Washington & Hiatus

We were in Washington yesterday for Scott Muprhy’s swearing in and so were all of his 57 relatives he eats Sunday dinner with it seemed.  The one thing I will take away from working in DC is there is a lot of waiting.  Maybe more than when I have covered politicians in Albany.  

And with the race over, Campaign NY 20 goes on hiatus until we figure out what to do next with the blog.  We have some idea in the works, and if you have suggestions, message me over on Twitter @SchickCN9 or via email, curtis.schick@capitalnews9.com  

Be well,

Curtis

Murphy: I like you guys & The last few votes

Democrat Scott Murphy says he is getting more comfortable with all of us in the media, noting he “was never in public service until a few months ago”. 

Muprhy making the remarks before a short lunch and working a few full tables at the Halfmoon Diner on Rt. 9.  (Full report here) Tomorrow, Murphy is sworn in as the 20th District’s Congressman.  He is hoping for spots on the Agriculture and Financial Services Committees, and says he thinks he is getting Kirsten Gillibrand’s old office. 

We will be there tomorrow from Washington so keep an eye on us if you can’t get enough NY 20. 

As for finalizing this election, The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that,

After Republican James Tedisco conceded the race Friday, attorneys for both candidates withdrew challenges to about 500 ballots Monday, meaning county boards of elections can count them.

The majority of those challenges were made by Tedisco’s team. Once the ballots are counted, Murphy will most likely gain in overall votes.

Still, no updated numbers have been posted with the NYS BOE yet.  It will be interesting what the final count is.

Lewis has two issues

Jim Tedisco’s campaign finance chair Tom Lewis has a couple issues with the way the race was run. 

1.  Stimulus

2.  Ads

NY20 Recap

Here are the headlines:

CN9:  Two reports – Murphy declares victory, Tedisco’s congressional run is over

TU:  Murphy headed to Congress

Post Star:  Little not interested in 2010 congressional bid

Gazette:  Tedisco concedes to Murphy in 20th Congressional District race

Times:  Democrat Is Winner of a New York House Race

USA Today:  Murphy wins in New York 

Washington Post:  Murphy Eeks Out Win in NY-20 Special Election

NPR:  Democrat Scott Murphy Wins NY 20 Seat; Tedisco (R) Concedes *great button pics in this blog post* 

CCScoop:  James Tedisco Concedes Congressional Race to Scott Murphy  

Hudson Register-Star:  Tedisco Concedes **Great Picture**

Mondello: We lost because of the Obama honeymoon and the media

NYS Republican Chairman Joe Mondello says among other things that part of the reason Jim Tedisco lost was the Obama honeymoon and the media.

Full release:

Mondello Statement on 20th Congressional District

 

I commend Jim Tedisco for making a strong run and coming just a few hundred votes short of taking back a seat which was won by the Democrats just a few short months ago by 70,000 votes.  Barack Obama is still enjoying a honeymoon with the media and support from a majority of voters.  However, despite the President’s enthusiastic endorsement of the Democrat in this race, taxpayers of the 20th congressional district responded strongly to the Republican messages of reducing spending, cutting taxes and supporting free enterprise as the best means of creating jobs and growing the economy.

 

Republicans have come a long way back since last November’s Obama tsunami.    Unfortunately, in this race, just over two months into the new administration, we fell a handful of votes short of our goal — victory.

 

Notwithstanding this result, it is clear that our party’s return to its core ideals and principles is resonating with voters.  Anti-tax tea parties and protests across the state foreshadow the tremendous opportunities that we as Republicans have in this year’s elections.

 

Having taken the Democrats in the 20th congressional from a 70,000 vote advantage to a virtual dead-heat in just a few months is a result that should cause every Republican to redouble his or her efforts in the vitally important crusade to restore balance and accountability to our national, state and local governments.

 

More reactions

First Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: 

Kirsten Gillibrand Congratulates Scott Murphy on His Victory

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the previous Member of Congress representing the 20^th District of New York, tonight issued the following statement congratulating Scott Murphy on his win.

“This campaign was about who would work with President Obama to get the economy turned around and the voters have made the right choice.

“I was proud to give Scott Murphy my full support in his campaign for Congress.  Having spent so much time campaigning alongside Scott these past several weeks, I know Scott will be the kind of hard-working and effective leader New Yorkers in the 20th District will be proud of.

“I know Scott and I will work closely with President Obama to create jobs, make health care more affordable, and invest in education.  I will be proud to have him as a partner.”

Senator Gillibrand campaigned tirelessly for Scott Murphy, appearing in television commercials, campaign events, and fundraisers for him. 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SENATOR GILLIBRAND’S AD

Then WFP:

For Immediate Release:  April 24, 2009
Contact:  Dan Levitan, (518) 641-1889

WORKING FAMILIES PARTY CONGRATULATES SCOTT MURPHY

Progressive Party Instrumental in Murphy’s Come-From-Behind Win

20th Congressional District — The Working Families Party congratulated Congressman-elect Scott Murphy today after news that his opponent Jim Tedisco had conceded the race.  The progressive minor party made a major effort on Murphy’s behalf, knocking on nearly 20,000 doors to talk to voters in the district and unofficially providing 3,816 votes for Murphy on its ballot line – nearly 10 times his expected margin of victory. 

