Melayna Lewis: 'We'll get 'em next time!'

NAT candidate hints at future run

SHANOGOWEE, Remm. – She lost a close race for the Senate, but dispatched NAT candidate Melayna Lewis hinted she’ll be back.

After conceding defeat to her Conservative opponent, Assemblywoman Shaylene McCullough, Ms. Lewis, a state representative from Shanogowee in southeast Remmington, tweeted “We’ll get ‘em next time!”, hinting she may be running for office again in the near future.

The curious tweet raised eyebrows, and left many speculating Ms. Lewis will challenge McCullough again in 2018, when Ms. McCullough will have to run for re-election to a full six-year term.

Sources in the national NAT party leadership say party elders are hopeful Lewis will run again in 2018.

“She’s our best shot at this point. She came very close, and with more money the next time around, NAT senators are hopeful we can get her elected,” said an aide to NAT Senate leadership, who asked not to be named because they weren’t permitted to speak to the media.

Lewis has said she will return to being a state representative for her district in Shanogowee, but refused to elaborate on her future plans.

McCullough wins Senate by-election, is first woman elected from Remmington

Conservatives retain seat in closely-watched race

 

REMMINGTON CITY, Remm. – History was made in Remmington Saturday night, as voters elected a woman to the Federal Senate for the first time in state history.

 

Shaylene McCullough (C), an assemblywoman from the Remmington City-based electorate of Benham, edged out a win over NAT candidate Melayna Lewis of Shanogowee.

Remmington Secretary of State Kimberly Welch reported McCullough taking 51% of the vote to Lewis' 49%, or 729,015 votes to 694,034, respectively.

Welch estimated turn out to be around 45%, much lower than during a normal election, which is typical for by-elections.

 

The two women had faced off in June against businessman and Democratic-Reformist candidate Jude Weimer, who finished last in what was originally a three-way race.

 

In accordance with Remmington law, the top two candidates advanced to a run-off election.

With control of the Senate almost evenly divided between the CNS and the NAT, both parties poured money and resources into the historic race.

During the campaign, McCullough, 48, cast herself as a reliable Conservative vote who would counter the liberal policies of the NAT’s new Senate Majority Leader, Damoign’s Debbie Madronas.

“The Nationalists have a majority in the Senate, and you and I both know with Debbie Madronas at the helm, with her in charge, we are in for a radically, far-leftist agenda,” said McCullough at a rally with the right-wing Bikers for the Constitution group in east Remmington City.

“I am the Conservative version of Debbie Madronas,” McCullough told the Remmington Star last month. “I’m a fiercely conservative woman, I’m a mom, a wife, a member of my church, I own a gun, I believe in the Constitution, I believe Grassadellia should have a strong military and be a world power that leads the world.”

Melayna Lewis, 42, intentionally steered clear of Debbie Madronas and the National NAT party, who both are unpopular in red-state Remmington.

A native of the city of Shanogowee in the southeast corner of the state, Ms. Lewis, a state representative, sought to highlight her conservative credentials while also drawing attention to pillar NAT issues, such as health care, education and pension reform.

“The problem with our politics in this country right now is you are demonized if you work with the other party. Compromise is seen as a weakness, not a strength. If you work with a senator from the opposing party, you are viewed as a traitor, as inauthentic, when in reality, compromise is exactly what we need,” she said in a campaign stop in rural Werlop County east of Remmington City.

“I’m a mom too, and I try to teach my kids that compromise and working together are fundamental to a strong family. We’ve lost that ideal in Mavocke,” said Lewis.

While they held many differences, there was common ground between the two candidates.

Both want to see a larger military with more recruiting and funding, both said they would fight to protect Demming Air Force Base in the north-central part of the state. And both said they want to see environmental restrictions by the federal government rolled back and more autonomy given to the states.

Though they had the eyes of the nation on them, neither candidate attacked each other personally, and campaign advertisements were largely positive. At a televised debate in Remmington City, both women shook hands and talked about their families.

“We’re both moms, we’re both wives, we’re both just normal everyday women who care about our country,” said Ms. McCullough.

She added that she would like to work with her rival in the future.

“If she were to get elected to the National Assembly, I would very much love to work with Melayna. She is a bright, articulate woman and we need more of those in Mavocke,” said McCullough.

Indeed, after conceding the race to McCullough, Ms. Lewis tweeted “We’ll get ‘em next time!”, hinting that she may run for office in the future.

Remmington Governor Jared Lanman, who held the Senate seat that will be held by McCullough, tweeted his congratulations to the senator-elect.

“Congratulations to my friend and colleague, @ShayleneMcCullough, for her historic win tonight!”

Lanman followed up with a second tweet, saying “We need more freedom warriors in the Senate!”

Several female Conservative senators also offered their congratulations.

“Delighted to see @ShayleneMcCullough elected in Remmington tonight. Looking forward to working with her,” said Veroche Sen. Kit McHenry.

Monomi Sen. Cathy De Beers also offered praise, saying McCullough will be a “strong Conservative voice for Remmington and all Grassadellians.”