Bill Owens

Owens Winning The Absentee Ballots In NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | November 20, 2009, 5:03PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

The absentee ballot count is nearly completed in the NY-23 special election, with the new Democratic Rep. Bill Owens on track to gain votes in the process.

With only 813 ballots left to be counted, the Watertown Daily Times has Owens ahead by 3,398 votes over Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman, with an Owens lead of 253 votes within the absentees themselves.

The early absentee figures had given a mistaken impression of Hoffman gaining, because they had come mainly from counties that Hoffman carried on election day. The remaining ballots are more than not from pro-Owens counties, so he could potentially expand his lead a little bit further.

Owens was sworn in two weeks ago, after Hoffman had conceded the election. The correction of routine clerical errors, however, narrowed Owens' margin from 5,000 votes to about 3,000, leading Hoffman to take back his concession. Wednesday night, Hoffman charged that the election was stolen: "ACORN, the unions and Democratic Party were scared, and that's why they tampered with the ballots of voters in NY-23."

House '10

DCCC Beating NRCC In Money Game

Eric Kleefeld | November 20, 2009, 3:00PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)

Republicans may have high hopes for picking up House seats in 2010. But for now, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is easily outpacing the National Republican Congressional Committee in fundraising and cash on hand, for the filing period that ended October 31.

The DCCC raised $3.76 million, spent $3.98 million, and has $14.25 million cash on hand, with $3.3 million in debts.

The NRCC raised $3.44 million, spent $3.59 million, and has $4.17 million on hand, with $2 million in debts.

Subtracting each group's debt from its cash on hand, the DCCC has an effective net worth of $10.95 million, to only $2.17 million for the NRCC.

Both parties spent more than they took in for October, due to the NY-23 special election -- in which the Democrats picked up a Republican-held seat, and activists conservatives forced the moderate Republican nominee out of the race, in favor of a conservative third-party candidate.

NY-23

Owens Leads Hoffman By Insurmountable Margin -- A Greater Lead Than Outstanding Ballots

Eric Kleefeld | November 19, 2009, 5:38PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

The latest absentee ballot totals from the NY-23 special election show Democratic Rep. Bill Owens leading his Conservative Party opponent Doug Hoffman -- with a greater margin than there are absentee ballots left to be counted.

The Watertown Daily Times reports that Owens leads by 3,105 votes, with 3,072 ballots left to count. It is mathematically impossible for Hoffman to win.

Owens was sworn in two weeks ago, after Hoffman had conceded the election. The correction of routine clerical errors, however, narrowed Owens' margin from 5,000 votes to about 3,000, leading Hoffman to take back his concession.

Last night, Hoffman charged that the election was stolen: "ACORN, the unions and Democratic Party were scared, and that's why they tampered with the ballots of voters in NY-23."

Late Update: Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan declined to comment specifically on these numbers, as he had not yet seen them in the figures that he gets from the county boards of elections. "We have found certain irregularities," said Ryan. "And when the count is completed, and we take a look -- and we have until Monday to decide whether to file those objections -- we are going to make a decision between now and then on whether and how to proceed."

NY-23

Republican Election Official, GOP County Chairman Dismiss Hoffman's Accusations Of ACORN Conspiracy

Eric Kleefeld | November 19, 2009, 11:24AM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

The accusations by NY-23 Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman that ACORN stole the election for Democrat Bill Owens, by allegedly tampering with the ballots and with the reported results, is now getting some push-back -- from a local Republican election official, and even a local GOP chairman, who aren't buying into the ACORN conspiracy talk.

The Watertown Daily Times reports:

Jerry O. Eaton, Jefferson County Republican elections commissioner, called Mr. Hoffman's assertion "absolutely false."

"No one has touched those ballots or has access to those ballots except Board of Elections staff -- and in a bipartisan manner," he said.

Read more »

NY-23

Doug Hoffman: ACORN Has Stolen NY-23 Election!

Eric Kleefeld | November 19, 2009, 10:34AM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 election, is going further in revoking his election-night concession to Democrat Bill Owens -- who was sworn into office a few days later -- and alleging that ACORN has attempted to steal the election!

In a new letter to his supporters, Hoffman boasts of how the margin in the race has narrowed as the counties have corrected clerical errors in the totals -- which happen routinely in every election, as local officials have said -- and absentee ballots are counted. Hoffman says the situation is an obvious ACORN conspiracy:

I'm sure you are as dismayed as I am to learn of the mischief that took place in Oswego and neighboring counties. We know this would not be the first time for the ACORN faithful to tamper with democracy.

