UPDATE on Vaping.com: Liz Thomson has been defeated and Conrad James wins election!

[Placebo Effect]

http://vaping.com/news/help-defeat-rep.-liz-thomson-victory

Some of you may recall that vaping.com and ECF were kind enough to promote a campaign I was a part to unseat a radically anti-harm reduction legislator in the New Mexico State House of Representatives. On Tuesday night, Conrad James won election against Thomson by a slim margin of 336 votes.

I'm very glad to report that vapers from around the country donated to Conrad's campaign and signed up to make phone calls to voters. In the final week before the election, I traveled to New Mexico for a week with a fellow advocate to participate in Conrad's Get Out the Vote campaign. We knocked on hundreds of doors, made around 1,000 phone calls, and even got 10-15 minutes with the New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez to answer her questions about vaping and explain to her how state legislators are senselessly targeting vapers.

This is just one victory, but word of how vapers helped defeat Liz Thomson will spread to state legislatures across the country.

Thank you to the vapers that got involved! I look forward to leading and assisting with campaigns against anti-harm reduction extremists from either party in 2015 and 2016.

Read the full update here -- http://vaping.com/news/help-defeat-rep.-liz-thomson-victory

 

[DrMA]

Excellent news! I'm glad we made an example here and I hope Conrad James is aware of vapers' contributions. Perhaps a press release touting this affair would have even more impact?

 

[doots]

great news.. yeah!

 

[Placebo Effect]

Excellent news! I'm glad we made an example here and I hope Conrad James is aware of vapers' contributions. Perhaps a press release touting this affair would have even more impact?

Conrad is aware and was shocked to learn about the passion that vapers had for knocking Thomson out of office. He's a solid guy and I have faith he will make decisions based on the science.

AVA should be putting something out about this on Monday and we might try to do an Op Ed on this as well.

 

[Alto101]

I posted a link to the article on Liz Thomson's facebook page to let her know what happened. Within minutes, it was deleted! Great job everyone, I hope this is the start of a real trend

 

[bluecat]

Conrad is aware and was shocked to learn about the passion that vapers had for knocking Thomson out of office. He's a solid guy and I have faith he will make decisions based on the science.

AVA should be putting something out about this on Monday and we might try to do an Op Ed on this as well.

I am hoping this new round that was elected in makes some waves instead of the status quo - in areas other than vaping too.

Quite a few firsts in the election that have silently been left out of the media, not surprising.

I hope one of these years "change" actually happens.

 

[Alien Traveler]

Excellent. Finally I see something that could be a beginning of a positive trend.

 

[VHRB2014]

My Favorite picture of the week, besides yours of Conrad. :?)

 

[skoony]

with a margin of less than 400 votes it is an impressive
example of how a small minority can make a difference.
good news.
regards
mike

 

[Placebo Effect]

with a margin of less than 400 votes it is an impressive
example of how a small minority can make a difference.
good news.
regards
mike

Indeed. Too many people believe "My vote doesn't count." That may be practically true in a Presidential election (for example, if you live in Vermont and voted for Mitt Romney), but local elections are often won by a small sliver of votes. In the prior election, when Liz Thomson beat Conrad James by 270 votes, another New Mexico State House race was decided by just 7 VOTES.

 

[HauntedMyst]

My Favorite picture of the week, besides yours of Conrad. :?)

View attachment 387828

That is such a pretty picture! The news about Conrad is outstanding!

 

[Placebo Effect]

Bump to let the weekend vapers know the good news.

 

[DC2]

This is just one victory, but word of how vapers helped defeat Liz Thomson will spread to state legislatures across the country.

This is the important part.

Word of this needs to get out, and get presented as if we vapers were a big part of these results.
I hope you can find a way to make THAT happen, because it is what this was all about.

 

[r77r7r]

busy weekend....I'm sure many are grateful even tho not posting. TY for this.

 

[Stacy1]

Great job!!!!!!!

 

[twgbonehead]

My Favorite picture of the week, besides yours of Conrad. :?)

View attachment 387828

OK, so now we're going to see a major reversal on anti-vaping ordinances? The ball's in the Red court.

You have the helm, let's see how willing your representatives are to support vaping.
VHRB2014, you've found a way to make me feel absolutely awful about something I really hoped would happen (that Conrad James would win).

So, now it's time to stop talking crap about the "libs", "progressives", etc. Let's see what your party will do for us.\

 

[Placebo Effect]

So, now it's time to stop talking crap about the "libs", "progressives", etc. Let's see what your party will do for us.\

Indeed. There are going to be RJ Reynolds tax bills (5-15 cents per ml with tobacco classification and licensing that will add great costs and burdens to vape businesses) introduced in numerous red / purple states in 2015. One has already been introduced in Michigan and it looks like Kentucky and Tennessee are very likely.

Will Republicans stand with their campaign promises of limited government when major campaign contributors are asking for favors?

 

[chopdoc]

Indeed. There are going to be RJ Reynolds tax bills (5-15 cents per ml with tobacco classification and licensing that will add great costs and burdens to vape businesses) introduced in numerous red / purple states in 2015. One has already been introduced in Michigan and it looks like Kentucky and Tennessee are very likely.

Will Republicans stand with their campaign promises of limited government when major campaign contributors are asking for favors?

Cant do nothing about the RINO's but spread the word and see. In a couple weeks after all the election news start to die down I will blog about it on the Tea Party site and see if any interest can be generated. If its for smaller government, they are all for it.

 

[choochoogranny]

Placebo Effect, maybe it's time for some invites to be sent out to our local, state and fed representatives to come to our conventions and large meets.......perhaps maybe even speak? Or, at the least, sent info about the numbers in membership of our various vapers clubs......which might suggest whole families and circles of friends involved all of which.....vote.

 

[Placebo Effect]

Placebo Effect, maybe it's time for some invites to be sent out to our local, state and fed representatives to come to our conventions and large meets.......perhaps maybe even speak? Or, at the least, sent info about the numbers in membership of our various vapers clubs......which might suggest whole families and circles of friends involved all of which.....vote.

VCC in Chattanooga would have been a great event for politicians to be at -- nothing crazy, limited spokesmodels, a crowd mostly of people well over 25.