What Happened to Our Fish?
An Education Series for Coastal Anglers
For Recreational Fisherman By Recreational Fisherman
Each political party holds primary elections, by state, to select candidates for the November election. Most “primaries” are held in February or March to provide the winning candidate 7 or 8 months to campaign for the November election. Whomever wins each party’s primary election becomes the candidate who will run for the U.S. House or Senate seat(s) in the next election – in this case, the November 2018 election.
Every 2 years all Congressmen are elected; Senators have 6-year terms. Senate terms are not on the same schedule as Congressional terms; their election schedule rotates. In 2018, of the Gulf states, only Texas and Florida have Senators up for election.
Why is a primary election important? When a given political party dominates a district or state’s electorate, the primary election is your only opportunity to “drain the swamp” (that is, if you believe your interests are not being served by your elected official). The primary election becomes the party’s candidate in the November election – hence, this is where an incumbent can be voted out.
Approval ratings for U.S. Congressmen and Senators are low. 85% of Americans believe that their current Congressmen and Senators are not adequately representing their interests and serving the people of our country. All 435 Congressmen plus 33 Senators are up for re-election in the 2018 mid-term elections; this represents an opportunity to not just complain but to improve the situation!
Within the Gulf of Mexico states some of the incumbent candidates have energetically supported recreational fishermen by co-sponsoring the “Modern Fish Act” (similar variations of which are proposed in the House of Representatives and Senate).
Here’s a list of the Gulf State incumbent representatives who actively support recreational fishermen by co-sponsoring their legislative chamber’s bill:
The incumbent federal representatives who have not supported recreational fishermen are choosing to maintain the “big government” federal management of our Gulf fisheries (versus management by the bordering states):
Let’s encourage these officials to represent our interests and support recreational fishing by co-sponsoring the Modern Fish Act. If these politicians continue to support only their special interest donors, at the expense of recreational fishermen, we need to replace them with officials who will support their constituents. The way to do that is to VOTE FOR AN OPPOSING CANDIDATE IN THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS. The opposing candidate will have many of the same “party views” as the incumbent – but will be looking for a campaign differentiator. Find out how he responds to this issue.
Want change? Vote for the candidate that supports your Recreational Fishing rights in the Primary Elections of 2018!
Find your House or Senate representatives by visiting www.usa.gov.
Not registered to vote? Visit: https://www.usvotefoundation.org. Register now to be ready for the primary election. NOTE: If you register as a Republican – you’ll vote in the Republican primary. If you register as a Democrat – you’ll vote in the Democratic primary. If you register as an independent – YOU DON’T GET TO VOTE in the primary – only in the final November election.
To join the conversation, or learn more, visit Facebook page “What Happened To Our Fish?”, or email recreationalfishermen@gmail.com.