversations five or six times in one night and each time by a different person.  I get really intrigued when the founder tells me he can tell if a bill is going to pass or not by the second reading. 

• CitySourced - I recently tweeted that if Mayor Booker were an app, he would be CitySourced. Citizens report problems to local governments, they get properly routed and fixed.  I just hope that when responders email their responses to citizen activists they simply use the immortal words of Mayor Booker, "I got this!"

• PollVault - Also, brand new. An election information site that matches the views from groups you trust to the best candidate for you to vote for.  Just in time for the big New York City mayoral race and gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia. 

So there are five very different startups but all doing great things in the public/civic sphere.  I am excited to see what is coming next!

RIP Dr. Alan Rosenthal

I just read the New York Times obituary for Dr. Alan Rosenthal.  If you have been involved in state government at any time since before I was born and virtually anywhere in the country you have probably met him, read one of his books, took his class, heard him speak or simply watched him modernize your state legislature.  I met him on a number of occasions and talked with him in depth a handful of times (we share a strong dislike for term limits).  I wouldn't say I knew him well, but few people have had as big an impact on my career as Dr. Rosenthal.  I will miss him.

The man was a giant in the study of state government.  He really helped push the professionalism of state legislatures - calling for professional staffs, non-partisan legislative budget offices and pay for legislators.  It is hard to believe Connecticut had a biennial legislature not that long ago  (and my guess is many Nutmeg State residents would gladly go back to those days).

There a many reasons that I will remember him.  I loved his books - The Third House is THE book on state lobbying.  He had a unique insight to state government and access that rivaled anyone I know.  He loved to share stories with anyone that would listen, which is probably why he wrote so many books.

But the one reason I will always remember him, is because he is most responsible for shaping the way I look at state government.  It is why I love working with state legislatures and legislators so much.  It is why Dr. Rosenthal never stopped being a cheerleader for state legislatures.

People in state government loves to refer to Justice Brandeis' quote about states being the laboratories of democracy.  To Dr. Rosenthal, states legislatures were more than that. To Dr. Rosenthal, the legislatures were the drivers of democracy.  In one of my favorite books Engines of Democracy, Dr. Rosenthal compares state legislatures to the little engine that could.  The engine/legislature pulls democracy over the big hill into the station. But instead of the cheers that the little engine got in the story, this train is more likely met with indifference or even jeers.  Dr. Rosenthal never stopped cheering that train when it got into the station, because he knew what hard work it took to get there.

In a fitting tribute - the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) set up a site of testimonials to the late, great Dr. Rosenthal.  Please take a look here and here.

For my tribute, I am going to go back and read a book or two, and continue to be cheerleader for state legislatures - the true engines of democracy.

No Street Fight in New Jersey's 2013 Governor's Race

No, this is not a commercial for Newark Mayor Corey Booker (though I am a big fan of the Mayor).  Corey Booker recently announced he would not challenge incumbent Governor Chris Christie in the 2013 New Jersey Governor's Race.  His announcement brought back memories of my recent tour of duty in the Republic of Georgia (yes, the other Georgia).

While I was in Georgia, I worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development during some very interesting political times.  Georgia's capital city, Tbilisi, was holding direct elections for mayor for the very first time, as were other localities throughout the country.  Throughout the country, there were tales of dirty politics, rummors of voter intimidation, threats to candidates and shakedowns of local businesses.  Sounds a lot like a good old New Jersey election, doesn't it?

I am still not sure if it was a good idea or not, but the U.S. Embassy decided to show the Georgian people what a hotly contested municipal race in the U.S. looked like.  How?  By showing Street Fight, of course!  If you haven't seen it - you should (see clip below).

As one of the few people at the post that new anything about Mayor Booker or New Jersey politics, I was volunteered to present the video and moderate discussion in several locations around the city and the country.

Street Fight is a great story of the underdog going up against the political giant.  And showed the good and the (alleged) bad of New Jersey politics.  It features cameos of former Governor Jim McGreevey and current Governor Chris Christie, then a U.S. Attorney.  It is a great tale of dirty politics, rummors of voter intimidation, threats to candidates and shakedown of local businesses.  Sound familiar?

What did the Georgians think of Street Fight?  They all said those dirty tricks would never happen in Georgia.  Not in a former Soviet Republic.  They were upset that Booker lost, and glad to hear that he came back to become Mayor.  No one said it, but I think deep down they were glad to see their elections were not so different from a country that has been practicing democracy for over 200 years.  

