Category: New York

Republican Buerkle Leads by 567 Votes in NY-25; Still No Concession From Maffei; UPDATE: Buerkle Campaign Says, ‘We Need to Allow the Process to Proceed’

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The incumbent Democrat appears to have been defeated, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard: 

Republican Ann Marie Buerkle holds a 567-vote lead over U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei in the 25th Congressional District race after Wayne County election officials released their unofficial tally of absentee votes today.
Buerkle added 269 votes to her lead after getting 790 votes to Maffei’s 521 in the absentee vote tally in Wayne County. Elections officials in Wayne County completed the tally today and posted the results on their Web site.
With those votes in, the total unofficial vote count for the entire district stands at 104,374 for Buerkle and 103,807 for Maffei, who is seeking his second term in Congress.
Abby Gardner, a spokeswoman for Maffei, said the campaign had no immediate comment on the Wayne County results.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports that the total number of “challenged” ballots is not enough for Maffei to make up the difference. The Lonely Conservative states the obvious:

It’s time for Dan Maffei to concede already. It’s over. Ann Marie Buerkle will be the next representative from NY25. There’s nothing left for him to cling to.

Remember that a victory for Buerkle would make history.

UPDATE: Tim Sahd of National Journal explains why Maffei is unlikely to overturn Buerkle’s win:

Attorneys will head to court early this week to argue over whether a handful of disputed absentee ballots should be counted. But a Onondaga County elections official noted that Maffei’s campaign was the one that objected to most of those disputed ballots, meaning that any count would likely only boost Buerkle’s lead.
Maffei has indicated he may ask for a recount, but Democrats should not put too much hope in that process. In several other House contests this year, recounts have changed the final result by just a handful of votes; certainly not enough to overturn the certified result.

UPDATE II: Statement from the Buerkle campaign:

“We are pleased with the numbers released by Wayne County today. There is another court hearing set for Tuesday morning, and we will wait to hear Judge DeJoseph’s determination now that all absentee ballots in New York’s 25th Congressional District have been counted. While we remain confident that Ann Marie Buerkle will emerge the victor, we need to allow the process to proceed as set forth in the original court proceedings initiated by the Maffei campaign.”

Ann Marie Buerkle Win in NY-25 Would Give GOP Biggest Majority Since 1949

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As noted in my last update about Renee Ellmers’ victory in NC-2, Republicans are now at 240 House seats and they haven’t had 241 seats since 1949. And Sam Foster at Left Coast Rebel reports that Ann Marie Buerkle is 411 votes ahead of Dan Maffei in NY-25 after the count of absentee ballots from Onondaga County.

The Buerkle campaign says victory is a “mathematical certainty,” and the Lonely Conservative headlines it: “Buerkle Lead Can’t Be Beat.”

C’mon, Ann Marie. This one’s for the history books, sweetheart.

Did I hear somebody say “mandate”?

UPDATE: Now a Memeorandum thread, more reporting from the Auburn Citizen and blogged by Lucianne.com, This Ain’t Hell, South Capitol Street and Dan Riehl.

Remember When Nancy Pelosi Promised Democrats Were Going to Clean Up the ‘Culture of Corruption’ in Washington?

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Charlie Rangel: Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! And now he’s going to get a very serious wrist-slapping:

The House ethics committee’s chief counsel recommended Thursday that veteran Rep. Charles Rangel be censured for financial and fundraising misconduct as lawmakers neared closure on an embarrassing 2½-year-long scandal. . . .
Rangel on Tuesday was found guilty of 11 of the 13 charges of ethics violations against him by a panel of four Democrats and four Republicans.
That finding came after a two-year long investigation into charges against Rangel that relate to his personal finances and his fundraising efforts for a new center at New York City College. . . .
A censure or a reprimand is a legislative procedure where the full House, by majority vote on a simple resolution, expresses a formal disapproval of the conduct of a member, according to the Congressional Research Service.
The censured representative generally must stand before the House and receive the rebuke, but entails no actual loss of privileges.

In other words, a meaningless verbal scolding. He gets to keep his job, his pension, etc. Michelle Malkin live-blogged the hearings, complete with Rangel claiming he had been “smeared” and John Lewis calling Rangel a civil rights hero.

Go, Randy Altschuler, GO! And A Loud ‘Keep The Faith’ For Joe Miller!

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by Smitty

This blog has been a fan of Altschuler in NY-1 since CPAC 2010. The latest word is that he has assumed a tiny lead:

Rob Ryan, a spokesman for the Altschuler campaign, said Friday that the Republican candidate now has a 392 vote advantage. But it will likely take at least a week more to count the absentee ballots.

Meanwhile, Alaska began counting their absentee ballots:

It looks like the NRSC is at least putting on a show of supporting the non-Ruling Class candidate, who was on the Republican ticket. So that’s good.

Doug Hoffman’s Legacy in 2010 Victories

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DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. — During the Allen West victory party Tuesday night, I stepped outside for a few moments and made a phone call to upstate New York to interview the man whose 2009 special-election campaign did so much to inspire grassroots conservatives nationwide. (See “Battle Cry in the North Country.”)

It was just after 8 p.m. when I called, and polls didn’t close in New York until 9 p.m. I had been angry in September when Matt Doheny won the NY-23 Republican primary (by just 700 votes) after airing dishonest attack ads accusing Hoffman of “lining his pockets.” And I was surprised when Hoffman subsequently endorsed Doheny.

