FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Eight-term Rep. Joe Knollenberg lost a bid for a ninth term to Democrat state Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters, one of several strong credit union supporters and sponsors of the CU Regulatory Improvements Act to lose their House seats yesterday.
The bill widely known as CURIA has become the litmus test for credit union support, with 151 House members signing on as co-sponsors this Congress and the bill expected to come up again in the next Congress.
Other CURIA supporters defeated yesterday were: Steve Chabot, R-Ohio; Jon Porter, R-Nev., Tim Walberg, R-Mich.; Ric Keller, R-Fla., Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo., and two CURIA supporters who left their House seats to run for the Senate, Tom Allen, D-Me. and Steve Pearce, R-N.M.
Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, one of a handful of sponsors of a Senate version of CURIA, narrowly held on to win a second term yesterday. And Democratic Rep. Mark Udall, another CURIA sponsor in the House, won the race for the open Senate seat in Colorado.
In two Midwest House races where CUNA spent more than $260,000 to help sway voters, Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, who was supported by CUNA, narrowly defeated incumbent Democrat Nancy Boyda in the state’s second House district, and Democratic State Rep. Judy Baker, who was supported by CUNA, lost to Republican banker Blaine Leutkemeyer.
