Wow! The race that almost no one took seriously turned out to be the shocker of the evening. It looks like longtime Democratic incumbent Representative Louise Slaughter may have managed to win a 15th term in a fight for New York’s 25th Congressional District. But her win is by the slimmest of margins. Just 582 votes separate her from her Republican challenger, Mark Assini, according to unofficial results from the Monroe County Board of Elections. The final result may come down to absentee ballots.
Many have tried to unseat Slaughter, but the attempts have failed so miserably that the conventional wisdom has been that defeating her just isn‘t possible. The job is hers until she decides to give it up. But Assini’s near victory shows that Slaughter’s tenure may be coming to an end. According to Ballotpedia.com, Slaughter’s financial reports showed she had more than $1 million in funds compared to Assini, who reported having about $32,000.
Slaughter is a proud, outspoken liberal. During the campaign. she didn’t run away from her party or President Obama. She voted for the Affordable Care Act and continues to support it. She’s had an impressive list of accomplishments, helping to get funding to rebuild the Rochester economy.
Assini ran on a lighter, friendlier version of the Republican platform, saying that he doesn’t support getting rid of the Affordable Care Act, but that he is up for making some changes to it. He also strongly supports improvements for roads, highways, and infrastructure, which may have struck a note with voters who have grown tired of dealing with the area’s pot holes and rusting bridges.
The real question now is whether the unofficial results will hold, and what they will tell us. Did Democrats assume that Slaughter would persevere and stay home? How did the lesser-known Assini pull off such an impressive showing?
And what does this mean for both parties? Will Democrats recruit a strong candidate to possibly replace Slaughter? Will Assini be back in two years, or will he go for County Executive Maggie Brooks term-limited seat? It would seem that tonight’s showing will give both Democrats and Republicans something to think about.
Governor’s race:
Governor Andrew Cuomo lost Monroe County, but he won the state.
At approximately 10:50 p.m., the state Republican Party sent out a statement announcing that Republican candidate Rob Astorino was conceding the race. The Associated Press had called the contest for Cuomo minutes after polling places across the state closed. And about the time the GOP’s statement went out, Cuomo had approximately 51 percent of the vote.
In Monroe County, Cuomo pulled in 46.7 percent of the vote; Astorino surpassed him with 48.2 percent.
Cuomo seems to be performing especially well in Erie County and New York City’s counties. He also lead in Onondaga County (Syracuse), Broome County (Binghamton), and Albany County.
Statewide, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins has, so far, pulled in approximately 5 percent of the vote. But that translates into a victory of sorts for the party; it needed 50,000 votes in the gubernatorial race to keep its guaranteed spots on ballots. Hawkins easily met that threshold.
State Senate: 55th District
In the closely watched race for the 55th State Senate District, Republican Rich Funke appears to have unseated Democratic State Senator Ted O’Brien.
Funke pulled in more than 55 percent of the vote in Monroe County. Results aren’t in yet for the Ontario County towns in the district, but without winning the Monroe portions, an O’Brien victory is unlikely. (All results are unofficial at this time.)
A few issues could have influenced the race. One of them is the SAFE Act: O’Brien’s support for the gun control laws could have cost him votes in suburban and rural parts of the district while SAFE Act opponents likely coalesced behind Funke. But looking at the results of some other races, Republican turnout may simply have better.
The Funke-O’Brien race was contentious from the start, but the closer that Election Day got, the fiercer the campaigns became. There was a lot riding on the race; it was never just about who represents the district, but about whether Democrats or Republicans control the State Senate.
It likely won’t be clear for a few days, at least, which party will control the chamber come January.
In other election news: Voters in the Assembly’s 138th District re-elected Democrat Harry Bronson. He received 56 percent of the vote, while Republican Peterson Vazquez got 43.5 percent.
And in the 134th Assembly District, Republican Peter Lawrence beat Democrat Gary Pudup. The seat has been vacant since the start of the year. Republican Bill Reilich, who’d held the seat, resigned after he was elected Greece supervisor in November 2013. Lawrence got 68 percent of the vote to Pudup’s 32 percent total.
Democratic Assembly member David Gantt trounced his independent challenger, Ann Lewis. Gantt pulled in 78 percent of the vote.
Monroe County Legislature
In Legislature’s 29th District, Democrat Ernest Flagler unseated fellow Democrat Leslie Rivera. Flagler already beat Rivera in a Democratic primary back in September, but Rivera also had the Working Families Party and Independence Party lines.
