FreedomWorks Backs Three Upstarts for Open House Seats

Roll Call ^ | May 16, 2012 | Shira Toeplitz

[Clintonfatigued]

FreedomWorks announced its support for three upstart Republican House candidates today, pitting the conservative grass-roots group against local elected officials in each state.

The group endorsed Public Service Commissioner Kevin Cramer in North Dakota’s at-large seat; Lewis County Judge Executive Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s 4th district; and former state Sen. Sam Aanestad in California’s 1st district.

All three candidates are running in open-seat races. FreedomWorks’ support is notable because it’s backing the underdogs in each race and, in one case, going against the state party’s endorsement.

In North Dakota, the state GOP endorsed Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk at its convention last month. Cramer opted to challenge Kalk outside the convention system, forcing the two to run in a rare contested primary on June 12.

In Kentucky, Massie faces two candidates with establishment backing: state Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington and Boone County Judge Executive Gary Moore. Retiring Rep. Geoff Davis (R) and former Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning (R) endorsed Webb-Edgington. Massie also has been endorsed by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

In California, the PAC is backing Aanestad in the “jungle primary” for the open 1st district, a safe Republican seat. Aanestad faces state Sen. Doug LaMalfa, who has the backing of 12 Members of Congress, including Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), National Republican Congressional Committee Deputy Chairman Greg Walden (Ore.) and Rep. Wally Herger (Calif.), who is retiring from the seat.

The trio joins the stable of 10 House candidates with FreedomWorks’ backing this cycle.

[Clintonfatigued]

Thomas Massie is a great choice in Kentucky. I know little about the candidates in North Dakota and northern California.

[Impy]

I don’t know either about ND.

In the CA race, Sam Aanestad (born in ND) I’ve heard of. The other State Senator running, Doug LaMalfa I have not.

[AuH2ORepublican]

I hope Aanestad wins just so he can become first alphabetically in the all-time congressional directory. (Just kidding; I’ve heard he’s a solid conservative.)

For 50 years starting with his debut in 1954, Hank Aaron was first alphabetically among all-time major league baseball players. On April 6, 2004 (a week before the Golden Anniversary of Aaron’s debut), reliever David Aardsma made his MLB debut, thereby replacing Aaron as the first listing in baseball reference books. If Aanestad gets elected, he could be first forever.

Boy, is my face red. I decided to check the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress to see whose record Aanestad would break, and found out that a Fred Aandahl (R-ND) served a single term in Congress, elected to the House in 1950 but then losing a Senate race in 1952. So Aanestad would be number two all-time. Oh, well.

[Impy]

Ah, too bad. Being only the second Aa would still be pretty cool. The current #2 on the list is VA rat Watkins Abbitt. Michigan Republican John Zwatch is on the bottom beating out a guy I just mentioned on another thread, Zschau. A guy named John Zubly served in the Continental Congress! I didn’t know they had Continental Congress in that database.

Aardsma was on the Cubs and W Sox. Naturally he got better when he left town. With the Yankees now I see, or will be when he’s done rehabbing after Tommy John.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Yes, Aardsma, first alphabetically in MLB history, pitched for both the Cubs and White Sox, but he ain’t got nothin’ on outfielder Dutch Zwilling, who is last alphabetically in MLB history (although since the Baseball Encyclopedia lists pitchers separately at the end, the last player listed there is pitcher George Zuverink).

Zwilling played only four seasons in the Majors, but managed to play for each of the Cubs, the White Sox, and the Chicago Whales of the Federal League (which was a major league in 1914 and 1915). Zwilling led the Federal League in homers in 1914 and in RBIs in 1915, but he was *terrible* against the tougher aL pitching in 1910 and NL pitching in 1916. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zwilldu01.shtml

BTW, do you remember those Chicago Tribune commercials from the mid-to-late 1980s that they’d show on WGN, starring (IIRC) Mike Royko and Dennis Franz, where they’d quiz each other about Cubs history? One of the questions was “what was the first team to play in Wrigley Field?”, and the answer was “the Whales.” When the Federal League folded, the owner of the Chicago Whales, Charles Weeghman, was allowed to purchase the Cubs, and he moved the Cubs into the steel-and-concrete stadium he had built for the Whales, “Weeghman Park.” It was later known as “Cubs Park” and, after William Wrigley purchased the Cubs in 1921, it was renamed “Wrigley Field.”

[Impy]

Zwilling! Outstanding!

I’ve heard of the Whales, I didn’t know but they were Federal League Champs in 1915. It would be fun having a third league and a crazy round robin world series or something.

I’d settle for bringing the Arizona Cardinals home, though it would be better to have an AFC team.

I don’t recall ever seeing those commercials, I wouldn’t have if they haven’t re-showed them in more recent years. Sound cool, you have the right guys but I can’t find any video online. Still funny to me that Franz with his exaggerated “Chicago Accent” played a NY COP.

[Impy]

I probably should have said “re-shown”. ;d