Election Day Results Open Thread, Nov. 7, 2017
We have gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia, down-ballot races in those two states, plus the NYC mayoralty race, and a Special Election to replace Jason Chaffetz in Utah. Here is a brief preview:
http://www.businessinsider.com/election-day-2017-big-races-2017-11/#-1
Comment away!
I don’t think I can sit around and watch election returns. 12 months later and I’m still traumatized.
If exit polls are correct, Gillespie may be losing in Northern Virginia by more than he can afford in order to win. Of course, he leads statewide right now by about 13,000 votes. But most of Northern Virginia comes in late.
Northam is going to get crushed. I look forward to Tom Perez’s resignation.
Depending on the accuracy of the exit polls, it looks good for Northam. Gillespie winning men 53-45, Northam winning women 59-40.
Northam just took the lead, and it looks like he may expand it. May not be as close as anticipated.
I was scrolling through the House of Delegates races in Virginia, and it looks like the D’s are having a real good night. In position to perhaps pick up double digits in seats.
D’s now leading in all three statewide races.
Could be a good night despite the D’s suckitude. Referendum on Trump? I think so.
CNN projects Phil Murphy as winner of NJ governor’s race. That’s a flip.
Thans for the updates. Still not watching TV
Top advisor to Gillespie calls results ‘crushing’ and says ‘it’s over’. Says it will be huge D sweep in Va. Also says that huge turnout by those in the federal workforce dealt a death blow to Rethugs. Which is as it should be.
NBC calls Virginia for Northam. It’s almost safe for you to watch now, Jason.
Ill give it another hour.
BREAKING: Virginia Transgender Candidate Defeats Author of Virginia’s ‘Bathroom Bill’!
Talk about your poetic justice:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/danica-roem-will-be-vas-first-openly-transgender-elected-official-after-unseating-conservative-robert-g-marshall-in-house-race/2017/11/07/d534bdde-c0af-11e7-959c-fe2b598d8c00_story.html?utm_term=.68f58249ef4a
This makes my day!
Overwhelming No. 1 issue for Northam voters: Health care.
MORE BREAKING NEWS: Longtime NJ US Rep. Heads For Exits.
Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a south Jersey R who likely would have won again, announced today that he is retiring, making this a prime D pick-up opportunity:
“Smack dab in the middle of Election Day, Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2) dropped the bombshell news that he will not be seeking re-election in 2018. The decision immediately opened up a power vacuum in the 2nd congressional district, and Democrats who have long been waiting for LoBiondo to retire immediately jumped into action.
State Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) told Observer that he is “seriously” considering entering the race. South Jersey power broker George Norcross said Van Drew would be able to count on Norcross’s considerable financial support and political network. Two other Democrats were already declared candidates.
What was poised to be a sleepy race suddenly became one of the most competitive heading into 2018.”
Just turned on TV. Fox News is leading with Harvey Weinstein. ….I shit you not
Yep. Health care. Wake up, D’s. Hammer the Rethugs over this.
@Jason: Avoid CNN. Their pundits are crediting Northam’s victory to his centrism, and agree Perriello would have lost, lost, lost.
D’s came into tonight trailing in the Va. House of Delegates by a 66-34 margin. They have already won 6 R seats, meaning, at a minimum, they’d be down 60-40.
But, they were also leading in 12, count ’em, 12, other races with R incumbents. Were they to win them all, they would actually take control of the House of Delegates.
And that’s before a court-ordered redistricting to address illegal Rethug gerrymandering.
Philly elects a truly progressive AG. This will be a fascinating experiment:
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/larry-krasner-philadelphia-da/544937/
Bill DeBlasio reelected NYC Mayor.
if Northam won because of centrism, then he won because of centrism. if it works, it works. republicans lose.
He sounded like a centrist in some ways, but one (unlike Carney) who doesn’t think negotiating away core values is the path to centrism.
I guess it is election night luster, but I want to believe there are Democrats who know how to appeal to people beyond the Dem “base” without walking into Republican sucker punches.