Flagler received 73 percent of the vote, compared to Rivera’s 27 percent.
Earlier this year, Republican Dorothy Styk was appointed to the Legislature’s 18th District seat. Tonight, she beat Democratic challenger Erik Nixon to keep her seat.
Two other Republican legislators, Sean Delahanty and Brian Marianetti, faced no opponent, so they’ll also keep their seats.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2014.
*crickets*
I think the rest of Rochester media is stealing your thunder, City.
I am truly disheartened at the news of Cuomo winning another term. So sad for the NYS economy. So sad for all of us who hoped to have the Safe Act repealed. So sad for all of us tax payers who will continue to be bled dry by the laws instituted by the Democrats in office and by subsidizing the welfare recipients who are welcomed with open arms by NYS from their own home states that refuse them aide. I truly wish NYC would just separate from the rest of NYS. They just want to drag the rest of the state down with them. Their ideals just do not match the majority of folks in the rest of the state. They have a totally different mentality. They favor socialism and government hand-outs. We favor fiscal responsibility and limiting government intervention. NYS has become a beacon to everyone across the nation who want to get something for nothing. Who want to remain dependent on the government and are waiting for handouts. Our businesses are leaving the state. Our tax payers are moving out. Our homeowners are moving out. Look at our paychecks, people! Just see how much taxes are taken out to support those that CHOOSE to not support themselves. It is becoming harder and harder for hard-working people and homeowners to live in NYS, and easier and easier for those who want YOUR hard earned money to live off of. We are headed down a slippery slope with Cuomo still in power.
I will be happy to see Louise go into retirement as she has had plenty of time in office. It is time for change. I am unhappy that Funke took the seat in the senate as he is a great person but has no experience. So… at the Federal Level we will have Republican Majorities in the Senate and House but still have a Democratic President. The fight in Govt’ will go on to “no good end”.
Meanwhile we still pay $3.34 per gal. of gas; and, food prices are very high while Danny Wegman drives around in a $4 mil. dollar car ?
I ran out of gas yesterday in my truck yesterday on my way back home from work at my $ 8.00 per hour job in Monroe County where Monroe County property taxes are about $9.00 per thousand assessed; $17.00 per thousand school taxes; $2.80 per thousand fire district taxes; $1.21 per thousand town taxes and 8.5 % State, County and Town Rev. Tax share; and, local mortgage tax on a $105,000 assessed value home. Will the changes from Election Day yesterday make any difference ? We shall see ?
” She voted for the Affordable Care Act and continues to support it.”
Uh huh. No. She didn’t just support it, she was in fact instrumental in getting it rammed through by the unconstitutional Slaughter rule that allowd the bill from the senate to be “deemed” as passed when it was not voted on.
That is your Democrat party folks, ruling as tyrants and passing legislation by procedural deception. Ramming an unpopular bill through reconcilation and violating the constitution and tier oath of office. All of this sheparded by this detestable woman.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703909804575123512773070080?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052748703909804575123512773070080.html
“So at the Speaker’s command, New York Democrat Louise Slaughter, who chairs the House Rules Committee, may insert what’s known as a “self-executing rule,” also known as a “hereby rule.” Under this amazing procedural ruse, the House would then vote only once on the reconciliation corrections, but not on the underlying Senate bill. If those reconciliation corrections pass, the self-executing rule would say that the Senate bill is presumptively approved by the House—even without a formal up-or-down vote on the actual words of the Senate bill.”
Yeah, republicans have no shot at the governors seat or assembly. They have redistricted control of the senate but that won’t last. Guess what, we take care of people in NYS. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Take care of the people in NYS in what manner, may I ask? Are they taking care of hard working middle class folks who pay almost 40 percent in taxes, most of which are state taxes? Home owners who pay through the nose in school and property taxes? Small business owners? Oh, wait… they take care of welfare recipients who don’t work, garbage who come here from other states to take a chunk of our hard earned money, and think we are all idiots and suckers for actually getting out of bed in the morning and go to WORK! We have the highest taxes in the country and the most rediculous welfare laws. The criminal and the lazy man are well more respected than the working man. Other states give their deadbeats one way tickets to NYS because the whole country knows NYS will welcome them with open arms. Is that taking care of the people of NYS? No, that is called disrespecting and punishing all the people of NYS who actively contribute to our economy, and rewarding those who suck our resources and abuse their privaledges…who want to remain dependent and live off of the good works of others. Those are the people who love Democrats and who are loved by the Democrats for keeping them in office. Democrats are not friends of those who work hard and want to prosper. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Their jobs are to keep people down, refrain from thinking for themselves, and maintain control over the populous. They cannot maintain control over those that don’t need them and are able to provide for themselves. The more you need them, the more they can control you and interfere in your lives…take away your freedoms and rights.
