Mike Causey

Fed Power in a Close Election

In a close election, federal and postal workers and politically-active retirees could make the difference in a dozen key congressional districts and even in som...

Federal News Network Staff

October 28, 2010 4:00 am

4 min read

With 99 of 435 House seats “in play” (according to the experts) active and especially retired federal and postal workers could be the tie-breakers in many close congressional races. And in some Senate contests too.

Check out the numbers!

Each congressional district represents approximately 600,000 people. Those districts include lots of people, adults and children, who don’t or can’t vote. So, the number of voters in each district is lower, often much lower, than the district’s population. Then consider that several Maryland and Virginia congressional districts surrounding Washington D.C. have 100,000 to 126,000 federal workers.

Can you say potential power bloc?

Washington-area politicians, whether Republican or Democratic, have long understood the value of good relations with the civil service workforce and giant retirement community. And retirees can be (and often are) much more politically active than their former colleagues.

But in other states, feds are not taken as seriously as other ‘blocs’ of voters. Which could be a mistake in a closely run election.

Politicians representing the Washington area (Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia) know the power of feds, family members and retirees. Whether Republicans or Democrats, most go out of their way to be helpful to the federal civil service family.

But in other places, both large and small population states, feds may be overlooked at the peril of members seeking election or hoping to hold on to their jobs.

Here’s a snapshot of the federal employee and federal retiree populations in giants like California, Florida, Texas and New York, as well as states where a few thousand bloc votes could be the difference between victory and defeat on Nov. 2.

As of the last headcount in late 2008, California had 402,000 federal and postal workers, and 158,000 retired feds. Texas had 300,000 active civil servants and another 121,000 retirees. Florida is home to 248,000 federal civil servants and 123,000 retired federal government workers.

Ohio had 132,000 federal workers and 55,000 retired feds; Maryland had 251,000 federal workers – concentrated in heavily Democratic Baltimore and Montgomery and Prince Georges counties – and 120,000 retirees.

Virginia had 263,000 federal workers and 107,000 retired civil servants. All of them eligible to vote.

Missouri is home to 95,000 federal workers – mostly in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas – and 40,000 retired feds.

North and South Carolina had 112,000 and 60,000 federal workers and 52,000 and 32,000 U.S. Government retirees.

Pennsylvania had 182,000 federal civil servants and postal workers and 78,000 federal annuitants. Massachusetts had 79,000 feds and 30,000 retired feds. Illinois had 135,000 federal workers and just over 49,000 retirees. Arizona is home to 91,000 federal workers and 39,000 retirees.

But the feds pack clout (at least numerically) in small population states like Wyoming with 12,400 feds and 4,400 retired government workers. Or New Mexico with 51,000 federal workers and 21,000 retirees. Utah has 65,000 federal government workers and more than 27,000 retirees.

$250 Retiree Payments

Federal-military-Social Security retirees won’t be getting a cost of living adjustment in January. But Congress and the White House are proposing a one-shot (taxable) $250 payment for Social Security recipients. With health insurance premiums going up next year, federal-postal retirees would like to be included. So will it happen? The National Active and Retired Federal Employees is working to be sure the payments go to all retirees. On yesterday’s Your Turn with Mike Causey radio show, NARFE’s Dan Adcock and David Snell talked about what it will take to insure retired feds are in on the payments. To get their take listen to the show by clicking here.

Nearly Useless Factoid
by Suzanne Kubota

According to the Census Bureau, the per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2009 was 24.3 pounds. Yes, pounds. In a year. If you’re behind on the curve, you can make up for it this weekend (Halloween.)

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