Election results – November 3, 2009
Does anyone remember how it was last year around this same time? Barack Obama had just won the White House, due in no small part to a large influx of new voters, people who usually did not participate in the election process. For weeks now, we have heard how today, November 3, 2009 would be a test of the political clout President Obama still had left.
There are three main contests that are being watched across the nation, even though they are all three on the east coast. The governorships in Virginia and New Jersey were up for grabs and surely everyone knows by now about the race for New York Congressional District 23. That’s the one where Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava dropped out because she was so far behind her Democratic opponent Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. She later gave her support to Bill Owens.
As of this writing, it looks like Republican Bob McDonnell is winning by a large margin over Democrat Creigh Deeds. FOX News is reporting McDonnell ahead of Deeds 61% to 39%, with 58% of the precincts having been counted. The GOP is already touting the victory as a rejection of the tax and spend policies of President Obama and the Democrats. Taken with the fact that Republicans also won the Lt. Governor and Attorney General races in Virginia and may win the governor’s office in New Jersey, could they be right in that assessment? If you are reading this and are from Virginia or New Jersey, I would be interested in your comments on this.
The race in New Jersey between Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie is sitting at 49% for Christie and 43% for Corzine, but the race has not been called for the GOP. No results are in for the congressional race in New York at this time.
UPDATE: Early election results from New York Congressional District 23 are showing Democrat Bill Owens with 53% and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman with 46%. These results are with 21% of the precincts reporting.
UPDATE: FOX News and CNN are both projecting Republican Chris Christie to defeat incumbent Democratic Governor Jon Corzine in New Jersey. With 81% of the precincts counted, it stands at 49% for Christie and 44% for Corzine.
I will be updating this post as more results become available, so please check back.
Man, New Jersey is close! Conservative pundits like Patrick Ruffini say Christie needs to win by at least 4% to beat out voter fraud. Big victory in VA, though!
MuskogeePolitico´s last blog ..A Key Election Night
The race is sitting at 49% to 44% right now in New Jersey.
Yes, it was a complete sweep in Virginia. I wonder how the media will play it if Hoffman wins in New York 23?
Media on NY-23: “This just shows that the GOP is falling apart, splintering. Real winners are the Democrats.” I can just imagine what they’ll say…
MuskogeePolitico´s last blog ..A Key Election Night
I thought that Republicans would win two of the three races. I thought that the Democrats would win New Jersey and the Republicans the other two. As I write this Virginia and New Jersey have gone to Republicans and NY 23 looks like it will go to the Democrats. Two out of three, I just had the wrong three.
I am still trying to digest this but it looks like there could be a resurgence in the Republican party. This could be a building block.
Mr Pink Eyes´s last blog ..Orrin Hatch questions the constitutionality of healthcare mandates
I suspect the media will attempt to hammer the Republican Party on it’s loss in New York, if the contest goes that way. They seem to be foaming at the mouth to use every opportunity to declare how the GOP is fractured and torn apart. Actually, they may still do that, no matter who wins the seat in Congress.
They will attempt to portray the New York loss a proof there is a split in the Republican party publicly, but privately they have to be just a little concerned about their own party.
Mr Pink Eyes´s last blog ..Orrin Hatch questions the constitutionality of healthcare mandates
I would tend to agree, Mr. Pink Eyes. They have to be wondering about it. I wonder myself if it will affect the debate over health care and other legislation they are trying to run through Congress?
Good post Larry.
Mr Pink Eyes said, “They will attempt to portray the New York loss a proof there is a split in the Republican party publicly, but privately they have to be just a little concerned about their own party.” I think that’s bang on. But I think any overplay of victory or loss on either side from these elections probably overstates the case. The NY 23rd result is a source of concern for the Republicans because it’s a dsitrict that has been in GOP hands for 100 years. The GOP victory in NJ is a surprise but when Corzine essentially called Christie too fat to be governor I think he lost plenty of votes. I also think people are not happy to have seen him spend so much money on the election in difficult economy. And in Virginia race I remember being esepcially angered by Deeds ripping into McDonnell over a thesis he had written in college. Deeds took the low road while Christie focused on the issues.
So more than anything else I think this election was a rejection of “politics” and an affirmation of candidates, of whatever party, who show character and attention to issues that matter to the people. Wishful thinking perhaps but I kind of like dreaming from time to time.