To Mr “IN”…welfare is a Federal Program that is set by the Fed…to the State of NY and then unfunded mandates are handed on down to the County Of Monroe. I do not think that anyone wants to be on public assistance but sometimes there is no other alternative or choice. It is a helping hand on a temporary basis only. We need good schools to properly educate our young people to take care of you and me in our later years. Although it has not worked to well in the RCSD for the last thirty years the County of Monroe and its suburban schools train and educate our young people very well indeed. But I may add that our schools could tighten their belts more and make thing work without too high of school tax rate. However, they ( new graduates ) leave the state because there are no good jobs. Only top level positions and bottom of the barrel min. wage jobs. Our 1966 wages at min. wage then are now equal to $11.25 per hour in today’s dollars. That is the problem; and, there is more too… guns, violence, no concern for the other guy, and no way out in the “two cities” of Rochester. So then we talk of $1 million on police body cameras instead of creating jobs when all a young men have to do is follow police officers’ orders and sort it out later in court with an attorney. And, it has nothing to do with being Republican or Democrat my friend…it is greed and selfishness that rule the year 2014. You may want to consider moving to Arizona or Texas if you really feel the way you do… with the “good old boys” eeeeeehhhhhahaaaaaaaawwwwwww. New York Upstate is a great place to live with many goods things to offer except fair paying jobs. If you correct the unemployment then many other things will change for the good. So…please keep working; get involved in your local politics; and, get your self elected and try to make changes or move away.
Voting against Louise Slaughter was incredibly, incredibly stupid. She was the main person in Congress fighting against industry farm policies that are making antibiotics obsolete. Do you want to go to the doctor with your child who has an infected finger and be told there’s nothing that can be done about it and your child will die? That is what will happen if we don’t get a control on misuse of antibiotics.
To crm135790 some people do abuse the welfare policy..just having lots of babies or doing drugs and being lazy sitting at home..i am NOT saying being a mom is not a full time cause it is..and yes everyone needs help once in awhile but PLEASE dont abuse the system or help..what happened to Kodak being the place to work when they employed over 60,000 people??..i used to work there but 9yrs ago i took the voluntary buy out at 30 yrs old and moved to NC..kodak would rather sell the jobs over seas to pay cheaper wages then care and worry about the people of rochester ny..the ONE thing we agree on is upstate ny is a great place to live..excellent colleges..snow…snow..and cold..im glad i got out when i did..NC is a GREAT place to live..cheaper taxes..jobs..growth.weather is great and gas is only 2.85..
Kristen… what happened at Kodak was purely and clearly mis-management by a number of Kodak Board Members over at least 15 years…it has nothing to do with whom is elected or whom is not elected. Kodak was arrogant and “screwed” about 80,000 workers of various levels in Monroe County. But Kodak is gone now…so what do we do ? What big, manufacturing company is it that will come to Monroe County to set up shop … none because it is too expensive to operate and make a free market profit without abusing the environment…none !!! Why because it is too expensive in our region. Cuomo is trying to make things “right” but it takes time. I am glad you moved to NC just like many others because it is cheaper to live and people do not have to give so much of their hard earned money to state, county and local Govt’ services.
When are you folks going to understand that both political parties are doing it wrong? Blindly following Slaughter (who is more than happy to toe the party line regardless of what her constituents actually want) is NOT good practice! You can try to make the argument that your favorite party is the lesser of two evils for whatever reasons are important to you, but when will you finally realize that there are OTHER options out there?
A third party or (even better) an independent who has no obligation to toe a party line is the GOOD to counteract the two evils that are popular today. There was a third candidate for congress in our district, Tim Dean, but no one bothered to research and vote for him because his name was not on the ballot.
Stop drinking the Republican/Democrat Kool-Aid and think for yourselves!! Vote for someone else for once!