Wolmach wins Marchenay governor's primary

MADAGEN, Mar. -- A divided Marchenay Nationalist Party has chosen its nominee for governor, and the front-runner did not get the win.

Initially billed as a long-shot, former federal Sen. Heidi Wolmach's (N) late entry into the governor's race ended up paying dividends for her, as elections officials officially certified her as the winner of the state NAT's nomination.

The outcome was close, with Wolmach pulling in 51% to Levenetti's 49%, respectively. Marchenay Secretary of State Ari Kavarnath reported voter turnout to be lower than usual, at 15 percent.

Wolmach jumped in the race early this year -- months after Lt. Gov. Kevin Levenetti (N) had already declared his candidacy.

After losing reelection to the Senate, Wolmach was reportedly depressed and frustrated, according to friends and close associates.

She quickly turned her eyes to the governor's race, where Levenetti was already well-established, had raised over $3 million, and had already lined up the support of hundreds of local and state NAT officials.

When Wolmach filed to run for governor, many fellow Nationalists expressed anger and annoyance, since Levenetti was already well-positioned to win the party's nomination.

Many political insiders dismissed the former senator's campaign as too little, too late.

Despite the criticism and the daunting odds against her, Wolmach soldiered on with her underdog campaign.

She caught criticism from Conservatives when she said, in a radio interview, that, as a woman, she brought a unique perspective to the governor's race.

She cast Levenetti as "nice enough," but also "too nice" to take on Conservative incumbent Gov. Mike Shannon, who is running for reelection in the fall.

"The Marchenay NAT needs a fighter, a warrior. Someone who will get in the trenches and fight these Conservative ideologues with everything they have. And that's me! That's what I've already done in the Senate and what I will do if I get the chance to go up against Mike Shannon," said Wolmach at a campaign appearance in her home county of Snowden, just west of Madagen.

Levenetti initially downplayed Wolmach's candidacy.

"I was the first person to enter this race. I have a strong record as lieutenant governor, as a state representative. I'm focused on the fall election," said a confident Levenetti at a press conference in Rowe County, northeast of Madagen, back in April.

The race between the two candidates stayed mostly civil. Both refrained from personal attacks on their opponent.

But in the final weeks of the campaign, Wolmach began drawing in more money through fundraising, with much of her campaign donations coming from out of state.

Levenetti, too, received large donations from out of state sources, as the race became somewhat nationalized as a referendum on the NAT's path forward: either a hard-left path, which Wolmach championed, or a moderate, pragmatic path, which Levenetti embodied.

The race also came down to age, gender and rural versus urban.

Older voters, woman and urban voters favored Wolmach, while younger voters, which constitute a smaller portion of the primary electorate, men and rural voters broke strongly for Levenetti.

At his campaign celebration in west Madagen, a visibly disappointed Levenetti congratulated Wolmach on her win. He promised not to contest the results, despite the close results.

"I have to hand it to Heidi. She got into this race very late, she didn't have any money. But she campaigned on her ideas, on her strengths, on her commitment to the people of Marchenay, and she pulled off what a lot of people thought was impossible: beating me," said a smiling Levenetti.

The lieutenant governor pledged to support Wolmach in the general election, as she faces an uphill battle to unseat the popular Shannon.

Just across town in downtown Madagen, Wolmach basked in the glow of the cameras, as her supporters gave her a nearly five-minute long standing ovation when the results were announced.

"We did it, we did it, we did it!" exclaimed an exuberant Wolmach. "And I couldn't have done it without each and every one of you, who donated money, who gave your time, who knocked on doors, who talked with neighbors. I am forever indebted to you all," said an emotional Wolmach.

She quickly turned her attention -- and her fire -- on Shannon.

"Tonight, we celebrate," said Wolmach. "But tomorrow, we get right back to work, because we know there is so much to do. We are running against a radical Conservative campaign machine. They have already tried to take away a woman's right to choose, they have already rolled back protections for trans and LGBTQ Marchenayans. They have already rolled back environmental protections. They've already cut taxes for the wealthy while leaving working class and poor Marchenayans behind. They've done so much damage. But we are coming, Marchenay. We are coming to save the day. But I'll be honest, it's going to be tough, and we need to be prepared for battle, because this is going to be the fight of our lives."

Shannon congratulated Wolmach on her win. The governor told reporters gathered around him that he was "surprised she pulled it off," but he is "looking forward to a spirited but respectful race."

He dismissed Wolmach's "hyperbolic" victory speech.