...

Oswego County elections officials blame the mistakes on "chaos" in their call-in center that included a phone system foul-up, and on inspectors who read numbers incorrectly when phoning in results. This sounds like a tactic right from the ACORN playbook.

As of yesterday evening's totals, Hoffman trailed by 2,832 votes, with 4,262 absentees left to be counted. It looks like no matter what the final result is, Hoffman and his allies will charge that this election was stolen by the ACORN bogeyman.

The full letter is available after the jump. It makes for interesting reading.

Read more »

NY-23

Owens Leads Hoffman By 2,832 Votes, With Only 4,262 Absentee Ballots Left

Eric Kleefeld | November 18, 2009, 5:02PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

The latest absentee ballot totals show Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) holding on to his lead over Conservative Party opponent Doug Hoffman in the recent special election, the Watertown Daily Times reports.

With about 40% of the total absentee ballots counted, Owens leads by 2,832 votes, with only 4,262 absentees left to be opened up by the various counties. If Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava were to keep up her current percentage of 21% the absentees -- she dropped out of the race the weekend before the election, after most absentees had been mailed in -- then Hoffman would need to win 3,099 out of the remaining pile.

Hoffman conceded on election night, when he was apparently down by 5,000 votes, and Owens was sworn in that Friday. However, corrections of clerical errors revealed that Owens had only won the election day total by about 3,000 votes -- and Hoffman recently said he would take back his concession if it were possible.

The absentee count shows that Hoffman is making some minor headway with these votes, but the likelihood of him actually catching Owens is shrinking by the day -- and it was quite small to begin with.

Late Update: "I'm never gonna rule out a win, but as I've said from the start, there's a very small shot," Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan just told us. "And we will see, we'll make a decision as we get near the end of the week, how to proceed."

NY-23

NY-23 Update: Owens Maintains Lead, As Absentees Begin To Be Counted

Eric Kleefeld | November 17, 2009, 6:09PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Here's a quick update on the NY-23 special election, in which Democrat Bill Owens defeated Conservative Doug Hoffman, and was sworn into office after Hoffman conceded, only to have Hoffman recently un-concede after late results showed him narrowing Owens' lead from around 5,000 votes to 3,000.

According to the Watertown Daily Times, the most up-to-date totals with partial absentee-ballot counts have Owens still ahead by 2,940 votes, with 5,570 absentees yet to be counted. If this were strictly a two-way race, Hoffman would need to take over 75% of the absentees to win -- and this is not a two-way race, and Hoffman is highly unlikely to get the margin he would need.

Read more »

Doug Hoffman

Hoffman Takes Back His Concession Speech In NY-23

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 16, 2009, 5:19PM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative) and Glenn Beck

Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman tried to reopen the NY-23 race this afternoon. Two weeks after he conceded defeat to Rep. Bill Owens (D), Hoffman attempted to take it all back in an interview with Glenn Beck.

Beck who championed Hoffman during the race, asked Hoffman if he regretted conceding in the wake of new poll results that show him losing to Owens by a narrower margin than was projected on election night. Some Hoffman supporters have held out hope that the 10,000 absentee ballots currently being counted by election officials in New York could reverse the election night result, which saw Owens become the first Democratic representative from the district in over a century.

Today, Hoffman seemed willing to oblige their fantasies.

Read more »

NY-23

Doug Hoffman: With '20-20 Hindsight' I Wouldn't Have Conceded

Eric Kleefeld | November 13, 2009, 6:25PM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate in the NY-23 election, appeared today on the Neil Cavuto show, where he kept the door open to challenging his narrow defeat by Democrat Bill Owens, who was sworn into office last week after Hoffman had conceded the race.

Hoffman said "I don't think we'll have an answer to this for at least a week or two," and thats when the totals are completed, "each candidate will still have another week to protest." He also said that with "20-20 hindsight," he would not have conceded on Election Night. Hoffman's concession allowed Owens to be sworn in quickly, even though the full vote-counting process was not completed -- and in this same interview, Hoffman attacked Speaker Nancy Pelosi for swearing in Owens.