“There’s no doubt, we couldn’t have done it without them,” said Scott Murphy. “The Working Families Party is a tireless advocate for New York’s working people, and no one knows better than them how to energize voters on the issues that matter.” 

In the run-up to Election Day, WFP organizers marched through the district, talking to thousands of voters about Murphy’s commitment to solving the healthcare crisis, creating jobs, and putting the economy back on track. 

“As thousands of New Yorkers are at risk of losing their jobs or their homes, Scott Murphy ran on a clear message of putting our economy back on track and rebuilding the middle-class,” said Dan Cantor, Working Families Party Executive Director. “He’s got the energy and commitment it takes to lead in Washington.” 

Working Families Party affiliates–including the UAW Regions 9 and 9A, Citizen Action, SEIU 1199, and the Communications Workers of America–pitched in too, providing hundreds of volunteer shifts knocking on doors and calling thousands of union members who live in the district. 

The Murphy victory is the 5^th in recent years where votes on the Working Families ballot line have been the margin of victory for a Congressional candidate, following the wins of Tim Bishop in 2002, Brian Higgins in 2004, and Eric Massa and Michael Arcuri in 2008. 

The WFP received over 210,000 votes across the state on its ballot line – “Row E” – for its Congressional candidates this past November.

NRCC reacts

Statement from NRCC Chairman Sessions on Result of New York Special Election Washington- National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (TX) released the following statement today following the news that Republican Congressional candidate Jim Tedisco conceded in the battle for New York’s 20th Congressional District: “After a long, hard-fought race, the final result of the New York special election reinforces what our party has known since November – we have our work cut out for us when it comes to winning in Democrat-held districts. In defeat, there will always be disappointment, but we should not ignore some of the encouraging signs that came out of this race. “Just a few short months ago, President Obama carried this district and Kirsten Gillibrand won by an overwhelming margin against a well-funded challenger. For the first time in a long time, a Republican congressional candidate went toe-to-toe with a Democrat in a hard-fought battle over independent voters. This was hardly a common phenomenon in 2008, particularly in the Northeast. It should also be noted that our members and Party leaders stepped up to the plate and without them this race never would have been as competitive as it was. “Jim Tedisco made this race competitive by focusing on the fundamental concerns of Main Street – middle-class job creation, the flagrant abuse of taxpayer money, and the lack of accountability in Washington and on Wall Street. Since Election Day, we continue to hear the growing chorus of frustrated and concerned citizens who demand more from their government than profligate spending and mountains of debt that will be paid for in higher taxes by our children and grandchildren. Although Jim was unsuccessful in his hope to change Washington, he has shed light on our Party’s efforts to win back the majority in the House.”

It’s over: Murphy wins

Scott Murphy is declaring victory after they say Jim Tedisco called  and conceded the race.  This, according to Murphy campaign spokesperson Ryan Rudominor.  No comment yet from the Tedisco campaign. 

***UPDATE***

The statement from the Tedisco campaign: 

For Release: IMMEDIATELY, April 24, 2009

 

TEDISCO CONGRATULATES SCOTT MURPHY ON BECOMING THE NEXT CONGRESSMAN FOR NEW YORK’S 20^th DISTRICT

 

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C-Saratoga) today issued the following statement after conceding the race for New York’s 20^th Congressional district:

 

            “Mary and I would like to thank the citizens of the 20^th Congressional district for their kindness, courtesy and patience shown during this extended campaign.  This was a closely contested election that perhaps lasted a little longer than anyone may have expected or wanted.  But it was important for our electoral process and for the hard-working people of Upstate New York that it be resolved fairly and decisively.

“Earlier today, I called and congratulated Scott Murphy on a hard-fought contest and wished him well as the next Congressman of the 20^th Congressional district.  I also expressed my willingness to work with him to ensure that the families of Upstate New York are not left behind as our nation strives for economic recovery. 

“This was a close campaign every step of the way. Ultimately, it became clear that the numbers were not going our way and that the time had come to step aside and ensure that the next Congressman be seated as quickly as possible.  In the interest of the citizens of the 20^th Congressional district and our nation, I wish Scott the very best as he works with our new President and Congress to address the tremendous challenges facing our country.

“Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to all the volunteers, staff, supporters and – most importantly – my family, for their unending support and prayers.  They all poured their blood, sweat and tears into this campaign and for that I will always be eternally grateful.” 

Waiting game

It is not over for Jim Tedisco, but it could be soon.  Tedisco would need a lot of help in the courts to pull this one out.  I found this posting on the blog Roaring Republican that sums up what went wrong pretty well.

On the most important issue of 2009 Tedisco couldn’t come up with a coherent or definitive position.

That issue is the stimulus.  All he had to say was no, and he’d might be heading to DC.  Plus, I found this part interesting as what might be the state of the Republican party. 

The problem is the RNC keeps running candidates who are so useless we wouldn’t trust them to cut plywood let alone run a budget or defend a Republic.

We remain on Tedisco watch.

Sources: Tedisco could call it quits as soon as tomorrow

Capital News 9 and Capital Tonight have learned that Republican Jim Tedisco plans to concede the 20th District race as soon as tomorrow to Democrat Scott Murphy.  More here.