On Election Night, I felt an urge to talk to Hoffman. I recorded the brief interview, but didn’t have time to transcribe it until last night:

RSM: After the primary a few weeks ago – totally broke my heart. How are you feeling about it now?

DOUG HOFFMAN: Well, I’m still disappointed, but life goes on, Stacy.

RSM: Your campaign last year was really the first total Tea Party campaign. It sent a message. We’ve just seen Marco Rubio declared the victor here in Florida. As Erick Erickson said, New York 23 last year, it was a trial run for Florida, we’re going to shake up the establishment. Do you think your campaign last year helped send a message?

HOFFMAN: Absolutely. I think my campaign, and the people who were supporting me, woke up America and said, “We’re fed up. We have to do something about it. We’re not going to take more spending, more taxes, and more government regulations.”

RSM: What are your plans going forward? I thought that was very big of you to endorse [GOP nominee Matt] Doheny after the kind of terrible crap he did to you.

HOFFMAN: Well, I had to look past Mr. Doheny and look at what was good for America, and that’s the conclusion that I came to. It’s better to get Pelosi and Reid and the Obama agenda off the table, and get more Republicans into the House. It was a very difficult decision, but that’s why I made the decision, [because] I think it’s good for America.

RSM: And that was what it was all about for you, from the get-go.

HOFFMAN: Absolutely. We have to get people down in Washington that are going to fight the Pelosi agenda, and that’s what it’s all about.

RSM: Somebody said that you lit the fuse up there in New York 23. It looks like it’s going to be a huge explosion tonight.

HOFFMAN: That’s the exciting part. I’m disappointed that I’m not going to be part of the excitement and going to Washington, but if the legacy of my race last year is the people who are going to Washington this year, then I’m very proud to watch what’s happening tonight, and anticipate the Republicans taking over the House.

He’s a class act. And establishment Republican Matt Doheny lost Tuesday by 3,800 votes. Even though Hoffman endorsed Doheny — who spent $1.7 million of his own money on the campaign — more than 9,500 people still voted for Hoffman on the Conservative Party line. Maybe next time.

DOUG HOFFMAN for U.S. CONGRESS

Miracle Comeback: Ann Marie Buerkle Now Has Slim Lead in NY-25

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Oh, my goodness. This was a Republican candidate I covered during my road trip with Da Tech Guy, but I’d written off this district as lost last night. Incumbent Democrat Rep. Dan Maffei had already declared victory.

But today Left Coast Rebel proclaimed the good news: Ann Marie Buerkle has come back to a 659-vote lead, thanks to late returns from Wayne County.

Absentee ballots remain to be counted, so say a prayer.

I’m a “Road Man for the Lords of Karma,” and the karmic wheel may be turning against Dan Maffei.

Ann Marie Buerkle Answers Dishonest Attack Ads From Democrat Dan Maffei

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Reporting the latest NY-25 news at The American Spectator:

Republican congressional candidate Ann Marie Buerkle today rebutted attack ads from Democrat incumbent Rep. Dan Maffei that accused Buerkle of being delinquent on property taxes.
“I’ve spent the past several weeks suffering from the negative ads of my opponent,” Buerkle said at a press conference in front of a small shopping center she owns in the Syracuse suburbe of Camillus. “[Maffei] has made these allegations that I am delinquent in my taxes, instead of stating the truth, which is that we have a payment plan for the tenants who are in this plaza.”
Buerkle has explained that she has a “triple-net lease agreement with her tenants whereby they are responsible for the property taxes.” When her tenants fell behind on their taxes in January 2010, she “was faced with the choice of evicting them or covering their taxes. She contacted the County and worked out a formal signed and notarized payment plan with them. Monthly installment payments are made to the County.” . . .

Read the whole thing. Here’s video:

Here’s my interview with Andre, who rents salon space from Ann Marie Burkle:

A few photos:

A patriotic Buerkle supporter.

Buerkle greets supporters.

A post-press conference interview. Note the young man at the right — he’s the video “tracker” from the DCCC.

ANN MARIE BUERKLE for U.S. CONGRESS

‘Scared,’ Mr. President?

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“Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument do not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we’re hard-wired not to always think clearly when we’re scared. And the country is scared.”
— President Barack Obama

DeWITT, N.Y. — So Obama’s agenda is no long “Hope and Change.” Now it’s “Facts and Science,” and if you disagree, it’s because you’re “hard-wired” for irrationality. Insulting condescension from leaders may be why so many people are mad as hell. My latest American Spectator column:

“I work 75 hours a week at this place,” said the owner-operator of a convenience store on State Route 41 in Cortland County. “All I ever get are bills coming in, where they’re raising the taxes on this and raising the taxes on that.”
The silver-haired small business owner’s diatribe had begun when I put a copy of the Syracuse Post-Standard on the counter and he asked, “Reading about all our political prostitutes?”
Obviously I was from out of town and he had apparently spotted me as a reporter, so I asked him what his feelings were about the upcoming election. “I’m not voting for any incumbents — all the challengers, that’s who I’m voting for,” he said. . . .

Please read the whole thing. That little store — near beautiful Lake Skaneateles — was Da Tech Guy’s favorite stop of the trip. A few more photos:

Ann Marie Buerkle meets with supporters at the Grange in Clyde.

A Carl Paladino yard sign.

Our host here in New York, the Lonely Conservative, who says she’s “not taking anything for granted” in this election. 

Pete and I are about to get back on the road. There’s a Buerkle press conference near Syracuse to cover, and then we’re on our way to Pennsylvania, land of the bitter clingers. Hit the tip jar!