Trail Users Endorse Mike McFadden for Senate in MN

The Trail Political Action Committee (TPAC) works to elect federal candidates who will support legislation and policy that promotes and protects responsible off-highway vehicle recreation on public and private lands.   TPAC is proud to announce its official endorsement and support for Mike McFadden who is running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota.

Minnesota OHV leaders, Tom and Karen Umphress, recently met with Senate Candidate McFadden to show pro-trail support for his campaign and to discuss important federal access and recreation issues.

Mike McFadden, Republican Candidate for the United States Senate in Minnesota, states, “Living in the land of 10,000 lakes, Minnesotans thrive off of their ability to have access to our precious natural resources. Many Minnesotans grew up hunting, camping, fishing and enjoying everything that our great state has to offer and it is vital they continue to be able to enjoy public land without government intrusion. Time and time again, regulations threaten Minnesotans’ ability to experience nature and everything that comes with it. Those who spend time in Minnesota’s wilderness are the biggest supporters of ensuring that it retains its beauty and access for years to come. The Minnesotans that I have met along the campaign trail truly understand what it means to be a good steward of our environment. Sportsmen and riders who use public trails realize that it is vital to preserve the beauty of our state for future generations’ enjoyment as well.”

Tom and Karen Umphress believe the Senatorial race in MN this year is less about Republican vs. Democrat and more about a person who cares about Minnesota, the United States, and the People.

For 5 years, Tom and Karen have tried to talk with Senator Franken or his staff.  Unfortunately, they never got past the receptionist.  Senator Franken is the only currently seated U.S. Legislator from Minnesota who has refused to meet with them as his constituents.

Tom and Karen say that Mike McFadden is the clear choice for those people who support trails and our natural environment.  TPAC agrees!

TPAC's officially endorsed senate races to date are: AR - Tom Cotton, CO - Cory Gardner, MI - Terry Lynn Land, MN -Mike McFadden, and MT - Steve Daines.

TPAC’s  "Senate Soon-to-Endorse or Watch List" has been expanded to include: AK - Dan Sullivan, GA - David Perdue, IA - Joni Ernst, KY - Mitch McConnell, LA - Bill Cassidy, NC - Thom Tillis, NH - Scott Brown, and OR -Monica Wehby.

TPAC believes an organized and enthused OHV user base can play a significant role in who goes back to Washington D.C. on November 4.   Your robust participation/support in key targeted races will help ensure our continued ability to enjoy high quality motorized recreation on public and private lands.

The POWER of One Vote

Dear Off-Road Voter,

The Trail PAC was formed to help empower the off-road voter by pooling resources so that we can send more pro-trail candidates to Congress and by encouraging OHV enthusiasts to use the "power of ONE vote" to defend and protect our continued recreational access to public and private lands.

TPAC believes that many of our battleground races will be decided by less than 1,000 votes.  For example, in the 2004 Washington State Gubernatorial race, Democrat Christine Gregoire defeated Republican Dino Rossi by just over 130 votes. 

In 2006, incumbent Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman was ultimately beaten by Saturday Night Live's comedian, Al Franken.  Franken won by just 312 votes. Off-road voters in Nevada played a key role in 2012 by helping TPAC endorsed senate candidate, Dean Heller, defeat the LCV endorsed Shelly Berkley by just over 1%.

As you can see, an organized and enthused OHV user base that shows up at the ballot box on Election Day can play a significant role in who goes back to Washington D.C. on November 4.   Your robust participation/support in key targeted races will help ensure our continued ability to enjoy high quality motorized recreation on public lands.

DONATE $25 - $5,000 TO HELP SEND PRO-TRAIL CANDIDATES TO CONGRESS 

CAMPAIGN WATCH UPDATE - The Trail PAC has added the Scott Brown for Senate campaign in New Hampshire to our list of key races to monitor and potentially endorse.  His opponent, Jeanne Shaheen, received a 100% score from the Green Lobby's League of Conservation Voters (LCV) for her support of their legislative proposals in 2013.  In contrast, the LCV gave Brown a score of ZERO for his 2010 votes against their agenda.

Thanks again for your support in the 2014 midterms!

See you on the campaign trail.

Don Amador, Founder

The Trail PAC

www.thetrailpac.com

The Trail PAC Endorses Tom Cotton for Senate in AR

The Trail Political Action Committee (TPAC) works to elect federal candidates who will support legislation and policy that promotes and protects responsible off-highway vehicle recreation on public and private lands.  Today, TPAC is proud to announce its endorsement and support for Tom Cotton who is running for the U.S. Senate in Arkansas.

Congressman Cotton believes it is vitally important for the government to provide access to public lands to all Arkansans, irrespective of their mode of transport. Far too often today, the federal government is attempting to take over more private land and restrict the use of public lands in the name of “environmental protection.” Restrictions come in many varieties, but recently the most frequent attack has been through Endangered Species Act listings. The Administration is making a concerted effort to change the rules of the listing process so it is easier to list lands, thereby restricting use and providing additional motivation for individuals to sell their land to federal authorities.

