he 2330 Presidential Election was a major political election in
The League
Background
The major issues the candidates would face would be:
Reunification: The bid to reunify with the Hansa had stalled. Many candidates queried whether this should continue?
The Corporations: had they become too powerful and too influential?
OMDA: Since the 2325 election, OMDA's militia had begun to rearm which alarmed some candidates
Defence: The League was considered vulnerable to its enemies.
Candidates
In August of 2329 President Colby announced that he would be seeking re-election as the President of the League. He cited his progress in rebuilding the institutions of state and the stability he had brought about. He stated that he wanted to complete the task of reunification. Speculation that he would formally join the Federalist Party was strong but President Colby's official ballot nomination form still marked him as an Independent.
President Colby also confirmed that Vice President Altus Kinnick would be on the ticket with him again in 2330, despite talk that Kinnick would be replaced on the ticket.
The front runner from 2325, former Governor Rust Collingwood, announced that he would contest the 2330 Presidential election against President Colby. He stated that he had the experience and political acumen to actually deliver on the promises made by President Colby. He also distanced himself from the corporations.
Retired Marine General Miles Behan, whose candidacy was never really an issue in 2325, announced he too would seek the Presidency again. He was joined by former Al Ahily governor Ricardo Swann who ran on a libertarian ticket and stated he would halt reunification if elected President.
OMDA spokesman and candidate in 2325 Cole Berenhault announced he would also seek the Presidency. He also announced that he had the backing of the Progressive Union Party, who were at the time the largest party in the Senate.
Finally AIS Senator Walt Vasser, a highly experienced Senator who lead one of the most successful parties in the Senate also announced he would seek the Presidency.
The Field:
President
Pierce Colby of the Fort Darwin colony
Former Governor Rust Collingwood of the St Lawrence Colony
OMDA spokesman Cole Berenhault
Retired Marine General Miles Behan
Former Governor Ricardo Swann of the Al Ahily Colony
Senator Walt Vasser, AIS Party
The Early Contest
The 2330 Council of Governor's and Executive were scheduled to meet in March of 2330 to vet the shortlist down to two candidates for the formal election. The candidates began to set out their stall and campaign to show that they would make a good President.
President Colby took part in a wide ranging series of events, including policy speeches. His fiery rhetoric about being allowed to finish the job of reunification was well received.
Governor Collingwood made some progress also, though his campaign was seen as a fairly similar one to the President's. Swann, Vasser and Behan never seemed to really get started properly. General Behan came in for some criticism for a lack of polish during his campaign events.
In the end, the Executive committee moved the President and OMDA spokesman Cole Berenhault on to the final vote.
The Final Two
Left wing candidate Cole Berenhault surged in the polls opposite President Colby with a 45% to 30% lead. Berenhault set out a manifesto to downsize the corporations and to end the inequalities of the current regime within the League.
President Colby struggled to fire back effectively but he refused to be drawn on the idea of taking on the big corporations.
However, as history repeated itself from the 2330 election, as first of all there was an influx of outside money as lobbyists and campaign donations to Colby saw Berenhault's numbers start to level out. Then came a series of revelations, none of them proven, that he had abused prisoners while he had been a sheriff operating on the frontier.
With just four days to go before the election, there was a deadlock with both candidates tied on 44%. Rumors swirled that the Federalist Party had a back channel meeting with Berenhault about switching their support but Berenhault refused to prioritize reunification over his plans to take on the corporations. A last minute switch of support from some donors from Berenhault to Colby saw him take the lead for the first time at 46%-44%
The Result
As the votes were tallied, it appeared that initially it may be too close to call. However after 38 hours of tallying, the first results showed that President Colby had won with 45% to 43%. Cole Berenhault conceded the race and President Colby had been re-elected
The New Administration
Taking up the office for a second term, President Colby stated that the priority for his administration was reunification, a bid that was to be boosted by the election of a pro reunification chancellor in Sotaru Ayada. He announced that major backer, former Senator and Treasury Secretary Braer McQaid was to be the new Secretary of State in his new administration. Former Secretary of State TH Sorrell announced she would not be joining the administration.
President Colby named Hale Briggs as the new Secretary of Defense and former Esprit du Nacional CEO Artrim Vise as the Treasury Secretary.
Helen Thorne kept her role as Chief of Staff and his former campaign manager Uriass van Haulen was given the role of Special Counsel to the President.
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