"If you listen to her when she's campaigning and speaking to her people," said Shannon, "she uses terms like 'battle,' 'war,' 'fight.' I mean, she acts like this election is a literal war. I think it's a little much."

"Look, we have differences, of course. She and I disagree strongly on policy. But this is not a war. It's a contest. It's a campaign. We each get the chance to put our records and our ideas up against the other's, and we let the voters of Marchenay decide who has the best record and the best vision for our state. I'm confident they'll choose me," said Shannon.

Both national parties have already raised millions of dollars for what is expected to be a hard-fought election. 

Wolmach, a darling of the Nationalist Party, is a prolific fundraiser, though she frequently lands herself and her party in hot water through her often controversial comments.

Shannon is less outspoken and less charismatic. An average fundraiser, he has still managed to pull in an impressive $8.1 million, with about half of that total coming from large corporations and corporate donors, and the other half coming from small, individual contributors.

But the governor is popular, according to polls. Marchenay's economy is one of the best in the nation, with job increases in auto manufacturing, software and AI, and aerospace. 

While a social conservative, Shannon has focused largely on economic issues and kitchen table matters during his term.

He did sign a bill putting some mild restrictions on abortion in the state, including extending the waiting period for women to obtain an abortion after consultation with a doctor. And requiring minors to obtain permission from a parent or guardian before having an abortion procedure.

And he did issue an executive order that mandates that people should use the bathroom of their gender assigned at birth, with mild penalties for violators.

Overall, the governor has focused on business recruitment, lowering taxes, and lowering government spending. He's also relaxed environmental laws, promoting logging, mining and oil exploration, particularly in the northern third of the state, where he hails from.

Polls show Shannon will be difficult to beat. However, Marchenay is fairly evenly matched between Conservative and Nationalist voters. So any contest can be close.

Experts and insiders say the outcome of the race will largely come down to voter turnout, as well as personalities.

"Heidi Wolmach has a strong personality. Some people love her, a lot of people hate her. So, the question is, will people choose someone really divisive over someone who is generally a pretty easy-to-get-along with guy," said Mark Jacobs, a Conservative campaign consultant, who is not involved in the race.

On the NAT side, James Comer, an NAT strategist, says Mike Shannon's "boring" personality and Heidi Wolmach's "energy" may be the ultimate determiner.

"The voters want someone who will get things done. Heidi Wolmach might be a bitch, but she gets shit done," said Comer. "Mike Shannon is a nice guy and he's quiet and reserved. But is he going to fight hard for the people of Marchenay? Those are the questions that Marchenayans are going to have to ask themselves this election."

***Unofficial Election Results -- Marchenay Primary Election -- Governor***

15% Turnout	1,613,329 total votes	49.02%	50.98%				#	790,847	822,482
		Levenetti	Wolmach					Levenetti	Wolmach
		49.02%	50.98%				# Total Votes:	1,613,329
								100%

Kelly attracting large crowds in Biereland

BAR GREEN, Bie. -- Though he's been massively outspent and lacks the name recognition and support of state leaders, Conservative candidate for Biereland governor Chris Kelly is garnering a lot of attention in his uphill effort to secure his party's nomination for governor.

Kelly, a 43-year-old political newcomer and little known sports executive from southeastern Farnham County, is running for the CNS nomination against a Goliath opponent -- former Gov. Ben Jordan.

Jordan has raised $4.3 million, Kelly has raised just $1.9 million. 

Many national and state Conservative leaders have rallied behind Jordan, while Kelly has received a few endorsements from a handful of prominent Conservatives.

And yet, the younger Kelly is attracting attention, not just in Biereland but nationally.

He's said that he respects Jordan, but the time for a new, younger Conservative leader is now. Jordan, 73, is running for a third term. He previously served as governor from 2015 to 2023. Before that, he served two terms as the state's attorney general.

And crowds are responding to Kelly. Speaking at the Young Conservatives Conference at the Climate Zone Arena in downtown Brookings last week, Kelly was front-and-center before more than 4,000 young CNS activists gathered from across the country. They applauded as Kelly spoke about the importance of the free market, low taxes and smaller government.

"Ben Jordan has done a good job, but we are entering a new era of radical Nationalist politicians who want to steer our country to socialism, to radical transgender theory, to radical social policies. We don't need an elderly candidate leading the fight against all that. We need a younger candidate from the next generation who can rise to the occasion and lead today's Gen Z and Millennials in the fight," said Kelly. 

He received a standing ovation at the end of his speech.

Of course, the youthful audience at the YCC was stacked in Kelly's favor.

