Peg Luksik Wants Arlen Specter's Senate Seat

Switching parties, being shouted down at Townhall meetings, and telling a favorite Conservative Congresswoman to "act like a lady" when she disagrees with him are just a few of the signs that lead many to think Arlen Specter won't won't be continuing his nearly 30 year-run in the Senate after this year. Several challengers have come forward, looking to turn Pennsylvania red again, and one of those people is Conservative Peg Luksik.

Luksik says her run is not about unseating Specter, but about giving families a voice in Washington D.C.. A Conservative and pro-life activist, Luksik isn't new to running for office in the Keystone State. In the 90's, she ran for Governor three times: once as the Republican nominee (she received 46% of the vote), and twice as a member of the Constitution party (receiving impressive amounts of the vote both times, as well as beating the Democratic nominee in several counties). Luksik has returned to the Republican party and said she's not afraid of the big names she'll face in the primary, such as former Congressman Pat Toomey, who is seen as the frontrunner in the race, even polling more favorable than Senator Specter.

So who is Peg Luksik? She was born in Alabama, but raised in the Philadelphia area. Her father was in the army and she was the oldest of four sisters. She went on to graduate from Clarion University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Special Education and Elementary Education. In 1997, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree by Stonehill College in Massachusetts.

Luksik considers herself a very family-oriented candidate and has a strong pro-life background. As a matter of fact, she is the founder of Mom's House. Mom's House is an organization that provides single parents with an alternative to abortion. It helps parents escape the welfare cycle by providing them with support and child care so they can finish their education. According to Luksik, the reason she started the charity is,

"I never intended to start a charitable organization, but I had several miscarriages before my oldest was born and in my prayers for the blessing of a child, I promised that I would do something to help children. Mom’s House is one year younger than my first child."

She is also a founding member and Chairman of the National Parent's Commission. According to her website, the Commission grew out of Luksik's desire to "give parents a voice in education." What started as two people soon became a national, full-scale parents' rights movement that helped "protect families from intrusive activities, and experimental educational programs." Before she knew it, Luksick found herself reviewing grants for the United States Department of Education and was called on as an expert on many components of so-called education reform.

Last year, she managed a Congressional campaign for Iraqi war veteran William Russell who ran against John Murtha. This year, her decision to run for the Senate comes from a desire to restore what she calls "kitchen table" common sense to Washington.

Despite her experience in politics and education, Luksik says the most important thing in her life is her family. She and her husband, Jim, a high school teacher, have six children - five sons and one daughter.

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Will New Mexico See a Female Governor in 2010?

This year, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico will end his eight year stint in the position and so many prominent people are vying for a chance at his seat. This includes two Democrats and four Republicans. Three of the candidates are female, which gives New Mexico the chance to have its first female governor ever. They include Democrat and current Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish and Republicans, Dona Ana County Third Judicial District Attorney, Susana Martinez and State Representative from Albuquerque, Janice Arnold-Jones. Today, we'll take a look at the two GOP candidates.

Janice Arnold-Jones is currently serving her fourth term in the New Mexico House of Representatives, where she has fought for public access to government. As a matter of fact, last year she received the 2009 Lights of Liberty award from the conservative Rio Grande Foundation for using a web cam to allow the public to watch New Mexico's legislature. She currently serves on the House Taxation and Revenue Committee and the Voters and Elections Committee, and in the past has served on a number of other committees, as well as the Blue Ribbon Tax Commission, Election Reform Task Force. A Conservative, she is currently campaigning on the the four "E's," education, economy, energy, and ethics.

Her involvement in her community extends beyond her political service. She is currently the chair of the New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center. She also works with the New Mexico Commission for Public Broadcasting and the Bernalillo County Council of Health Councils. Arnold-Jones is the chief coach of the American Youth Soccer Organization Region 104 and developed an annual training and tracking regimen for over 500 coaches and 350 referees, which has been recognized as the best in the nation.

She has worked in project management, business management consulting, as a research analysis, a technical writer and an audio/video writer and producer. She is currently employed by Parallax, Inc., where she manages the local office. She is a graduate of Albuquerque High School and the University of New Mexico, where she served as the Vice President of the Associated Students. She and her husband, John L. Jones Commander, Retired United States Navy, reside in Albuquerque and have two children.

Susana Martinez's decision to run for governor was called a "game changer" by the New Mexico media. She has served as the District Attorney for the 3rd Judicial District in Dona Ana County, New Mexico for thirteen years. Also a conservative, she pledges to "cut wasteful spending, lower taxes to create more jobs, end 'pay-to-play' practices and other corruption in government and fight to reform education." She believes in less government, lower taxes, personal responsibility and is a strong proponent of both life and the 2nd Amendment.