Adjustments to the vote totals -- which came from a standard process of correcting human errors in election night spreadsheets -- showed Owens' lead shrinking from about 5,000 votes to 3,000, and spurring a a lot of talk in conservative media outlets about how Hoffman will be able to pull ahead from the several thousand absentee ballots yet to be counted. The math suggests that Hoffman is still highly unlikely to win, absent some other monumental error being discovered, because he would need to win the absentees by overwhelming margins.

NY-23

Owens' Margin Over Hoffman Narrows -- But His Win Does Not Appear In Serious Danger

Eric Kleefeld | November 12, 2009, 11:47AM

Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman, Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Could Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate who conceded the NY-23 special election last week, still end up pulling ahead and ejecting the newly sworn-in Democratic Rep. Bill Owens from office? The answer is that it's mathematically possible, but simply not likely in real terms.

The Syracuse Post-Standard reported that Owens' lead over Hoffman had shrunk from about 5,000 votes, as it was on election night when Hoffman conceded, to only 3,000 votes. With up to 10,000 absentee ballots to be counted, this left the possibility of Hoffman pulling ahead. Hoffman spokesman Rob Ryan admitted to Dave Weigel that the odds of such an upset were not too good: "Even if the margin had been 3,000 votes on election night, we would have conceded. We just might have done it later."

The most up to date numbers from the Watertown Daily Times show the picture even bleaker for Hoffman than that. With only 5,400 absentees left to count, Owens' lead is holding steady at 3,176. "Are they going to change the result? I don't know, I wouldn't bet the mortgage payment on it," Rob Ryan just told me. "But since this has been such a bizarre race, who the hell knows?"

Read more »

Tea Party

GOP Could Face More Challenges From Right, After NY-23

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 5:06PM

Capitol Hill, Tea-Party Rally

In the wake of the NY-23 right-wing revolt, could the GOP be on the verge of seeing even more challenges from the activist right? Some recent developments suggest that the natives are getting restless.

• NRCC chairman Pete Sessions is being challenged in the Republican primary by David Smith, a corporate financial analyst. Smith told us that the NY-23 mess was not a factor in his decision -- but it should help him in attacking Sessions: "It's nice to have my opponent in the national news for a bad reason at the same time I'm announcing my candidacy."

• Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) is facing a Republican primary challenge from Jason Sager, a currently unemployed audio-visual engineer. Sager specifically cited Brown-Waite's having campaigned for Dede Scozzafava, the moderate Republican nominee in NY-23 who ultimately dropped out of the race and endorsed Democrat Bill Owens, as a reason for his challenge.

Read more »

Pete Sessions

Tea Party Activist Challenging NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions In GOP Primary

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 3:23PM

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), the chairman of the NRCC, may have another problem on his hands in addition to the House GOP's recent woes in the NY-23 race: A primary challenge from a conservative activist back home.

David Smith, a corporate financial analyst, has declared his candidacy against Sessions in the Republican primary, citing the budget deficit, federal spending, and Sessions' votes for the Wall Street bailout as his main issues.

In an interview with TPM, Smith said that he has participated in Tea Parties as an activist, though he has not been an organizer, and explained that those events are motivated by the same issues of spending in Washington that he's long been concerned about. "And that begun under Republican control of the House and Senate and Republican control of the White House," said Smith. "I know it didn't boil over into marches in the streets and to the White House until a Democrat got elected, but that happened because Republicans weren't doing what people wanted, and Pete was a part of that."

Read more »

NY-23

NY-23 And GOP Turmoil Makes Urban Dictionary In New Entry: 'Scozzafavaed'

Christina Bellantoni | November 6, 2009, 2:24PM

Well, look at that. Not sure that's how Dede Scozzafava wanted to go down in history when she started her bid to be the next member of Congress from New York.

The Urban Dictionary has added "Scozzafavaed" to its pages.

Scozzafavaed (Pronounced: /skoʊzəfavəd/) -verb

1. Purged of moderation, e.g., within in a Congressional district
2. Inadvertently revealed internal chaos, e.g., within in (sic) a political party
3. Adj., Doomed due to popular support of the GOP electorate
"Dude, you see Glenn Beck talking about how our congressman supports indoctrinating us in the ways of socialism through paper money last night?

Bill Owens

Owens Announces Support For House Dems' Health Care Bill

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 1:24PM

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) can be counted on as a "yes" in this weekend's expected vote on the House Democrats' health care bill, announcing his support in a press release.

