Two kids of famous politicians are on the ballot Tuesday. One is favored to win. One may have to wait longer to get his political career off the ground.
The one who is ahead in the polls is Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska. Her father, then-Gov. Frank Murkowski, appointed her to his own unexpired Senate seat after he won the governorship in 2002.
This bit of nepotism caused a furor in the state and eventually led to a referendum that stripped the governor of the power to appoint interim senators. But Senator Murkowski appears to have survived that shaky start and now looks likely to defeat Fairbanks lawyer Joe Miller in the GOP primary.
Mr. Miller has been endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has recorded robo-calls for him that are currently turning out the vote. Miller has also hit Murkowski as a RINO – Republican-In-Name-Only. (See No. 3, “Will the Establishment Strike Back.")
Then there’s Ben Quayle. The son of former Vice President Dan Quayle is running for a congressional seat in Arizona. Name recognition made him an early favorite in a crowded race, but since then things haven’t gone well.
He’s been hurt by revelations that he contributed to a racy website devoted to Phoenix nightlife – particularly because at first he denied the charge. Since then, he’s run an over-the-top ad in which he promises to “knock hell” into Washington.
In another ad, he posed with his wife and two young girls, and said “we are going to raise our family here.” But the young lawyer as yet has no children – the girls were nieces.