I see some parallels between Mayor Booker and Georgia.  Corey Booker did not quit - obviously.  He came back and won.  He is now Mayor of Newark and prolific tweeter.  The Georgia opposition party did not quit either.  The opposition party (with some great work from k-global) formed the Georgia Dream Coalition and gained a majority in the Georgian Parliament.  Let's just hope that Bidzina Ivanishvili does not announce a run for the U.S. Senate in 2014 as well.

But since I do U.S. state government relations... What does the Mayor's announcement mean for New Jersey?  It might mean former NJ Department of Environmental Protection and current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, who recently announced her resignation effective January 21, 2013, enters the race.  It probably means a second term for Governor Christie.  But really, it means a much less interesting race without a Street Fight.

My Post Election Thoughts...

Elections are (finally) over!  We now know who is going to live in the governor's mansions and control the state houses.  As with any election, there were some surprises and interesting story lines to watch.

The big story for states ... Obama-care is here to stay (for now anyway).  States will be deciding if and how to expand Medicaid and implement health insurance exchanges without breaking state budgets.  The looming fiscal cliff could put huge strains on state budgets.  States and localities are the true government service providers (healthcare, education, public safety, emergency serivces) and rely heavily on federal dollars to provide these services.  Major cuts in federal dollars deal major blows to state and local governments.

Governors -

Most of the governor's races went as expected.  Incumbents won in Delaware, Missouri, North Dakota, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.  Indiana's Mike Pense cruised to victory to replace a term-limited Mitch Daniels.

The competitive races truly lived up to their billing.  Governor-elect Maggie Hassan (D) defeated perennial candidate Ovide Lamontagne.  Democrats also held in Montana and Washington.  The Governor-elect Inslee (D) vs Attorney General McKenna was a great race to watch.  Many thought given the late polls that McKenna might have pulled it out, but because Washington State votes by mail he probably peaked a week too late.  In North Carolina, former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory (R) managed the only flip in the fifty states winning the seat left open by a retiring Governor Bev Perdue (D).  Gov. Louis Fortuno, a pro-statehood Republican was the only incumbent defeated, as he lost to Alejandro Garcia Padilla of the Popular Democratic Party, an anti-statehood candidate on the same day Puerto Ricans approved a pro-statehood referendum.

Attorneys General Races -

In Pennsylvania, Kathleen Granahan Kane (D) won the Attorney General's race, which could set up an investigation in to Governor Corbett's handling of the Jerry Sandusky case when he was the state's top attorney.

In West Virginia, Darrell McGraw(D) ends a 20-year run as Attorney General as he was narrowly defeated by Republican Patrick Morrisey.

Washington State went blue as out-going AG Rob McKenna (R) will be followed by Bob Ferguson.

Legislatures - 

The big news in state legislatures is the new supermajority in California.  In California, tax increases can only be approved by a two-thirds majority.  In recent sessions, that has meant that some Republicans would have to vote in favor.  That will change in January and Californians can expect to see tax increases in the near future.

Wisconsin - The Wisconsin Senate flipped majorities in the third time in two years (which is unusual considering they only hold elections every two years).  Republicans were able to retake the Senate majority that they won in 2010 and lost in the special elections of 2011 and 2012. 

The New York Senate will be led by a parliamentary-like coalition government as a few break-away Democrats will caucus with the Republicans.  This coalition seemed to work during the first two-years of the Cuomo administration and ended the chaos and disfunction that was symbolic of Albany during the Paterson administration.  Somehow Sheldon Silver looks like he will continue his leadership role as Speaker of the Assembly.

In Maine, Republican control of the legislature was short-lived as voters returned control to Democrats. Maine is unique in that the legislature "elects" the three Constitutional officers - Attorney General, Secretary of State and Treasurer.  Expect changes to come in all three offices.

New Hampshire - The country’s largest state legislature continues to see giant shifts in control.  For the third time in three elections that the New Hampshire House of Representatives has shifted control, this time back to the Democrats. Democrats also narrowed the gap in the Senate, a body they also controlled before the 2010 elections.

Arkansas Republicans control both houses of the Legislature for the first time since reconstruction, as Republicans took control of both the House and Senate.

Over all, Democrats had a good night on Election night.  Democrats netted 170 seats across the country. In addition to those mentioned, Democrats have flipped the Colorado House, both the Minnesota House and Senate and the Oregon House. In addition to wins in Arkansas and Wisconsin, Republicans were able to gain control of the Alaska State Senate.