"This legislation will reform the insurance industry and provide increased access to affordable healthcare without taxing healthcare benefits, cutting Medicare benefits or raising taxes on the middle class, and that is exactly the direction we need to go," said Owens. "There are still changes I would like to make, including raising the payroll exemption for small businesses, but like I said last week, there is a fundamental need for reform and we must act with a sense of urgency."

Owens won a narrow upset victory in this past Tuesday's NY-23 election, defeating the Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman who had opposed the bill, and picking up the seat for the Democrats. Owens's position here is in line with his prior statements at a debate held last week, shortly before the election.

His full statement is available after the jump.

Read more »

Bill Owens

Bill Owens Sworn In As Congressman For New York's 23rd District

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 1:13PM

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY)

Rep. Bill Owens (D-NY) has just been sworn in as the member of the House of Representatives for the NY-23 district, after winning this past Tuesday's special election and picking up a previously GOP-held seat for the Democrats.

His certificate of election has not been finalized yet, but the outcome of the race is not in any doubt, and his Conservative Party opponent Doug Hoffman conceded the race. Thus, Owens was able to be sworn into office as soon as was practical.

The following is the prepared text of his first speech to the House:

"Madam Speaker,

"I am honored to be here with you all today, and to join you in our continuing effort to build a better, stronger America. This is a proud day for me and my family but it is also a sad day for our country. The shooting at Fort Hood last night that claimed the lives of 13 fine Americans is a stunning reminder of how quickly the peace we enjoy here at home can turn to violence, and how heavily we rely on our brave men and women to keep us free from harm. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, and with our soldiers to whom we owe our safety and our freedom.

Read more »

Bill Owens

Bill Owens To Be Sworn In At About Noon Today

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 11:37AM

Rep.-elect Bill Owens (D-NY)

Rep.-elect Bill Owens (D-NY) will be sworn in today at about noon, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office has confirmed.

Owens's win this past Tuesday in the NY-23 special election was a bright spot for Democrats on an otherwise dreary night, with his victory over Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman giving Democrats a pick-up of a seat that they literally did not hold during the entire 20th century.

Owens will also be meeting with President Obama at 4:25 p.m. ET today. During his campaign Owens had initially been skeptical of a strong public option, but was later supportive of the milder version contained in the current House health care bill. So don't be surprised if the upcoming health care vote, in which Owens could very well make the difference between passage and failure, is a major topic of discussion.

Doug Hoffman

Doug Hoffman To Speak At North Carolina Republican Dinner

Eric Kleefeld | November 5, 2009, 4:51PM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate and de facto last-minute Republican nominee who narrowly lost the NY-23 special election to Democrat Bill Owens this past Tuesday, isn't done yet with politics -- he's headed down South, to speak at a North Carolina Republican event.

As Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling (D) reports:

I've been pretty sure the Republicans will get back control of the North Carolina legislature next year but now I'm not underestimating their chances to defeat themselves.

Just got an e-mail from the party that they're bringing in Doug Hoffman to speak at their Hall of Fame dinner in a couple weeks. The same Doug Hoffman of course who managed to blow a Congressional seat the party had held for over a century.

2010 elections

DGA Hunkers Down For '10 Battle As Leaders Warn Democrats To Keep Races Local

Christina Bellantoni | November 4, 2009, 6:18PM

Democratic candidates for governor in 2010 need to avoided being baited by Republicans on national issues such as health care or climate change, Democratic officials said today in the wake of two big losses in New Jersey and Virginia.

Nathan Daschle, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association, told reporters the 37 races they have on the map next year will be tough. He advised that candidates talk about jobs, the party's ability to govern and local issues.

"Republicans are going to try to use federal issues to box in Democrats and we can't fall for that," he said. "We need to demonstrate our capacity to govern and our capacity to get results."

Daschle said candidates "cannot fall for the trap" of federal issues, saying that if GOP rivals are pushing on health care or climate change they probably don't know about state issues.

TPMDC asked Daschle about candidates getting pushed on health care, especially whether they would "opt-out" of the public option in its current form. It's an issue that hurt Creigh Deeds (D) in Virginia as liberals felt like he was moving too far to the right by saying he would likely opt-out.

Read more »

2010 elections

Conservatives Emboldened: DeMint Says 'Army Of Americans' Will Fight For Freedom In '10

Christina Bellantoni | November 4, 2009, 4:05PM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)

Sen. Jim DeMint says Republicans must be "rock solid" conservatives to win in 2010, and predicted a national "army" will rise up next year.

