Virginia
Republican candidate Robert McDonnell swept the Virginia gubernatorial election with a 17% margin with a platform focused primarily on job creation and fiscal responsibility. The race represents a 23% shift in voter alignment from the 2008 Presidential Election when Obama carried the state by 6%.
New Jersey
Republican candidate Chris Christie took the traditionally liberal Garden State. He defeated incumbent Jon Corzine after a long, vitriolic campaign season. Christie will become the first Republican elected official at the state level since 1997.
New York
Dede Scozzafava, the liberal in disguise, succeeded in siphoning off enough votes to prevent a Hoffman victory. However, Hoffman did manage to reign in 46% of the vote, a strong showing for a candidate who was unknown a month ago. Owens took 49%. This loss falls on the shoulders of the officials who chose Scozzafava as the party’s nominee. The liberal candidate was a poor choice that elicited a harsh response from local Republicans. Had the party initially chosen a conservative candidate like Hoffman, this election could have ended differently.
Final Thoughts
The special election to fill the empty seat in New York 23 has drawn national attention. First, the Republican leadership nominated Dede Scozzafava bringing outrage from local residents which was amplified by the Tea Party crowd and several prominent Republicans on the national stage. Scozzafava’s voting record is so far left her Democrat competitor was essentially accusing her of being too liberal. This outrage and voter frustration prompted the impromptu campaign of Doug Hoffman. Hoffman’s campaign skyrocketed through the polls primarily by siphoning off dissatisfied Republican voters wanting to send a message to the Party.
