MANCHESTER, March. -- Conservative Gov. David Brown easily routed a more far-right opponent in Marchenay's CNS primary election last night, and Attorney General Dan Rattner won a four-way race to become the NAT's candidate.
Brown, a socially-liberal, wealthy, moderate incumbent from Manchester, was being challenged for his party's backing by freshman state Rep. David LaSaria of Harpertown (pronounced "Luh-sarr-ree-a").
Brown ultimately held onto his party's nomination, taking 58% of the primary vote compared to 41% for LaSaria, or 540,158 votes to 383,740, respectively.
LaSaria, just 39 years old, criticized Brown, 59, for being too socially liberal and for failing to rein in reckless spending in Newcastle.
A devoutly conservative Roman Catholic, LaSaria took particular issue with Brown's pro-abortion stance.
LaSaria was also vocally critical of Brown's approval of a bill that outlawed so-called "conversion therapy" for gay youth, a practice employed by conservative religious organizations that has been widely discredited by the scientific and medical communities.
"David Brown says he is a Conservative. He has a 'C' after his name on his campaign signs. But he supports abortion, he supports penalizing and persecuting churches and religious organizations for their Biblical views on marriage and sexuality, and he spends money just as willy-nilly as the Nationalists," LaSaria told a crowd of conservative activists.
CNS voters in rural counties swung heavily in favor of LaSaria, while the urban areas stayed with Brown, who pitched himself as a more seasoned, tempered leader.
"David LaSaria is young, and handsome, and full of energy, and quick to criticize. But he's not ready to lead," Brown told a group of supporters on the eve of the election.
After Marchenay Secretary of State Kathy Bernanski released the results, David LaSaria conceded the race. He did not endorse Brown, however.
"The voters have spoken. They've decided to stick with David Brown. I wish it turned out differently, but we have to respect the Conservative voters of Marchenay," LaSaria said.
Brown thanked his supporters for "delivering a verdict of common sense and pragmatism."
"Tonight, you had the opportunity to choose a rogue novice who was big on attacks but short on solutions. And you rejected that offer, and chose to stick with someone who's less flashy, less handsome - maybe - (he said to laughs), but actually has solutions and a plan for Marchenay," said Brown at his victory rally in Manchester.
Meanwhile, the race for the NAT gubernatorial nomination was less certain.
Four candidates asked NAT voters to give them the nod to challenge Brown, who is seeking his second term in fall 2018.
Attorney General Dan Rattner, of Newcastle, was an early favorite. But when longtime NAT party activist and elder Tom Hartwell of Kittelson entered the contest, and then Mavocke businessman Tom Fortney, the race was suddenly plunged into uncertainty.
Liberal activist Diane Dembrowski from Newcastle was also in the running, though she was overwhelmingly outspent by her three male opponents.
In the end, Rattner narrowly avoided an upset. He held on to win with almost 30% of votes, followed closely by Hartwell with 28%, Fortney with 25% and Dembrowski with 17 per cent, respectively.
Rattner ended the night with 326,606 votes to Hartwell's 310,381.
Fortney followed with 278,190 and Dembrowski with 186,429.
Rattner did well in the state's largest metro area, Madagen, while Hartwell and Fortney split counties in the greater Mavocke area.
Calling the primary election "an invigorating process," Rattner told his supporters he is prepared to take on David Brown in the fall.
"This campaign was hard, it was close. That's a good thing," he said. "Now we will be more tested and more hungry for victory against David Brown this fall."
Unlike their Conservative counterparts, all three NAT losing candidates immediately endorsed Rattner.
Hartwell called the attorney general a "good man who will be an effective leader."
Fortney said he looks forward to working with Rattner after he is elected governor.
And Dembrowski urged her voters to throw their support to Rattner in the general election.
"There is really no question about who you should support this fall. Dan Rattner is apart of the NAT establishment, and I'm not too thrilled about that. But Dan Rattner is a saint compared to David Brown. So we need to support Dan, and make sure David Brown and his greedy, rich friends in the Conservative party don't win," said Dembrowski.
Few polls have been conducted to gauge a Brown-Rattner race, but most political pundits expect it to be close.
Both Brown and Rattner are wealthy, accomplished figures, though neither is particularly charismatic.
Brown has been called a "professorial" and "socially-awkward" by his own party members.
Rattner has been called "cold" and "lacking compassion" by fellow Nationalists.
Mr. Brown has come under fire from Rattner and Nationalists for a lagging economy - something the governor vowed to fix when he campaigned against his predecessor Christine Gabler (N) in 2014.
The Brown campaign, however, has already released a TV ad attacking Rattner. The ad depicts a factory and a conveyor belt and shows a Dan Rattner action figure coming off the "Nationalist Party machine's assembly line."
"Dan Rattner is the product of the Nationalist Party machine politics factory," the narrator says. "He's programmed to raise taxes, he's equipped with sound bytes about inequality and manufactured to attack business. But just like this action figure, he doesn't do much."
