MAVOCKE -- The NAT won a landslide victory nationwide in the Senate elections in 2012.
But one of their most important victories came in a Conservative-leaning state.
Conservatives held 3 of Province of Grassadellia's 4 Senate seats heading into the 2012 elections.
Those numbers reversed after election night, with the NAT taking 3 of the 4 seats.
That left only Sen. Dick Trau as the lone Conservative senator from POG.
Incumbent Charlie Quince lost his seat in the CNS primary, and the NAT won his seat in the general election, while Sen. Bobby Hafen Jr. ran for re-election in his native Onakiah, vacating his seat in POG.
Now, POG is represented in the Senate by Nationalists George Mercott, Max Keisling, and Diane Coke, with Trau in the clear minority.
It's a lonely place for Trau, who felt at ease working with Hafen and Quince.
"It does get lonely. You do sort of feel outnumbered, and when it comes to representing our state, I have very different views from my home-state colleagues," Trau told the GBC in a special interview last week.
The interview is set to air this coming Sunday. The GBC released a preview of their story on Trau, who comes from a politically active family.
"Being the son of a former Foreign Affairs Secretary and being married to a former lieutenant governor means I'm used to politics. It runs in the family," he joked with correspondent Kelly Abrams. "But when it comes to working in the Senate, the people you work very closely with don't always share your common views and political ideologies. So you have to be able to work with them. You basically have to master the art of working with people with which you disagree."
Case in point: Trau's working relationship with his three NAT colleagues.
"In many ways, I couldn't be further away from them in terms of political philosophy. We see things very differently. But we find common ground. We find areas where we can agree, and we agree to put aside our political parties and come together for the good of the province. It's called bipartisanship, and unfortunately, we don't see that as often as we should in this country."
Trau is a reliable Conservative vote in the Senate. But he has shown his bipartisan side in recent months, forging alliances with POG's other senators on key issues.
"All four of us (POG senators) supported taking Syria to the United Nations for their use of chemical weapons on civilians. So we found mutual agreement there. I'm working right now with Max Kiesling on an agriculture bill that would change labeling laws and help protect farmers and orchardists here in POG. I'm working with Diane Coke on a consumer rights bill that is still being drafted. And George Mercott and I are teaming up to lobby the federal government for more funding for the Quankalla Zoo in Lansdale and the Royal Marcedus-Leopold Space Center. So we are working together on many things and I want to continue that working relationship," said Trau.
While he may enjoy working with his Nationalist colleagues, he makes no secret that he would prefer their seats be held by Conservatives.
"I admire my NAT colleagues. I respect them, and I do enjoy partnering with them. But I would like to see those seats come over to the CNS side. I think we need a CNS majority in the Senate, and POG is a generally conservative-leaning state. I don't think the voice of the majority of the people in the province is being heard and conveyed as well as it should be. And I will probably campaign for Conservatives in the future and do my best to get those seats back in Conservative hands. But for now, I'm working with whoever is willing to work with me, Conservative, Nationalist, Democratic-Reformist, Independent, you name it."
For their part, Trau's NAT counterparts enjoy working with him too. Though they agree their views are far apart.
"Dick is a nice guy, he's a good person. I hardly agree with him on a number of issues. But he is a good person, and he really does have a genuine passion for serving," Coke told the GBC.
Kiesling and Mercott identify with Trau, both having also come from political families.
Kiesling is the son of former provincial Gov. Maxwell Kiesling Sr., and served himself as POG's Secretary of State until 2012; while Mercott formerly served as lieutenant governor in the 1990's and is the son of a former Secretary of Agriculture,
"We know how to raise political dynasties here in POG," Mercott joked.
Kiesling added the three men give their female colleague, Diane Coke, a hard time.
"Diane puts up with a lot by working with us guys. She keeps us in line."
Their collegial relationship helps them accomplish legislative goals, the group says. But the NAT's success in the last election means POG's clout in the Conservative party has dropped.
Dick Trau is optimistic though, about the party's future in the nation's most populous state.
"Election cycles bring victories and defeats. Parties go up and down. But I think the Conservative party will remain competitive in POG, as long as we stand united and don't get ourselves involved in bitter primaries."
