Musgrove Wins Important Ballot Battle in Mississippi

Writing for the Congressional Quarterly's online news edition, CQ staffer Rachel Kapochunas reports that a Mississippi judge has handed an important victory to Democrat Ronnie Musgrove in his effort to have the special election for US Senate in the Magnolia State placed near the top of the ballot. Musgrove is challenging interim Senator, Republican Roger Wicker who was appointed late last year by Republican Governor Haley Barbour to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of former Senator Trent Lott.

Mississippi Republicans had placed the special US Senate race at the bottom of the state ballot, below even county and local races. It was evidently an effort to discourage Mississippi voters from participating in the very important - and nationally significant - Senate race. Historically, so-called 'down-ballot' races receive far fewer votes than those at the top of the ticket. Mississippi Republicans apparently figured that the fewer votes cast in the special US Senate race, the better for their candidate. Surprise.

The judge's order overturns that decision and requires that the US Senate race be placed near the top of the ballot along with other 'national' offices. There is no word yet as to whether the Mississippi state government, or the Mississippi Republican Party, will appeal the ruling.

Musgrove Exposes Wicker's Big Spending Ways

One of the under-the-radar U.S. Senate races is the special election in Mississippi between appointed (by special interests..err...Governor Barbour) Senator Roger Wicker and former Governor Ronnie Musgrove to fill the final four years of Senator Trent Lott's (who resigned when he discovered being in the minority was no fun) term. Despite the state's GOP reputation, the race is very competitive in all polls; and Barack Obama's presence on the ballot will help with African-American turnout, which will only help Musgrove.

Roger Wicker served seven terms in Congress and achieved very little other than voting for irresponsible trade deals that sold out places like Mississippi, while filling his campaign war-coffers. Despite representating a strong Republican district that gave Bush over 60% of the vote, his district was always ambivalent towards him; so much so that this ruby red district elected a Democrat to replace him.

Being a creature of Washington, Roger Wicker never found a wasteful spending appropriation he didn't like. As Governor Musgrove recently said, ""We've got to stop out of control spending" and "We need to stop the partisan politics in Washington and get things moving." and that trade deals like NAFTA "just took jobs out by the droves." He added Washington (and creatures of the Beltway like Roger Wicker) has "forgotten what its business is. It's the people's business, not special interest."

If you want to help a leader like Governor Musgrove turn this country around and give Democrats a filibuster proof majority in the United States Senate, please donate today to Governor Musgrove's campaign.