Popular Republican Leadership Challenge, 580AER

The Popular Republican Leadership Challenge of 580AER was an election to determine the Parliamentary Leader of the Popular Republican Movement. It called by incumbent Parliamentary Leader Sheldon Whitehouse to unify and energize the party ahead of the 579AER Federal Elections in December of 577AER. Originally planned for 578AER, the contest was delayed to 580 due to the eruption of the Third World War. Whitehouse won re-election in the contest. 
== Background ==
Following its unexpectedly strong performance in the Falleen Federal Election of 575AER, the Popular Republican Movement immediately began seeing strong numbers in public opinion polls - as high as 16% in one national poll. However, the party began to have trouble passing its legislative agenda facing staunch parliamentary opposition - especially in the Imperial Senate. Its poll ratings began to fall, eventually falling not only below its actual performance in the 575 election, but also back into fourth place behind the Coalition of Conservative Unionists. The final straw was the results of the Hastigan and Veld independence referenda, where a majority of voters in both states voted to leave the Falleen Empire despite the party campaigning hard in favor of the states remaining in the Empire. With only 14-15 months remaining until the next federal election, Whitehouse feared that a depressed PRM voter base and sharply declining poll numbers for the ruling Socialist Party in the wake of the referenda defeat would all but ensure a UKIP-CCU government being elected. Thus, shortly after the referenda results were finalized, Whitehouse announced the leadership contest.
However, the contest was pushed back by the outbreak of the Third World War just days after the contest was announced. For almost two years during the height of the war, the leadership contest was place on hiatus and all parliamentarians were embargoed from announcing their intentions to run and campaigning. Once the war had been confined almost entirely to the far east Red Federation homeland and speculation began that peace was on the way, Whitehouse resumed the election.
== Debate ==
There was one televised debate for the Popular Republican Leadership Challenge, hosted by FBC News moderator Tom Tucker and guest moderator from the Ponsonby Press, Perch Perkins. A post-debate poll found Whitehouse below 50% support for the first time in the campaign, leading to rabid speculation that a runoff election between him and Willi Stoph would occur.
== UKIP Scandal ==
UKIP, formerly allied to PRM in the Second Angela Merkel Cabinet but in opposition to them under Chancellor Willy Brandt, caused some controversy when MP Alexander Thorn made widely-panned comments about the government. This was mostly based on the government's pre-war support for cutting back military funding. The comments met disapproval from MPs of every political party, including many of Thorn's own UKIP colleagues. Though the comment was not representative of the views of UKIP as a whole, the press surrounding the remark saw the debacle as undermining the Cumbernick Bandersnatch campaign, which promised to work across the aisle with UKIP again.
== Poll Surge ==
A critical factor in the election was a national poll posted by the Falleen National Chronicle - the first such poll published by the respected outlet in over a year - which indicated that the Popular Republicans were the most popular federal party, winning out the highest vote share at 19%. The poll was shocking to most observers and resulted in a rash of positive press and gave Whitehouse a major boost. 
== Results ==
Incumbent Parliamentary Leader and Deputy Imperial Chancellor Sheldon Whitehouse was re-elected with 59% of the vote on the first ballot, setting to rest the speculation that he would fall short of 50% and need to face off against Willi Stoph in a runoff ballot.
== Candidates ==
=== Sheldon Whitehouse ===
Whitehouse was one of the first Popular Republicans, being the second most active campaigner for the party ahead of the 571 election, behind only then-leader Jeff Sessions. While this made Whitehouse a widely-known figure in the party, he did not take any special positions in government or party leadership after being elected as a Member of Parliament from Tapanuo in 571. Whitehouse was the most obvious choice for next Parliamentary Leader when Jeff Sessions announced his resignation, and indeed Sessions endorsed Whitehouse, who received unanimous confirmation as new leader by PRM parliamentarians. Whitehouse ran an exceptional campaign in 575AER that saw the party make record gains and become the third-largest federal political party. He became Deputy Imperial Chancellor after negotiating a governing coalition with the Socialist Party and New Progressives. His campaign was centered on defending and promoting his record as leader thus far.