Martinez is popular with the people. She won her current seat by earning 60% of the vote and has been re-elected three times. Also, Republicans are generally outnumbered 3 to 1 in her county, but Martinez managed to win, anyway, with hard work and fighting for what is right. Throughout her career, she has earned a reputation as a tough prosecutor and has tried numerous child abuse and homicide cases, including convicting the killer in the case that is responsible for the creation of Katie's Law, a law that required law enforcement officials take DNA for most violent felony arrests and include the samples in a database. As a matter of fact, in 2008, she was named Heart Magazine's "Woman of the Year" for her dedication to children's advocacy. She has also worked to battle public corruption.

Martinez was born in Rio Grande Valley to a hardworking, middle class family. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and attended law school at the University of Oklahoma. She is married to Chuck Franco, who works in law enforcement and serves as the Dona Ana County Undersheriff. She has a stepson, Carlo, who is currently in the United States Navy.

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Palin Becomes Fox News Contributor

Last week, Fox News announced that it had signed on one of politics' biggest names, Sarah Palin, to become a contributor. The author, former governor and Republican vice presidential nominee signed what is being called a "multi-year contract" that will give her the opportunity to offer political analysis and commentary on the Fox News Channel, as well as other Fox media outlets, including Fox Business Channel, Fox News Radio, and FoxNews.com, and she will be given the chance to participate in special political programming. She will also host episodes of "Real American Stories," which, according to the news channel, will feature "a series exploring inspirational real-life tales of overcoming adversity throughout the American landscape that will debut in 2010."

"Governor Palin has captivated everyone on both sides of the political spectrum and we are excited to add her dynamic voice to the FOX News lineup," said Bill Shine, Fox News' executive vice president of programming.

In a written statement, Palin said, "I am thrilled to be joining the great talent and management team at Fox News. It's wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news."

Of course, the move has not been without criticism. The usual suspects on the left have made their "stupid" comments. In the words of NBC's Chris Matthews, "How can Palin be a pundit when she doesn't know anything."

Even some prominent Republicans say Palin is more interested in making money than ever running for office again. But one Palin confidant and former co-chair of John McCain's presidential campaign, Fred Malek, says this is not the case, "She wants to continue making her views known and her voice heard. It doesn't have anything to do with a political strategy in the future," he told the New York Daily News.

This isn't Palin's first time working in the media. Before entering politics, she worked as a sportscaster for KTUU-TV and KTVA-TV in Anchorage, as well as working as a reporter for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. Palin joins a host of other prominent conservatives who have signed on with Fox News, including Karl Rove, Newt Gingrich, and Mike Huckabee.

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Sue Lowden Hopes to Unseat Harry Reid

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has been making news lately and not in a good way. His popularity is waning, along with many Democrats in the Senate, and his recent comments about President Barack Obama not having a "negro dialect" have people on both sides of the aisle calling for him to step down from his Senate leadership position. With this in mind, Republicans are stepping up to the plate, looking to run against Reid and take his senate seat, something no one has been able to do in 23 years. A recent Rasmussen poll shows that all of the Republican candidates are polling more favorably than Reid and that includes the GOP's Sue Lowden.

So what makes Lowden qualified to take over the coveted senate seat? According to her website, she is a "longtime Nevada resident, philanthropist and an award-winning news reporter, anchorwoman and businesswoman. She has also served as a Nevada State Senator and Chairman of the Nevada Republican Party." During her stint in the Nevada State Legislature, Lowden served as the Senate Majority Whip and Chairman of the Senate Taxation Committee. Fiscally conservative, she was committed to lowering taxes and responsible government spending. This led her to win a number of awards including the Guardian of Small Business Award from the Nevada chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Senator of the Year Award from the Clark County Republican Party, the Woman of the Year Award by the Republican Women of Las Vegas, and the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Republican Women of Henderson.

Before getting into politics, Lowden had already built quite the list of accomplishments. She earned a Bachelors Degree from American University and a Masters Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. The New Jersey native also represented her state in the 1973 Miss American pageant, where she was the second runner-up. She is still involved with the pageant and currently serves on the Board of Directors and as an advocate for the organization.

