special election

Democrat Leads Fundraising War In NY-9 Special Election

Benjy Sarlin | September 2, 2011, 10:41AM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

It's looking rough for Democrats in the race to replace Anthony Weiner, where a poll yesterday showed the contest for the left-leaning seat all tied up between Democrat David Weprin and Republican Bob Turner. But Weprin does have one feather in his cap: superior cash.

Per the New York Times, the latest filings show Weprin with $451,000 raised through August 24 versus only $204,000 for Turner, a number that includes $65,000 of the Republican businessman's own money.

The big question now is whether national Republicans sense a potential Scott Brown moment in the making and drop significant cash of their own at the last minute. The NRCC gave Turner a $5,000 donation, but they haven't unleashed the floodgates of advertising money that they have in other races and Karl Rove's American Crossroads is also silent so far.

special election

Upset Brewing? Poll Shows NY-9 Special Election Is Currently Tied

Benjy Sarlin | September 1, 2011, 6:17PM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

It's not looking good for Democrats in New York's 9th district, where voters will determine Anthony Weiner's successor on September 13th. A Republican-commissioned poll shows the race tied after a week in which Democratic nominee David Weprin fluffed a question on the size of the national debt.

The poll, by McLaughlin & Associates, found a 42-42 tie between Weprin and Republican Bob Turner among 300 likely voters surveyed. A poll last month by Siena University showed Weprin with a 46-40 lead, and even that was enough to raise alarm bells in the Democratic-leaning district.

Read more »

David Weprin

Gaffes Could Cost Democrats Anthony Weiner's Seat

Benjy Sarlin | August 31, 2011, 6:15AM

NY-09 candidates Bob Turner (R) and David Weprin (D)

Anthony Weiner's seat, which includes parts of Queens and Brooklyn, should be safe for Democrats, but the September 13 special election to replace him is proving surprisingly competitive. Democrat David Weprin is losing ground to Republican Bob Turner. Making matters worse for Democrats, Weprin has turned into a gaffe machine right as voters are tuning in for the final stretch.

The influential New York Daily News savaged Weprin over the weekend after he belly flopped on a simple question from their editors: what is the national debt? With a reported "deer in headlights" look, he twice guessed $4 trillion, about $10 trillion off from the correct answer. As cringe-worthy a moment as it was on its own, its impact is much worse in Weprin's case: he's been selling himself as a fiscal Mr. Fix-it, touting his eight years as chair of the City Council's finance committee as his top qualification.

Read more »

special election

Voters Hit The Polls In California's "Stripper Ad" Election

Benjy Sarlin | July 12, 2011, 5:50AM

CA-36 candidates Janice Hahn (D) and Craig Huey (R)

Southern California voters are hitting the polls Tuesday in California's 36th district to replace Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), who left in the middle of her term to become president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The battle behind her, however, has been far from bookish, with great controversy stemming from a TV spot that portrayed one contestant as a stripper.

Read more »

special election

Tea Partier Puts GOP-Friendly NY District Into Play For Dems

Benjy Sarlin | April 29, 2011, 12:49PM

Jack Davis

In a potential replay of the 2009 NY-23 special election that saw a third-party candidacy turn a red-leaning district blue, a Tea Party candidate is threatening to hand Democrats an upset in the race to replace resigned Republican Rep. Chris Lee in NY-26.

A new poll from Siena Research Institute finds Republican Jane Corwin leading the race with 36% of the vote, while Democrat Kathy Hochul takes in 31%. Jack Davis, a wealthy businessman courting the Tea Party vote, draws a surprisingly strong 23%, making the race highly volatile. The district went for John McCain in 2008 by 6 points over Barack Obama.

Davis previously ran for the seat unsuccessfully as a Democrat in 2006 and 2008; however, he says he will caucus with the GOP if he wins. He is a harsh critic of the recent Republican budget, especially its plan to privatize Medicare, but his campaign is overwhelmingly concentrated on promoting an isolationist foreign policy and restrictions on free trade.

In a parallel to the NY-23 race, the Republican candidate's more moderate positions -- Corwin is pro-choice -- have left an opening for attacks from her right. Two rival Tea Party groups in the regionsplit their endorsements between Davis and Corwin and are engaged in a bitter dispute over the race.

The special election for the open seat, left vacant after Rep. Lee resigned over a topless Craigslist personals ad, will take place on May 24.