Scott Murphy ended his special election day just around 60 votes higher than his republican opponent. It will come down to the absentee ballots and maybe even a recount. Murphy did very well considering that the GOP voter registration in the 20th is much higher than the Democratic Party registrations.
A mere 65 votes separated the two candidates late Tuesday in a Congressional contest in upstate New York that received national attention and was widely seen as a referendum on the Obama administration’s economic recovery efforts.
With all precincts reporting, the Democrat, Scott Murphy, a 39-year-old venture capitalist, led 77,344 to 77,279 over his Republican rival, Assemblyman James N. Tedisco, 58, for the seat vacated by Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, a Democrat. The turnout was surprisingly strong for a special election.
But 10,055 absentee ballots were issued — and 5,907 received so far, state election officials said — meaning the election cannot be decided until the paper ballots are counted. Moreover, it is likely that the count may not begin until at least April 6, said Bob Brehm, a spokesman for the State Board of Elections.- NYTimes
In what is becoming a typical move, the Republicans already filed a challenge in court. Actually they prepared to file it even before election day, and are already seeking to overturn the will of the voters as they are trying to do in the Coleman Franken race. So we have another nail biter and I don't think we'll see the NY20th congressional seat filled before the end of this month.
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