2010 Primary Returns: Espada Concedes! Paladino Wins!

Carl Paladino, with his wife, voting in Buffalo (David Duprey/AP)

Whoa: NY1 reports that Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. is conceding the 33rd District State Senate seat to Gustavo Rivera! Espada, who, in spite of his residency questions and alleged looting of $14 million, not to mention coup maneuvering, was still considered a favorite.

NY1's Dean Meminger said that Espada appeared at his party and said that based on numbers he received, he lost. Meminger even said that reporters didn't realize it was a concession speech, so Meminger asked him point blank if he lost, which Espada confirmed. Meminger added, "He seemed a bit upset, a bit sad...he started to raise his voice, but then calmed down."

With 30% of precincts reporting, Tea Party wild card Carl Paladino is beating Rick Lazio, who is the Republican party-picked candidate, 68% to 31% in the Republican gubernatorial primary. WNYC's Azi Paybarah Tweeted, "reporter tells me 'i'm going to the lazio funeral'"

The Democratic Attorney General race has 31% of precincts reporting, and Kathleen Rice is leading with almost 34%, followed by Eric Schneiderman (25%), Sean Coffey (21%), Richard Brodsky (12%) and Eric Dinallo (7%). It's suggested that the NYC numbers are slow to trickle.

Michael Grimm—not the "paisan"—was named the winner of the REpublican Congressional primary in Staten Island. In other House primary races, Democratic incumbent Carolyn Maloney is leading Reshma Saujani 83% to 17% with 17% of precincts reporting while Charles Rangel, the longtime Harlem Democrat House member, is leading with 48% (19% of precincts reporting), Adam Clayton Powell IV is second, with 24%. And in the race for the Democratic nod for Queens Assembly seat, former State Senator Hiram Monserrate conceded to Francisco Moya.

Kirsten Gillibrand won the Democratic Senate primary.

Update, 11 p.m.: The Associated Press called the Republican gubernatorial race for Paladino. However, Liz Benjamin pointed out that the Long Island precincts haven't reported yet, and that's Lazio's home turf. Still, she said, the fact that the AP was confident enough to call it for Paladino was big (earlier in the evening, when NY GOP chairman Ed Cox was at Lazio's headquarters, Cox was hyping up Paladino).

Update, 11:07 p.m.: NY1 calls Paladino for the Republican gubernatorial primary, and the NY Times appears to as well, if we are to count their highlighting of Paladino's name.

Also, in the Democratic AG primary, with 45% of precincts reporting, Rice has 32% and Schneiderman has 30%.

Update, 11:12 p.m.: Paladino, speaking to the crowd at his headquarters (one of his own buildings!), "If there's anything we learned, it's that New Yorkers are mad as hell. And we're not gonna take it anymore. The people have spoken and I'm here to thank you for choosing me as the Republican candidate for the governor of New York." He tells the people in the republican party who opposed him, "You're welcome to join the people's crusade." He also goes on to bash Andrew Cuomo—his legacy, slams his connection with the Working Families Party, and his liberal "pro-tax" views. He namechecks Staten Island and says he'll clean up the "cess pool" that is Albany. Paladino also challenges Cuomo to a series of debates.

Update, 11:23 p.m.: With 57% of precincts reporting, Schneiderman and Rice both have 31%.

Update, 11:33 p.m.: NY1 calls the 14th Congressional District seat race for Maloney and NY Times calls the 15th Congressional District seat race for Rangel. In the AG race, 62% precincts reporting, Schneiderman has 32% and Rice has 31% (according to NY Times). We're heading to bed but we'll update in the morning. In the meantime, we'll dream of the November 2 general election—and how awesome it's going to be for a nothing-to-lose Paladino to go up against Cuomo.

Update 7 a.m.: Schneiderman, the Manhattan State Senator, won the AG race.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on September 14, 2010 10:49 PM

Comments [rss]

wobbleSmith

wow, the GOP reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally dropped the ball on this lazio/palidino thing. it's amazing how little money lazio had for a banker. i guess that didn't bode well for him in the first place.

learnedhand

Paladino is a bit of a nutter, but I kind of like the guy. People I know who know him personally say he's actually a really nice guy with a great personality and sense of humor. Do I think he'd make a good governor? Probably not. But based on what I do know about him, I do think he'd take Albany in a different direction.