None of POG's senators are up for re-election in 2014. Trau will be up for a second term in 2016.
But one of their most important victories came in a Conservative-leaning state.
Conservatives held 3 of Province of Grassadellia's 4 Senate seats heading into the 2012 elections.
Those numbers reversed after election night, with the NAT taking 3 of the 4 seats.
That left only Sen. Dick Trau as the lone Conservative senator from POG.
Incumbent Charlie Quince lost his seat in the CNS primary, and the NAT won his seat in the general election, while Sen. Bobby Hafen Jr. ran for re-election in his native Onakiah, vacating his seat in POG.
Now, POG is represented in the Senate by Nationalists George Mercott, Max Keisling, and Diane Coke, with Trau in the clear minority.
It's a lonely place for Trau, who felt at ease working with Hafen and Quince.
"It does get lonely. You do sort of feel outnumbered, and when it comes to representing our state, I have very different views from my home-state colleagues," Trau told the GBC in a special interview last week.
The interview is set to air this coming Sunday. The GBC released a preview of their story on Trau, who comes from a politically active family.
"Being the son of a former Foreign Affairs Secretary and being married to a former lieutenant governor means I'm used to politics. It runs in the family," he joked with correspondent Kelly Abrams. "But when it comes to working in the Senate, the people you work very closely with don't always share your common views and political ideologies. So you have to be able to work with them. You basically have to master the art of working with people with which you disagree."
Case in point: Trau's working relationship with his three NAT colleagues.
"In many ways, I couldn't be further away from them in terms of political philosophy. We see things very differently. But we find common ground. We find areas where we can agree, and we agree to put aside our political parties and come together for the good of the province. It's called bipartisanship, and unfortunately, we don't see that as often as we should in this country."
Trau is a reliable Conservative vote in the Senate. But he has shown his bipartisan side in recent months, forging alliances with POG's other senators on key issues.
"All four of us (POG senators) supported taking Syria to the United Nations for their use of chemical weapons on civilians. So we found mutual agreement there. I'm working right now with Max Kiesling on an agriculture bill that would change labeling laws and help protect farmers and orchardists here in POG. I'm working with Diane Coke on a consumer rights bill that is still being drafted. And George Mercott and I are teaming up to lobby the federal government for more funding for the Quankalla Zoo in Lansdale and the Royal Marcedus-Leopold Space Center. So we are working together on many things and I want to continue that working relationship," said Trau.
While he may enjoy working with his Nationalist colleagues, he makes no secret that he would prefer their seats be held by Conservatives.
"I admire my NAT colleagues. I respect them, and I do enjoy partnering with them. But I would like to see those seats come over to the CNS side. I think we need a CNS majority in the Senate, and POG is a generally conservative-leaning state. I don't think the voice of the majority of the people in the province is being heard and conveyed as well as it should be. And I will probably campaign for Conservatives in the future and do my best to get those seats back in Conservative hands. But for now, I'm working with whoever is willing to work with me, Conservative, Nationalist, Democratic-Reformist, Independent, you name it."
For their part, Trau's NAT counterparts enjoy working with him too. Though they agree their views are far apart.
"Dick is a nice guy, he's a good person. I hardly agree with him on a number of issues. But he is a good person, and he really does have a genuine passion for serving," Coke told the GBC.
Kiesling and Mercott identify with Trau, both having also come from political families.
Kiesling is the son of former provincial Gov. Maxwell Kiesling Sr., and served himself as POG's Secretary of State until 2012; while Mercott formerly served as lieutenant governor in the 1990's and is the son of a former Secretary of Agriculture,
"We know how to raise political dynasties here in POG," Mercott joked.
Kiesling added the three men give their female colleague, Diane Coke, a hard time.
"Diane puts up with a lot by working with us guys. She keeps us in line."
Their collegial relationship helps them accomplish legislative goals, the group says. But the NAT's success in the last election means POG's clout in the Conservative party has dropped.
Dick Trau is optimistic though, about the party's future in the nation's most populous state.
"Election cycles bring victories and defeats. Parties go up and down. But I think the Conservative party will remain competitive in POG, as long as we stand united and don't get ourselves involved in bitter primaries."
None of POG's senators are up for re-election in 2014. Trau will be up for a second term in 2016.
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