Ballot Measures /
End of the Line for Dog Racing?
The first returns are coming in from Massachusetts, where voters are deciding on Question 3 to ban greyhound racing. With only a handful of precincts reporting, the YES side is winning 59% to 41%. This will be one to watch, and could come down to a photo finish.
Elections /
Jeanne Shaheen Appears to Win New Hampshire Senate
FOX News has called the U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire for Democratic challenger Jeanne Shaheen over Republican incumbent John Sununu. The race was one of the top targets for the Humane Society Legislative Fund, which had backed Shaheen and sent mail to more than 37,000 voters in the state.
Ballot Measures /
Dogs Will Have their Day in Massachusetts
One thing I don't normally do is make predictions. But I will say that it is looking pretty good so far for the greyhounds in Massachusetts. The vote on this issue in 2000 was a narrow 49% to 51% defeat, and the town-by-town results reported at this point show that every area is outperforming how it voted last time by 5% to 20%.
Ballot Measures /
Greyhounds Win the Race!
New England Cable News just called the race on Question 3, and the greyhounds win! It's currently 56% to 44% in favor of the YES vote, with 22% of precincts reporting. Congratulations to all the Massachusetts volunteers and dedicated campaigners who fought to the finish line for the greyhounds! This is a tremendous victory for animals, and will save man's best friend from cruel confinement, broken legs, and other abuse.
Elections /
More Senate Results in Maine, New Mexico, North Carolina
Returns continue to come in for the U.S. Senate races. HSLF-backed Republican incumbent Susan Collins has won reelection in Maine. She is a great friend of animals, a cosponsor of a raft of humane bills, and a lead author of the resolution calling on Canada to stop its annual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of baby harp seals on the Atlantic coast. We are proud to have endorsed her, and congratulate her on the win.
Elections /
Connecticut and Florida House Races
Results are coming in for the competitive races in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican Chris Shays, one of our greatest champions for animal protection in Congress, has unfortunately lost his bid for reelection in Connecticut's 4th District. Shays is the co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus, and has been the lead author of numerous bills dealing with farm animal welfare, pets in disasters, canned hunts, and other issues.
Elections /
The 44th President of the United States
If you haven't heard, Barack Obama has been elected president! It's a historic night, and a great outcome for animals. The Humane Society Legislative Fund had backed Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as both senators have been strong supporters of animal protection legislation. We had been especially concerned about Sarah Palin's terrible record on animal protection and conservation issues in Alaska, and her retrograde policies of shooting wolves from helicopters and denying protections to imperiled polar bears.
Ballot Measures /
Early Returns for Prop 2 in California
With only 9% of precincts reporting in California, Proposition 2 is winning by a wide margin of 63% to 37%. Let's hope the solid YES vote holds, and we may see a historic victory for millions of farm animals tonight.
Elections /
Knollenberg Going Down in Michigan's 9th
With 81% of precincts reporting, Democratic challenger and animal protection leader Gary Peters has a commanding lead over Republican incumbent Joe Knollenberg, by 51% to 43%. Knollenberg has one of the worst records on animal cruelty in the entire Congress, and was the Humane Society Legislative Fund's top target for defeat in the 2008 election.
Elections /
Live Blogging Tuesday Night from Election HQ!
All of you political junkies will undoubtedly be glued to CNN or MSNBC tomorrow evening. But how will you get up-to-the-minute news on all the races around the country that have the biggest impact for animal protection?
Elections /
Two Different Men, Two Different Districts—Too Bad NRA
We haven’t heard a lot from the fright-mongers of the NRA this election. On the national stage, the stakes are just too high for their kind of shrill scare tactics to attract much interest. Besides, they’re on the wane anyway. Increasingly, Americans recognize the NRA’s radical agenda for what it is—the spent politics of the fringe.
But the NRA is still plugging away. In down-ballot races, its operatives and apologists are still trying to bully the brave. Two legislative races in the swing state of Pennsylvania illustrate the absurd actions of the NRA.
Ballot Measures, Elections /
Cast A Humane Vote This Election Day
We are just six days away from what is shaping up to be one of the most historic elections in our lifetime. While voters are weighing the economy and other pressing national concerns, advocates of animal protection also need to know which lawmakers and candidates are standing up for their interests. When you fill out your mail ballot or go to the polls on Tuesday, the Humane Society Legislative Fund wants you to be armed with information on the candidates who are fighting for animal welfare in a very determined way.