Professionally, Lowden began as an elementary school teacher in New Jersey. Eventually, she would move to Nevada, going to work as an award-winning reporter and anchorwoman for KLAS-TV, a CBS affiliate in Southern Nevada. Lowden has also worked in the business world. She currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors and Secretary-Tresurer of Archon Corporation and is the former president of Santa Fe Hotel Casion. She is also the former executive vice president of Sahara Hotel and Casino. As a businesswoman, she has earned a Women of Achievement Award by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

Lowden has also served in a number of philanthropic capacities. She began working with the Muscular Dystrophy Association in 1978 when she hosted the local Las Vegas telethon and currently serves on the Board of Directors and as the National Treasurer. She is a founding member of Nevada Child Seekers and the former chief barker for Variety Club for Handicapped Children of Southern Nevada, as well as a founding member of the Southern Nevada Ice Hockey League. As a young woman, she traveled with the USO and the Bob Hope Christmas Troupe to entertain troops all over the world.

Sue Lowden is married to Nevada businessman Paul Lowden, and they currently live in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has four children, Christopher, Jennifer, Paul IV, and the late William, who passed away in 2004, as well as one granddaughter, Vanessa. You can read more about Lowden at her website, SueLowden.com, including her views on taxes (lower them), abortion (pro-life), the Second Amendment (uphold it), Israel (protect it), federal spending (stop it) and more.

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Katherine Jenerette: A Gulf War Veteran for Congress

"The Sarah Palin of the South." That's what a liberal blog called Congressional candidate Katherine Jenerette, recently. Of course, it was meant to be an insult but conservatives in South Carolina's 1st district will more than likely see it as a compliment.

Jenerette is not your average politician. The United States Army veteran, former NCAA track and field star, Republican activist, and mother of four has done more at 39 than most people have in a lifetime and now she's ready to take on Washington D.C.. A Carolina political website describes her as having "Reagan principles" and she doesn't shy away from her conservative beliefs, no matter whose feelings might get hurt. She has been a vocal opponent to both Democrats and the Republicans who are currently residing in Congress. Last year, she told the Georgetown Times,

“The Democrats have a home team advantage now and Republicans need a congressman who can go toe-to-toe with them. We've had a Republican Congress for six years, and we can have more of the same or we can have someone in there that will make a difference. I am not afraid to say what needs to be said and push legislation for family and values, fiscal responsibility, national security and subjects like immigration and border control. Republicans have let liberals run their agenda. Republican values and principals on issues of life, health care, Social Security and marriage issues have been put on the side burner. The Republican members of Congress need to do a better job of getting out our messages and sticking to them.”

She believes the economy is the biggest issue facing our nation today and like any true Conservative, she knows the only way to fix it is through tax cuts. And as veteran who has served in the Middle East, she has strong feelings on the War on Terror. Jenerette believes the only way to stop terrorism on our soil is to stop it overseas first. In other words, "take the fight to their backyard." She is disgusted with politicians who are putting their own personal agenda above Americans safety and security and feels they should be held accountable. And while she takes a tough stance on illegal immigration, she has even stronger feelings about traditional families,

“Traditional families and faith are at the core and the foundation of our nation. Many of the issues from social security, health care, education options, pro-life and marriage issues are of critical importance to the future of this nation. We cannot ignore the fact that with the Baby Boom Generation moving into retirement many of us face the prospect of being ‘sandwiched’ between our teenagers and the needs of our parents. Whether we are talking about retirees and the cost of prescription drugs or sensible, non-bureaucratic approaches to education for our children, these monumental challenges for our government and society cannot be ignored for long."

So are you wondering what qualifies Jenerette for the job? Let's take a look at her background. She's a veteran of the U.S. Army and the Persian Gulf War Operation Desert Storm, and she currently serves as a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. Upon returning home from the Gulf War, she attended the University of South Carolina, Coastal Carolina Campus on a Cross Country and Track scholarship. She graduated with a degree in history and went on to receive her Master's degree from the University of South Carolina at Columbia. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of History at with Southeastern Community College.

Jenerette has been politically active for almost two decades, beginning with her work with the Horry County Republican Women's Club. She served as the Horry County Delegate to the South Carolina Republican State Convention in 1992 and hasn't looked back since. She worked as a campaign volunteer for various governors, including Arthur Ravenel, Jr. and Mark Sanford, Senator Elizabeth Dole, and President George W. Bush. She also served as a Field Representative for Congressman Henry E. Brown, Jr.. In 2004, she ran for State Senate District 28 and lost by less than 2,000 votes, nearly defeating Democratic Senator Dick Elliot who has been in office since 1962.

Katherine Jenerette currently lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with her husband Van Jenerette, and their four children, a son, Christian David, and three daughters, Benjamin Elizabeth, Drake Katherine, and Wilson Gabrielle. She is a member of the First Baptist Church in North Myrtle Beach and an associate member of the Huguenot Protestant Church of Charleston.

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