TPMDC listened in last night on a call run by DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund as they ticked off the races they are watching and detailed the conservative direction they think Republicans need to head toward.

DeMint said he wanted to "harness the energy" he saw during the tea parties.

He said he wants to show that "anywhere in the country," a "principled Republican with conservative principles" can win.

"That is going to change politics in America," he said. "You're going to see an army of Americans fighting for freedom in this next election."

Read more »

NY-23

Minuteman PAC Blames Dede For Hoffman's Loss, Vows To Keep Fighting GOP Establishment

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 3:17PM

NY-23 Candidates Dede Scozzafava (R) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

The Republican fratricide that cost the GOP the NY-23 special election is only going to keep on going, with the Minuteman PAC -- the anti-illegal immigration group that endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman -- vowing to keep up the fight in a new e-mail to their supporter list:

And, the vote totals revealed that reality late last night when it appeared that Bill Owen's margin of victory was the same percentage of votes cast for Scozzafava.

The moral of the story? Had Scozzafava not run, Hoffman would have easily won the election!!!

STOP MORE SCOZZAFAVA SPOILERS! HELP MINUTEMAN PAC RE-ARM FOR 2010!

...

After Minuteman PAC stepped into the race on behalf of Hoffman to expose Scozzafava and Owens' liberal records, Scozzafava was forced to abandon her campaign and her true colors were exposed to the entire country. . .

And Minuteman PAC will continue aiming at key races where brave patriot candidates have enlisted to unseat or defeat anti-American candidates! That's why we cannot sulk, we cannot rest, we must keep fighting. . .

The full e-mail is available after the jump.

Read more »

NRSC

NRSC Won't Spend Money In Contested Primaries

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 2:05PM

State Rep. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R)

On the heels of the NY-23 special House election, in which Conservative Party insurgent Doug Hoffman overtook moderate GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava, only to lose to Democrat Bill Owens, NRSC chairman John Cornyn (R-TX) has announced that the GOP's national Senate committee will not be spending money in contested primaries.

"There's no incentive for us to weigh in," Cornyn told ABC News. "We have to look at our resources."

This could have huge ramifications in the Florida Senate race, where moderate Gov. Charlie Crist has been endorsed by the NRSC, and faces the more conservative former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. Crist has already emerged as a new top target for the same right-wing activists who went after Scozzafava.

Read more »

2009 elections

Obama Has Made The Calls

Christina Bellantoni | November 4, 2009, 1:49PM

New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie (R), President Barack Obama, Virginia Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (R)

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs tells TPMDC that President Obama has phoned the winners from last night's competitive East Coast races.

Gibbs said Obama has called Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (R-VA), Gov.-elect Chris Christie (R-NJ) and Rep.-elect Bill Owens (D-NY).

Obama also phoned New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, an independent who won reelection, and he left a message for Rep.-elect John Garamendi (D-CA).

As we reported earlier, Obama phoned the losing candidates last night.

The Washington Post has some more detail on the McDonnell call.

Sarah Palin

Palin: NY-23 Race Isn't Over, 'Just Postponed Until 2010'

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 12:57PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK), whose endorsement of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 special election helped to give him a huge boost against moderate Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava, posted this note last night on her Facebook account, commenting on Hoffman's defeat by Democrat Bill Owens:

The race for New York's 23rd District is not over, just postponed until 2010. The issues of this election have always centered on the economy - on the need for fiscal restraint, smaller government, and policies that encourage jobs. In 2010, these issues will be even more crucial to the electorate. I commend Doug Hoffman and all the other under-dog candidates who have the courage to put themselves out there and run against the odds.

Read more »

2009 elections

Obama Called Losers Last Night, Will Call Winners Today

Christina Bellantoni | November 4, 2009, 10:38AM

New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie (R), President Barack Obama, Virginia Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell (R)

President Obama has not yet called Republican governors-elect Chris Christie in New Jersey or Bob McDonnell in Virginia.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters in his gaggle today that Obama did not watch the returns last night, a trend which is not unusual since he didn't watch returns for his own races as they came in.

"He wanted them to enjoy their night with their families and supporters," Gibbs said.

Gibbs said he sent Obama some email updates throughout the night and spoke with him on the phone. (As for what the races mean, all politics is local, Gibbs said this morning.)

The president was "disappointed" that his "friend" Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) was defeated, Gibbs said.

The president did talk to Corzine and state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-VA) last night.