@jason: He embraced the $15/hour movement. Carney would never do that.
@nathan: I don’t know why he won, I just know the centrists are trying to claim him so the dirty hippies will shut up.
that hippie stuff. it’s just a fad.
Don’t harsh the mellow, daddy-o.
VOX – DAVID WASSERMAN 11:30 PM
Our Final Virginia Delegate Count
If every one of the (5 remaining) races breaks to the current leader, Virginia would have a 50-50 House of Delegates come January.
It’s looking likely that Dhingra is going to win in Washington’s 45th Senate District, which would be that Dems would now control both houses of the legislature and the Governorship.
“Northam’s campaign proves once again, Democrats suck”
Except when they don’t
I’m very glad to be proved wrong.
You’re not wrong; Trump just sucks more. We didn’t even win with our best Democrats.
Anyone who embraces a $15/hr minimum wage and gives the speech he gave last night is my kind of Democrat. Virginia centrist: $15 an hour is fine by me. Delaware centrist: $10.10 an hour will cost us jobs.
https://twitter.com/DemSocialists/status/928070858110853120
The absolute boy who the Democrats shunned stunned the sitting VA House Majority Whip.
That’s what’s up.
That’s not really true, RE. Democrat-aligned group Let America Vote knocked 21k doors for Lee and Progressive group TurnoutPAC knocked 17k doors for Lee.
His top donor list has Dems/Dem groups too.
Last night was a good night. We should be building on this. Together.
Ben seems awfully quiet this morning, considering his bold pronouncement from last night.
Correction:
“Carter won the seat in the House of Delegates after the Virginia Democratic Party stopped funding his campaign. The Virginia Democratic Party requires candidates to provide campaigning information to the party but Carter refused. So, the party pulled its money.”
http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/after-pledging-an-aggressive-race-against-gop-del-jackson-miller/article_dfd7783b-de44-557e-82c7-b6bc439656f1.html
I argue that this meets a description of “Democrats shunned”. I didn’t say progressives or individual Democrats.
I’d suggest you know what I meant, but I’ll be more clear. I like this construction “Democrat-aligned group”. Very telling.
And also, before you write anything else helpful, I understand he didn’t follow their rules. That’s fine. They pulled out…. But they did indeed pull out, you see.
The guy is very gracious. As for me – and time anyone who lists “Worker’s Rights” as an issue on his web site defeats an “R” it is a win. Democrat, Democratic Socialist, Socialist Democrat, Green, Communist, I’m down for whatever.
Poor, Ben. I appreciate his cynicism and negativity very much, but even I know to leave the predictions to everyone else.
Jason – I agree.
Researchers are split over whether door-knocking is worth the effort expended:
https://0ptimus.com/insights/to-knock-or-not-to-knock/
I’m agnostic on the political value of the door-knock. Way too many variables, intangibles with regards to human nature. But in Pandora’s defense regardless of its political value it does demonstrate engaged support for the candidate.
I think it helps a lot in local races when few voters are well-informed. I’ve seen it work and I believe in it. It’s how a Townsend beats a DeLuca, who had something like five times as much money to spend.
It probably worked in Virginia b/c, if for no other reason, it reflected the energy behind what turned into a wave.
I frankly think the meme that door-knocking doesn’t work paints with too broad a brush. It works in some instances, is probably a waste of time in others.
The Karmic Wheel came around for lots of Republican politicians last night, none more deserving than a South Jersey freeholder namedJohn Carman.
In case you missed it back in January, Carman mocked the women who marched in Washington by asking if they’d be home in time to cook dinner. When 32-year-old hospital worker showed up at the next Board of Freeholders meeting to criticize him, he mocked her, too, so she ran against him. He later caused controversy by wearing a New Jersey-shaped Confederate flag iron-on and saying it was a “South Jersey rebel patch.” Last night she ended his career, defeating him by a 52-48 margin.
That’s awesome. What a dick.
It also shows the difference between the Jersey Shore and Sussex County: In SuxCo, the guy would have won easily.