Primary Results from Florida, Maryland, Rhode Island and Wisconsin Gubernatorial and U.S. House Primaries

Florida Democratic Primary
With 97% of the vote counted, Florida's Democratic gubernatorial primary race is still "too close to call," the AP/Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reports. "[P]olitical novice" Bill McBride has an early lead with 596,073 votes, or 45%, and former Attorney General Janet Reno has 577,010 votes, or 43% (AP/Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, 9/11). The election has been "marred by problems at the polls," including 40 precincts in Broward and Dade counties - considered Reno "strongholds" -- closing early (Pinkham/Saunders, Florida Times-Union, 9/11). Gov. Jeb Bush (R) ordered the polls to remain open on Sept. 10 for an additional two hours because of the problems. The final results of the election should be known some time on Sept. 11 (AP/Sun-Sentinel, 9/11). As part of her campaign, Reno proposed a new state prescription drug discount program for seniors modeled after similar programs in Maine and Michigan. The program would give enrolled seniors up to a 65% discount on prescription drugs at participating pharmacies, and the state would pay drugstores the difference and be reimbursed by drug companies. Seniors would pay a one-time membership fee of up to $25 (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/19). Reno also proposed raising the income eligibility limit for the state's CHIP program, Florida KidCare, from 200% of the federal poverty level to 300%, or from an annual income of $36,200 to an income of $54,000 for a family of four (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/14).

Maryland Gubernatorial Primaries
In a primary election that has been "preordained for months," Maryland voters yesterday nominated Rep. Robert Ehrlich (R-Md.) and Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) for governor, the Baltimore Sun reports (Nitkin, Baltimore Sun, 9/11). Townsend's health care platform includes a four-part proposal that would modernize and expand the state's community health centers, expand eligibility for state health programs, subsidize prescription drug costs for low-income residents and seniors and expand the scope of public health programs, including outpatient drug treatment centers. Townsend also has proposed a 36-cent-per-pack increase in the state's cigarette tax during her second year in office to help pay for the expanded services (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/15). Townsend also signed a three-point health care pledge that is designed by the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative and asks candidates to object to an application by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to convert to for-profit status and to support increasing seniors' access to prescription drugs. Ehrlich did not sign the pledge, spokesperson Paul Schurick said, because its provisions are anti-business and "nothing more than a step toward universal health care" (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/7). Ehrlich has proposed a five-point plan to prevent lead poisoning by privatizing a grant program for lead paint abatement and providing tax credits to property owners who remove lead from their homes (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/13).

Rhode Island U.S. House Race
David Rogers (R) on Sept. 10 won the Rhode Island 1st House District Republican primary with 41% of the vote, beating out Michael Battles (R) and Christine Ferguson (R), and will face incumbent Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D) in the November election, the Providence Journal reports. The "most conservative" of the three Republican candidates, Rogers opposes abortion rights and advocates a prescription drug benefit for seniors (Corkery, Providence Journal, 9/11). Rogers has said that he supports the House Medicare package, which includes a prescription drug benefit, adding that an alternate plan by House Democrats would have seniors "wait until 2005 to receive assistance." He charged that Kennedy "played politics at the expense of senior citizens" by opposing the House GOP bill. For his part, Kennedy has said that he will introduce a bill that would give grants to states' pharmacy assistance programs. The grants would be subsidized with proceeds from pharmaceutical sales. The bill also would budget $1 million to educate doctors and patients on the "benefits of generic drugs" and $5 million to the FDA's generic drug review program (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/14). In her campaign, Ferguson had touted a plan that would allow small businesses in Rhode Island to purchase health insurance for their employees through RIte Care, the state's Medicaid managed care program. Ferguson also proposed using federal money to allow communities and school districts to form insurance purchasing pools (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/9).

Wisconsin Democratic Primary
Wisconsin Attorney General Jim Doyle won the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary and will face current Gov. Scott McCallum (R) in the fall election, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Doyle won 38% of the Democratic vote, with 96% of precincts reporting, defeating Rep. Tom Barrett (34%), and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk (27%). McCallum won the Republican primary with 87% of the vote, defeating state Rep. Bill Lorge and George Pobuda (Borowski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/11). Doyle proposed many health reforms during his campaign, including a plan to allow more elderly residents to receive care at home, rather than in more expensive nursing homes. In addition, Doyle said he supports legislation that would establish large purchasing pools of private sector and government employees to help negotiate health insurance and prescription drug discounts (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 9/9). Doyle also proposed increasing eligibility under BadgerCare, the state's CHIP program, from 185% to 200% of the federal poverty level. For his part, McCallum signed a law in July that provided an additional $38.2 million for the state's health insurance programs, including BadgerCare (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 8/14).