Gibbs said Obama will call the victors today.

McDonnell is holding a press conference this afternoon.

2009 elections

Gibbs: Dem Losses In VA And NJ 'Didn't Involve The President'

Christina Bellantoni | November 4, 2009, 10:28AM

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters in his morning gaggle that Republican wins last night "demonstrate that voters" are working through "local issues that didn't involve the president."

Read more »

Health Care

Yesterday's Overwhelming Historic Republican Victory Makes Democratic Health Care Reform Just A Bit Easier

Brian Beutler | November 4, 2009, 10:04AM

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi (D-CA) and Congressman-elect Bill Owens (D)

Most of the commentary about last night's elections has centered around Republican pickups in the New Jersey and Virginia statehouses. But what's gone largely unnoticed is that the two congressional seats up for grabs last night both went to Democrats, and that will have immediate ramifications for health care reform.

The NY-23 seat abdicated by Republican John McHugh (who resigned to become Secretary of the Army) went to Democrat Bill Owens--the first Democrat to hold the seat in over a century. And the CA-10 seat abdicated by Democrat Ellen Tauscher (who resigned to become Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs) went to Democrat John Garamendi.

That creates some simple arithmetic. Yesterday, Democrats had 256 voting members in the House. By week's end, they'll have 258. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could afford to lose no more than 38 Democratic votes on a landmark health care reform bill. Next week, after Owens and Garamendi are sworn in, she can lose up to 40. For legislation this historic and far-reaching, she'll need every vote she can get--and both seem likely to support reform.

Read more »

NY-23

NY-23: Owens Wins In Race That Captured National Spotlight

Christina Bellantoni | November 4, 2009, 12:18AM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Democrats have captured the 23rd Congressional District in New York.

CNN and Fox News called the race for Democrat Bill Owens, making him the first Democrat to hold the upstate New York seat since the Civil War. With 87 percent of precincts reporting, Owens led conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman by 49-45.

Read more »

2009 elections

Red Tide: After Losses In Virginia and New Jersey What Will Obama Say?

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 11:49PM

VA-GOV candidate Bob McDonnell and NJ-GOV candidate Chris Christie

President Obama will wake up Wednesday morning on the one-year anniversary of his historic election with two fewer Democratic governors he can call allies.

In New Jersey, Republican Chris Christie unseated Gov. Jon Corzine (D). Virginia Republicans swept the statewide races and picked up seats in the state house as Republican former attorney general Bob McDonnell walloped state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D) by more than 15 points.

Here's what we know:

Read more »

NY-23

Dem Owens Maintains Lead In NY-23 With 76% Precincts Reporting

Versha Sharma | November 3, 2009, 11:29PM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Democrat Bill Owens is leading by 4 points in the NY-23 congressional race with 76% of precincts reporting. Owens is currently at 49% over Conservative Doug Hoffman's 45%.

As we noted earlier, Owens could be the only Democrat win in today's elections.

NY-23

Owens Leads In NY-23 As Democrats Have One Chance To Avoid Full Sweep

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 10:31PM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Democrat Bill Owens leads conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman by 51-44 percent with one-third of precincts reporting.

If Owens hangs onto that margin, New York's 23rd Congressional district will be the only bright spot on the map for Democrats tonight.

NY-23

NY-23: Too Close To Call

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 10:10PM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Polls have been closed for more than an hour in New York's 23rd Congressional district, but neither candidate has a clear advantage.

Democrat Bill Owens has a slight lead over Doug Hoffman, the conservative party candidate, with early returns trickling in.

The victor will replace Republican John McHugh, who President Obama named to be his secretary of the Army.

Hoffman appeared earlier on Fox:

NY-23

Voting Machine Breakdowns May Delay Results In NY-23

Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2009, 9:19PM

NY-23 Candidates Bill Owens (D) and Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

Voting machine malfunctions may delay election results from four towns in New York's 23rd district, reports the Johnson News Service.

The breakdowns, in Louisville, Waddington, Rossie and Clare, happened earlier today on new voting machines, according to the St. Lawrence County Board of Elections deputy commissioner.

And in Fulton County, results won't be posted online and likely won't be available to the media until tomorrow.

Read more »

NY-23

Report: 86 Percent Of Owens' Cash From Outside District

Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2009, 6:52PM

NY-23 candidate Bill Owens (D)

Yesterday, we showed you this report by The Washington Independent that a whopping 95 percent of Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman's cash came from outside the district. Today, the Independent crunched some more numbers and found that Democrat Bill Owens also got most of his cash from outside the district -- 86 percent of it.