Ballot Issues -

I am happy to say that marriage equality was a huge winner at the ballot box this year.  Marriage equality was approved by voters in Maryland, Maine, Washington and an attempt in Minnesota to ban marriage equality failed.  This was an amazing night as marriage equality was previously riding a thirty-three ballot losing streak.  To me, this should not be a political issue.  Our friends and family members are entitled to equal rights and protections under the law and more importantly should be able to celebrate their relationships with their partners.  Congratulations!

Why Can't We All Get Along?

Video curtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

In the wake of a historic storm and in the final stretch of a very ugly presidential campaign, we see the best of government and politics. We see a president and governor work together to begin both the healing process and the rebuilding process. We see the unlikely praise from the Democratic candidate and one a top surrogate of the Republican candidate. We see President Obama and Governor Christie working together and praising each other's leadership and action.

Yes, this is what we are supposed to do. In crisis we put aside our differences and work together.  But could this have ended differently?  Just look at the handling of the Katrina disaster, where President George Bush was looking at a historic storm that hit a state with Democratic Governor. With Katrina, there was nothing but in-fighting and finger pointing before, during and after.

Governor Christie has been as vocal a critic of President Obama as anyone. He has criticized the president for Obamacare and its lack of Medicaid flexibility, his handling of the economy, and his lack of leadership from the White House. Christie gave the keynote address at the Republican National Convention where an impending storm did not temper his remarks. He has been so critical of the president that he pondered a presidential run himself.

Oddly enough, this storm could end up cementing President Obama's re-election. It has allowed him to show he is willing and able to work with Republicans to get things done. It has allowed the president to step above the fray and appear presidential during a time when the all-important undecided voters are finally making up their minds.

I think this also may have cemented Governor Christie's re-election. As a Republican governor in a very blue state, Christie was probably going to face a strong Democratic challenger (rumors of Newark Mayor Corey Booker and others are constantly swirling around the Garden State). Having President Obama offer his thanks and praise could be no better endorsement for the governor.

Will it help or hurt Governor Christie in 2016?  Well ... let's get through November 6th first.

Welcome to mob advocacy's new blog

Welcome to The State of the States - the new mob advocacy blog.  In this blog, we will share our thoughts on state and local government and political news, interesting or trending legislation and thoughts on life in a small (but growing) start-up firm.

We at mob advocacy are very excited this week.  In addition to launching this blog and preparing for our website to go live, we signed a new client - Student Veterans Advocacy Group (SVAG)!  mob advocacy will manage SVAG's national state legislative campaign aimed at increasing educational opportunities for veterans and their families.  You may not know this, but due to a change in the 2011 GI Bill, veterans can only get reimbursed for the cost of in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.  Since active duty military rarely meet state resident criteria, they are forced to make up the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition.  That cost usually makes it too expensive to attend.  We say, Vets have sacrificed... Vets have earned it... so, Let Vets Go!  (if you see #LetVetsGo on twitter, please retweet, especially to your governor and state legislators) 

At the end of the week, mob advocacy will be attending the summer meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA) in Williamsburg, Virginia.  The NGA meetings are a great opportunity to build relationships with governors and their key staff members, discuss issues our clients are currently having or expect to have in the next legislative session, and learn about the important issues facing our state governments (and sometimes even sharing ideas for solving them).  mob advocacy will represent our clients at the meeting.  Should you be one of them?  If you have legislative or regulatory issues in your state (or several states), we should talk.

Healthcare is always a big discussion at NGA meetings. With the recent U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision upholding most of the Affordable Care Act this meeting will be no different.  Many governors and state legislatures will spend the next twelve months deciding if and how to implement some, all or none of the law.  Health exchanges and the optional Medicaid expansion will certainly be hot topics.  Almost no one thought SCOTUS would decide to make Medicaid expansion optional, not even the National Association of State Medicaid Directors [read a great article here].  Now several governors, like Governor Rick Perry (R-TX) [article] , have announced they are not expanding their Medicaid programs and others, such as Governor Jan Brewer (R-AZ) [article], are weighing the options.

Thanks for reading.  Feel free to comment, suggest a topic, ask a question.  Follow my twitter feed (@mob_advocacy) throughout the NGA meeting (#NGA2012) , and look for our post-NGA wrap up next week.

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