At various stops around the state, though, Kelly's crowds have been smaller than the YC Conference, but still impressive.

He pulled in over 60 people in the small town of Wisen, population 300, in north-central Biereland.

And in Berringer, he pulled in more than 300 people at a community forum that usually only attracts a few dozen attendees.

In Kensington, hundreds of people came out to hear him as he walked and spoke with the public in downtown.

And on social media, the candidate, a Millennial himself, is getting thousands of views on popular social media apps.

Kelly's presence on social media, where he often posts selfies and produces his own content, is unmatched by Jordan, who has staff that manage his socials.

"There's a clear age gap between these two candidates," says Peter Green, a political sociologist who is studying the race. "And you're seeing that in the energy and the media savviness of Chris Kelly."

The Jordan campaign dismisses Kelly as "an also-ran," as Jordan called him last week in a press conference.

"Chris Kelly is a nice kid," Jordan said. "But he doesn't have the experience, he doesn't have the network and connections, he doesn't have the money, and he really doesn't have any accomplishments to speak of."

Kelly acknowledges that beating Jordan would "be like David beating Goliath," as he told a reporter last week in a sit-down interview in between campaign appearances.

As he ate a brown-bag lunch at a picnic table at a food truck lot in Sanderson, a small town in north-central Biereland, Kelly admitted he is out-gunned by Jordan's money and campaign infrastructure.

"He definitely has the upper hand in this contest, no doubt about that," he said. "But what was I supposed to do? Just defer to Ben Jordan and let him run again? That's what everyone else has done. That's what all the other Conservatives in this state have done. We have a lot of people who make great Conservative governors, but nobody wanted to run against Ben Jordan. Everyone just deferred to him.

"Well, the problem with that is the polling shows Ben Jordan can't beat [incumbent Gov.] Joel Gruenwalder. So, we can defer to Ben Jordan. But then we lose to Joel Gruenwalder. Would you rather defer to a veteran candidate who is revered in this party and Conservatives in Biereland love Ben Jordan. But would you rather defer to him or beat Joel Gruenwalder? I'd rather win in December, personally," said Kelly.

Polls have shown a close hypothetical contest between Jordan and Gruenwalder (N), with Gruenwalder narrowly leading Jordan.

Kelly also trails Gruenwalder in the polls, although many voters polled say they've never heard of him before.

"There is a name recognition issue that we have to overcome. But I think if we have the party behind us and all the money that comes with that, we can get our name out there and give voters a real option. A lot of people would vote for me without even knowing me because they're just so sick of the NAT and these liberal policies coming out of Brookings," said Kelly.

The Gruenwalder campaign has not commented on the CNS primary, although political action committees (PACs) associated with Gruenwalder and the Nationalist Governors Association (NATGA) have reportedly been quietly supporting Jordan in the CNS primary race.

NATGA has dropped two TV commercials praising Jordan's conservative credentials. And a pro-NAT PAC has even donated to Jordan's campaign.

Jordan has said he will return the money from the NAT-affiliated PAC, although his campaign has not done so yet.

Regardless of who wins on the CNS side, it will be a difficult race for Conservatives.

Biereland is a center-right state, but Gruenwalder, a moderate, has deftly avoided contentious social issues. Polls show many Conservative voters approve of many of his policies.

"I don't see Joel Gruenwalder as someone who is really hated by Conservatives," said Green, who has analyzed many governors race in the past and present. "Joel Gruenwalder is a pretty middle-of-the-road guy. He may be a Nationalist and he may lean to the left, but he's not a Ramon Ramos or a Jenna Duvan," said Green, referring to two of the more liberal governors in other states, POG and Damoign, respectively.

The economy also seems to be doing fairly well in Biereland, after a post-pandemic burst of growth. And Gruenwalder has eschewed raising taxes, except a small increase on large corporations.

"Joel Gruenwalder is keeping Biereland's economy running and strong," said campaign spokesperson Cary Gilders. "Joel is focused on bringing new industry to Biereland, diversifying our economy, bringing living-wage jobs to our state, and strengthening our economic development package that will attract new businesses."

The governor focuses on the economy every week in his frequent social media posts.

For Kelly, the current governor is "okay."

"But we could do better," said Kelly. "I want to give not only the Conservative voters of Biereland another choice, but the people of Biereland a choice too. I believe in freedom, liberty, the free market, freedom of ideas and school choice and freedom of health. I think a lot of Bierelanders support those ideas, and I'd love to stack my policies up against Joel Gruenwalder's and let the people decide."

The Biereland primary election is scheduled for August 4.