Only $121,596 of Owens' total (as of Oct. 15) $843,441 came from the district. The biggest donor, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, contributed about 11 percent.

By contrast, $12,360 of the $265,341 Hoffman raised by that same date came from inside the district. His biggest donor was the conservative Club for Growth, which raised more than a third of that.

VA-GOV

Pre-Spin Battle: Dems Say Tonight Not Obama Referendum But Were Happy To Blast Bush

Christina Bellantoni | November 3, 2009, 6:22PM

The White House for more than a week has been saying today's elections don't reflect on the 2010 landscape for the Democratic party or President Obama.

That's been echoed by Democrats across the spectrum today as the party braces for a probable loss in Virginia, a possible loss in the 23rd Congressional district in New York and a toss-up in New Jersey.

"I don't think looking at the two gubernatorial races, you can draw with any great insight what's going to happen a year from now any more than if Jake's team wins tomorrow night I can tell who's going to win next year's World Series," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said today.

"We don't look at either of these gubernatorial races or the congressional race as something that portends a lot for our legislative efforts going forward or political prospects in 2010," he added.

"In 2001, President Bush lost Virginia and New Jersey. I don't believe that it impacted his legislative initiatives going forward," Gibbs said.

But TPM intern superstar Darius Tahir went searching, and found plenty of examples of Democrats saying Bush was doomed.

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NY-23

Hoffman Camp, Right-Wing Bloggers Accuse Dems Of Slashing Supporter's Car -- Police Say He Drove Over Bottle

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 6:07PM

Earlier today, the Hoffman campaign and conservative bloggers threw a fit over a very nefarious accusation: That somebody had slashed the tire of a Hoffman poll-watcher's pickup truck.

"Hoffman Poll Watcher Has Tires Slashed," blared Red State, with photos of the truck and its flat tire. And Hoffman himself chimed in.

"We just had a report that one of our pollsters in Clinton County just had their tires slashed," Hoffman said. "So I think the Democrats are doing everything they possibly can to steal this election away from the 23rd District."

However, the Wall Street Journal reports that the local police captain said there's another explanation: "This was not a tire slashing--this was some guy who drove over a bottle and cut his tire."

Amusingly, Red State updated their post as follows: "[updated:] Local police are not willing to confirm it was a tire slashing and say it could be that the poll watcher ran over a bottle."

NY-23

Scozzafava: No Republicans Bothered To Call Me After I Dropped Out

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 1:43PM

Dede Scozzafava, the New York state Assemblywoman and former Republican candidate in the NY-23 special election, told the Syracuse Post-Standard about her experience in withdrawing from the race and endorsing Democrat Bill Owens -- and decried the national conservative activists who mobilized against her and in favor of Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Scozzafava said that she received calls from two key New York Democrats, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Steve Israel, who she says did not ask her for any endorsement but instead simply told her they were sorry for how she'd been treated by the GOP. As for the Republicans, Scozzafava said: "The one thing that wasn't occurring, as the Republicans in Washington were changing their allegiances, no one bothered to call me."

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NY-23

Report: Police Called To NY-23 Polling Sites...To Deal With Rowdy Hoffman-Backers

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 1:30PM

NY-23 Candidate Doug Hoffman (Conservative)

We now have a report of on-the-ground mischief in NY-23, the sort of interference that Republicans have been warning about for today. The catch: Democrats are claiming that the mischief is coming from supporters of the Conservative candidate, Doug Hoffman.

The New York Daily News reports that police were called to polling sites in St. Lawrence County, a Democratic area in the district, to deal with some rowdy Hoffman-backers.

Former state Democratic chairwoman June O'Neill claimed that Hoffman-supporters are "yelling anti-choice stuff at voters" near the polls, that a woman involved said she was a "commissioner" -- and is allegedly from Texas -- and wouldn't leave the polling site. "This is not the way we roll in the North Country," O'Neill quipped.

The county's Republican election commissioner Debbie Pahler (each county in New York has two election commissioners, one Democrat and one Republican) confirmed to the paper that the police were called, but said that this was a routine matter of people electioneering within the 100-feet boundary around a polling site. "If people are electioneering within the marker and don't stop when we ask them to, our inspectors are instructed to call law enforcement to assist them. I don't think anybody was arrested."