Glad Espada is gone, can't believe Monserrate got votes, and why the hell does Ruben Diaz still have a job? That should be the next target to go... guess we've got two years to work on that.

Mr. Shankly

Hey 15th! Really???? Were you afraid the other candidates were closet Republicans?

Charlie must be a good boy. Aspiring rapper/basketball player.

Promises he loves you and would never, ever hit you again.

Said the bitch set him up.

At least Espada is out.

Såkandulæredet

On Intrade.com, this was how yesterday's action played out with traders:

A 73.3% likelihood of Republicans taking over the House. 72% the day before primaries. The main change was likelihood of the Republicans taking over the Senate which went from 26% to 21% and now is even lower, 16.6%.

bashmentgirl

As a liberal, I'm ecstatic!! If Paladino doesn't rally the Democratic base, nothing will. I can't wait for the gubernatorial debate. Hopefully Paladino will call the poor dirty lazy people who should be housed in prisons --- again.

Mordicai

Paladino won? Sometimes I poke my head outside the confines of the Liberal Ivory Towers of New York City & I am appalled by what I see. Who would vote for that nutter? Anyhow, at least Pedro is out-- hey, maybe Albany will start working!*

* It won't.

Boogie Down

"Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. is conceding the 33rd District State Senate seat to Gustavo Rivera!"

Best fucking news I've heard all year! Adios, pendejo.

bxbrian

+1

Voting against Pedro was the thrill of the week.

bonu$baby

Don't be so sure Paladino won't win. The electorate is tired of Albany business as usual. Cuomo represents the status quo. Compared to our last 2 governors, he is an improvement.

ddhboy

In fact I'm going to say that its yet another instance of the tea party screwing over the republicans by rushing the primaries to get candidates that align with their conservative ideology, but can't win the general election because they aren't moderates.

ddhboy

You can't have something so vague be your running point when you are the minority party, especially in NY where only 26% of the population is Republican. You lose by default as a republican unless you can get the moderates, which Paladino isn't going to get with all his far right crazy shit.

Peter

>Gummint cheese.

Yeah, like the no-bid contracts worth billion and billions Blackwater/Xe and Haliburton get in Iraq every day of the week? That's an awful lot of cheese.

But hey, you're right - those folks in Harlem are really 'getting over' on us hard-working (white) folks.

Schmuck.

Peter

inklake

FelixtheCat Christine Quinns

racists? powell is black

JEWS are THE best - SCREW libs

dude is as black as the Grand wizard of the klan.

FelixtheCat Christine Quinns

No, powell is Black but not liked because all he does is chase tail.

bellsandasiren

I hope more than anything that Cuomo accepts Paladino's challenge to a series of debates. Nothing would make me happier than seeing Cuomo wipe the floor with that crazy-eyed piece of insanity.

matty

Remember the Gore Bush debates? Crazy won that one.

John L

Yes thanks BXers for getting rid of Espada!

Hiriam Monserate hopefully we'll never hear from you again!

Carolyn Maloney thankfully destroyed Reshma Saujani.

Paladino is scary but he can't win. All Cuomo needs to do is keep hiding and let Paladino keep talking. The more he talks the more people will realize what an idiot he truly is.

Rangel is still alive! Even Bloomberg admits he's been good for New York and that's what counts. A bullshit political witch hunt can't undo all his years of service.

Kristen Gillibrand has no loyalty but I guess she'll do. After Paterson went against the White House's wishes and appointed her to the position, she was among the first calling for his resignation.

All in all, so far it's been a good day.

But we can't underestimate Paladino and his war chest.

ddhboy

There's no way a tea party candidate is going to win a statewide governors race in NY. All the democrats have to do is put out all the shit that Paladino started spewing when he entered the race including is idea for work camps for the poor, and all the racist and sexist things he sent out in his e-mail. Downstate, which he apparently despises, is going to bury him.