Results tagged “specialelection”

Of course: The widely-watched special election between Republican Assemblyman Jim Tedisco and Democrat newcomer (and venture capitalist) Scott Murphy for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's old Congressional seat has resulted in a "dead heat." The Times Union reports, "With 100 percent precincts reporting, Murphy leads Tedisco by only 59 votes, 77,344 to 77,285. With nearly 6,000 absentee ballots that will essentially decide the race as of Monday, the election will not be decided at least until April 13." The district has 75,000 more registered Republicans but Gillibrand—more of a blue dog Democrat—won it in 2006 and in 2008. The NY Times looks at how perhaps there was attention paid on the race (reporter Adam Nagourney admits he's guilty of it), but then again, it is the first special election since the presidential election.

In yesterday's three special elections for City Council seats, two victors have been named—and one vote is still be counted. Julissa Ferreras won Hiram Monserrate's old seat (Ferraras was Monserrate's old chief of staff) in the 21st district while Eric Ulrich (who won over the crowd during one meeting) won Joseph Addabbo's old seat in the 32nd. However, over in Staten Island, the race is still between two candidates in the 49th district: The Staten Island Advance says the margin is "just 48 votes in favor" of Ken Mitchell, who declared victory last night, over Debi Rose. The Advance adds, "A standard recanvass of all votes will be held at the Board of Election's Staten Island office next Wednesday at 10 a.m."

If you live in the 21st District (in Queens), 32nd District (also in Queens), or 49th District (in Staten Island), it's time for you to vote for a new City Council member! If your City Council members were once Hiram Monserrate, Joseph Addabbo, or Michael McMahon (all of whom have moved onto higher office), you can vote—or out what City Council district you live in here. Polls are open until 9 p.m. and the NY Times explains why the candidates will appear without party affiliations on the ballots. Oh, and those voting in Staten Island will have to deal with paper ballots, because of the "last minute" reinstatement of a candidate.

Yesterday City Council members Bill de Blasio and Letitia James announced alongside mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner that they plan to introduce counter legislation to the council's bid to extend term limits on their own by sending the issue back to voters to decide in a special election this spring. The mayor's office said that it doesn't support such an election because they worry that it might not hold up legally, that the Department of Justice might not approve (as they must) a change that came from elections that notoriously draw low voter turnout. But an elections lawyer tells the NY Times that shouldn't be the case saying, "There’s no reason to think the Justice Department would be less favorably inclined were term limits changed by several hundred thousand people in a special election than if they were changed by 51 council members." Term limits talk should only heat up this week with both bills expected tomorrow.

Last week's special election to fill the vacated 30th Council District seat was a close one and suggested that Republican Anthony Como won. Como had led Democrat Elizabeth Crowley by 70 votes; an official announcement of the winner will be made this week, after the Board of Elections counts hundreds of absentee ballots and certifies the findings.

Perhaps realizing he's best received as a leader in a time of crisis and disarray--and no stranger to cheating on his wife while in public office--former Mayor Rudy Giuliani may offer himself as a candidate for governor in the case Governor David Paterson has to step down.

Dennis Gallagher, the married City Councilman representing Queens who was accused of raping a constituent in a drunken encounter last year, announced his planned resignation after pleading guilty to sexual abuse and forcible touching. Last summer, a 52-year-old woman alleged that she met Gallagher at a bar in Queens and after a night of drinking went with the Councilman to his district office, where he raped her.