Tom supports the use of federal lands by all users - hunters, fishermen, trail riders, hikers, and everyone else. He believes the proper management of federal lands is achieved when citizens are able to use the land and pass down respect for the land to the next generation, just like his father Len did with Tom, not when we block it off from any use.

Cotton joins Terri Lynn Land for Senate in Michigan and Steve Daines for Senate in Montana as our 3^rd officially endorsed/supported senate race.

Trail voters need a net gain of six seats in November to change the current Senate leadership.   TPAC, along with other political observers, believes the AR senate race will play an important role in changing that Senate paradigm.

6-time Gold Medalist for the International Six Days Enduro and National Enduro Champion, Steve Hatch, says, “I applaud the actions and support the hard work of TPAC’s efforts to elect pro-trail candidates to the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. We all need to stand together and help continue to fight for our trails.”

As you know, TPAC's strategy in 2014 is to target/support up to 11 key Senate and 15 important battleground House races.  Join Steve Hatch and many others in support of TPAC’s effort to change the current leadership in the U.S. Senate and retain the pro-access House majority.   Please consider a donation of $10, $25, $100, $500, or $1,000 today.

Watch for official TPAC endorsements soon in the Colorado and Iowa senate races.

Thanks for helping get summer motorized recreation into the game.

Don Amador, Founder

The Trail PAC

www.thetrailpac.com

TPAC -JOIN The Fight to Keep Trails Open - Be a Hero Fundraiser - 1st Targeted Senate Race and Off-Road Champions Support TPAC Effort

The Trail PAC is proud to announce its official “Be a Trail Hero” launch into the 2014 midterm election cycle.  Trail voters “got into the game” in the 2012 election by helping elect a number of pro-access legislators into Congress including Nevada’s U.S. Senator, Dean Heller.  TPAC expects to build on that success in this election cycle.

Congress has a growing number of legislators who are off-road enthusiasts themselves and support responsible OHV use on federal lands.  Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced and passed legislation that supports public use of motorized trails.  They have also passed bills and held oversight hearings to address unwarranted and politically motived excessive OHV-related regulations at the EPA, Forest Service, and BLM.

However, U.S. Senate leadership is jamming similar regulatory reform efforts in that legislative body.  Off-road voters must weigh in to change that unresponsive paradigm.   With your help in 2014, we can remove those roadblocks by electing a pro-access majority to the U.S. Senate and maintain and grow our majority in the House of Representatives.

TPAC’s strategy is to target/support up to 11 key senate races in states such as Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, and Montana.  We also look to target up to 15 important battleground House races in various congressional districts including Arizona CD2/CD3, California CD7/21, Colorado CD6, Utah CD4, and West Virginia CD3.

TPAC is pleased to announce that we are supporting Steve Daines for Senate in Montana as our 1^st targeted senate race.   Last week, MT access leader, Amy Brieder, presented Steve Daines with an official TPAC donation at Yellowstone Motorsports in Belgrade, MT.

After the presentation by Amy, Steve Daines said, “A big thanks to TrailPAC for their support of my election to U.S. Senate. Access to our outdoor recreation is a big part of the lives of Montana families and I will work to preserve these opportunities for future generations to enjoy.”

The TPAC Trail Access Victory Fund has set a goal to raise $10,000 or more between now and the FEC filing deadline of January 31. Your donation WILL allow us to support key pro-trail candidates in battleground races.  TPAC is asking you to be a TRAIL:  HALL OF FAME MEMBER, HERO, CHAMPION, LEADER, or SUPPORTER.

Each day this week as we update the donor list, TPAC will be featuring Off-Road Champions from King of the Hammers, National Enduros, Best in the Desert, ISDE, King of the Motos, National Mototrials, and National Hare & Hound who are supporting TPAC’s effort to elect pro-trail candidates to Congress.

Trail users who donate will have their first name/city/state listed in the following categories:

HALL OF FAME - DONATE $1000 - $5000

TRAIL HERO - DONATE $500 - $999

TRAIL CHAMPION - DONATE $200 - $499

Sean – Roseville, CA

Jerry – Oakdale, CA

Andres – Lafayette, CA

TRAIL LEADER - DONATE $100 - $199

Clark – Pocatello, ID

Richard – Minneapolis, MN

TRAIL SUPPORTER - DONATE $25 - $99

Eric – Puyallup, WA

*MAKE YOUR DONATION AT THE TPAC LINK BELOW:

http://www.thetrailpac.com/donate.html

You will note there are several names already on the list because they were anticipating our formal launch and wanted to be first out of the gate. Again, the donation lists will be updated each day until the FEC filing deadline of January 31.

You made a difference in 2012, now let’s build on that success in 2014!

Don

Don Amador, Founder

The TrailPAC

www.thetrailpac.com