The ad is currently running in all seven media markets in Marchenay.
Brown, a socially-liberal, wealthy, moderate incumbent from Manchester, was being challenged for his party's backing by freshman state Rep. David LaSaria of Harpertown (pronounced "Luh-sarr-ree-a").
Brown ultimately held onto his party's nomination, taking 58% of the primary vote compared to 41% for LaSaria, or 540,158 votes to 383,740, respectively.
LaSaria, just 39 years old, criticized Brown, 59, for being too socially liberal and for failing to rein in reckless spending in Newcastle.
A devoutly conservative Roman Catholic, LaSaria took particular issue with Brown's pro-abortion stance.
LaSaria was also vocally critical of Brown's approval of a bill that outlawed so-called "conversion therapy" for gay youth, a practice employed by conservative religious organizations that has been widely discredited by the scientific and medical communities.
"David Brown says he is a Conservative. He has a 'C' after his name on his campaign signs. But he supports abortion, he supports penalizing and persecuting churches and religious organizations for their Biblical views on marriage and sexuality, and he spends money just as willy-nilly as the Nationalists," LaSaria told a crowd of conservative activists.
CNS voters in rural counties swung heavily in favor of LaSaria, while the urban areas stayed with Brown, who pitched himself as a more seasoned, tempered leader.
"David LaSaria is young, and handsome, and full of energy, and quick to criticize. But he's not ready to lead," Brown told a group of supporters on the eve of the election.
After Marchenay Secretary of State Kathy Bernanski released the results, David LaSaria conceded the race. He did not endorse Brown, however.
"The voters have spoken. They've decided to stick with David Brown. I wish it turned out differently, but we have to respect the Conservative voters of Marchenay," LaSaria said.
Brown thanked his supporters for "delivering a verdict of common sense and pragmatism."
"Tonight, you had the opportunity to choose a rogue novice who was big on attacks but short on solutions. And you rejected that offer, and chose to stick with someone who's less flashy, less handsome - maybe - (he said to laughs), but actually has solutions and a plan for Marchenay," said Brown at his victory rally in Manchester.
Meanwhile, the race for the NAT gubernatorial nomination was less certain.
Four candidates asked NAT voters to give them the nod to challenge Brown, who is seeking his second term in fall 2018.
Attorney General Dan Rattner, of Newcastle, was an early favorite. But when longtime NAT party activist and elder Tom Hartwell of Kittelson entered the contest, and then Mavocke businessman Tom Fortney, the race was suddenly plunged into uncertainty.
Liberal activist Diane Dembrowski from Newcastle was also in the running, though she was overwhelmingly outspent by her three male opponents.
In the end, Rattner narrowly avoided an upset. He held on to win with almost 30% of votes, followed closely by Hartwell with 28%, Fortney with 25% and Dembrowski with 17 per cent, respectively.
Rattner ended the night with 326,606 votes to Hartwell's 310,381.
Fortney followed with 278,190 and Dembrowski with 186,429.
Rattner did well in the state's largest metro area, Madagen, while Hartwell and Fortney split counties in the greater Mavocke area.
Calling the primary election "an invigorating process," Rattner told his supporters he is prepared to take on David Brown in the fall.
"This campaign was hard, it was close. That's a good thing," he said. "Now we will be more tested and more hungry for victory against David Brown this fall."
Unlike their Conservative counterparts, all three NAT losing candidates immediately endorsed Rattner.
Hartwell called the attorney general a "good man who will be an effective leader."
Fortney said he looks forward to working with Rattner after he is elected governor.
And Dembrowski urged her voters to throw their support to Rattner in the general election.
"There is really no question about who you should support this fall. Dan Rattner is apart of the NAT establishment, and I'm not too thrilled about that. But Dan Rattner is a saint compared to David Brown. So we need to support Dan, and make sure David Brown and his greedy, rich friends in the Conservative party don't win," said Dembrowski.
Few polls have been conducted to gauge a Brown-Rattner race, but most political pundits expect it to be close.
Both Brown and Rattner are wealthy, accomplished figures, though neither is particularly charismatic.
Brown has been called a "professorial" and "socially-awkward" by his own party members.
Rattner has been called "cold" and "lacking compassion" by fellow Nationalists.
Mr. Brown has come under fire from Rattner and Nationalists for a lagging economy - something the governor vowed to fix when he campaigned against his predecessor Christine Gabler (N) in 2014.
The Brown campaign, however, has already released a TV ad attacking Rattner. The ad depicts a factory and a conveyor belt and shows a Dan Rattner action figure coming off the "Nationalist Party machine's assembly line."
"Dan Rattner is the product of the Nationalist Party machine politics factory," the narrator says. "He's programmed to raise taxes, he's equipped with sound bytes about inequality and manufactured to attack business. But just like this action figure, he doesn't do much."
The ad is currently running in all seven media markets in Marchenay.
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