=== Willi Stoph ===
First elected in 575 as a Popular Republican Member of Parliament from Tarbanos, Stoph was subsequently elected by his like-minded peer's on the party's left wing to represent their newly-formed Activist Caucus. He was additionally tapped by Deputy Imperial Chancellor Sheldon Whitehouse to lead the Department of Infrastructure and Transport. During his tenure, Stoph passed a ten billion fall infrastructure program - the only major piece of PRM legislation that was passed in both chambers of Parliament. Stoph ran as a left-wing challenger to the center-left Whitehouse. His campaign endorsed universal healthcare as a major policy position.
=== Cumbernick Bandersnatch ===
First elected in 575 as a Popular Republican Member of Parliament from Darpartryo, Bandersnatch was subsequently elected by his like-minded peers on the party's centre-right to represent their newly-formed Budget Hawk Caucus. A relatively obscure figure before the campaign, Bandersnatch hoped to pick up support from centrist and centre-right voters to take on the centre-left Whitehouse. His campaign pitch included a renewed focus on fiscal conservatism, and a promise to work across the aisle with UKIP as was the case from 571-575.
=== Donald Rumsfeld ===
First elected in 571 as a Popular Republican Member of Parliament from Darpartryo, Rumsfeld was selected by then-leader Jeff Sessions to lead the Department of Education, a position he still holds to this day. This makes him PRM's longest-serving cabinet minister. Rumsfeld ran largely on a single-issue platform calling for a hard line on the Veld and Hastigan exit negotiations, warning that Verzoonium, Haals, Reellam, and others may try to leave if the Velds and Hastigans end up with with the high ground in negotiations.Category:The Imperial Constitution
==Polling==
Polls Conducted by Ponsonby Press polling division
===First Round===
Date 	Cumbernick Bandersnatch	John Fetterman	Tulsi Gabbard	Donald Rumsfeld	Willi Stoph	Sheldon Whitehouse	Unsure
October 30th, 578	4% 	6% 	9% 	6% 	8% 	55% 	12%
August 14th, 579 	7% 	7% 	- 	5% 	10% 	58% 	13%
November 25, 579 	12% 	- 	- 	11% 	14% 	56% 	7%
January 9th, 580 	17% 	- 	- 	15% 	20% 	45% 	3%
Results 	11% 	- 	- 	13% 	17% 	59% 	-
===Second Round (hypothetical)===
====Whitehouse vs Stoph====
Date 	Sheldon Whitehouse	Willi Stoph	Unsure
October 30th, 578	66% 	14% 	20%
August 14th, 579 	65% 	18% 	17%
November 25, 579 	69% 	20% 	11%
January 9th, 580 	68% 	24% 	8%
====Whitehouse vs Bandersnatch====
Date 	Sheldon Whitehouse	Cumbernick Bandersnatch	Unsure
October 30th, 578	63% 	8% 	29%
August 14th, 579 	64% 	13% 	23%
November 25, 579 	67% 	19% 	14%
January 9th, 580 	69% 	21% 	10%
====Whitehouse vs Rumsfeld====
Date 	Sheldon Whitehouse	Donald Rumsfeld	Unsure
October 30th, 578	62% 	9% 	29%
August 14th, 579 	62% 	10% 	28%
November 25, 579 	64% 	14% 	22%
January 9th, 580 	68% 	17% 	15%
====Whitehouse vs Gabbard====
Date 	Sheldon Whitehouse	Tulsi Gabbard	Unsure
October 30th, 578	65% 	21% 	14%
====Whitehouse vs Fetterman====
Date 	Sheldon Whitehouse	John Fetterman	Unsure
October 30th, 578	61% 	11% 	28%
August 14th, 579 	60% 	12% 	28%