More than three weeks after Election Day, the race for the 20th Congressional District has ended. Assemblyman James Tedisco conceded to Scott Murphy on the afternoon of Friday, April 24.
Murphy celebrated his victory with appearances in Glens Falls, his town of residence, on Friday evening and on Saturday, and met with supporters in Halfmoon on Tuesday night before leaving for Washington, D.C. He was scheduled to be sworn in by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, after The Spotlight went to press.
In Duchess County Supreme Court on Monday, attorneys for both sides asked that all objections to the roughly 700 uncounted absentee ballots be lifted. The unofficial vote tally from the state Board of Elections has stood at 80,420 for Murphy and 80,021 for Tedisco since Friday afternoon.
Tedisco made his concession in a phone call.
This was a close campaign every step of the way. Ultimately, it became clear that the numbers were not going our way and that the time had come to step aside and ensure that the next Congressman be seated as quickly as possible. In the interest of the citizens of the 20th Congressional district and our nation, I wish Scott the very best as he works with our new president and Congress to address the tremendous challenges facing our country, said Tedisco in a statement.
Tedisco did not return calls seeking comment.
`I am honored and humbled to be going to Washington to represent the families of New York’s 20th Congressional District,` said Murphy in a statement. `I thank Assemblyman Jim Tedisco for his kind words today. It was an honor to compete with him in this hard-fought campaign. I look forward to working with him to move Upstate in the right direction.`
Both thanked their supporters and campaign volunteers for fighting such a hard and prolonged battle.
The special election was anything but lengthy, though, at least before the polls closed. The congressional seat was vacated when Gov. David Paterson appointed Kirsten Gillibrand to a vacated Senate seat on Jan. 23, and the parties selected candidates soon thereafter.
Both parties cited their candidates’ ability to quickly raise money in their selection criteria.
According to Federal Elections Commission financial disclosures, the two campaigns managed to spend more than $3 million by Election Day. Most of Murphy’s $1.8 million and Tedisco’s $1.3 million went toward television advertisements.
The election gained national attention when President Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus package became the primary issue. Murphy gained much of his momentum while berating Tedisco for avoiding taking a stance on the bill.
In the wake of Tedisco’s concession, Democrats were quick to chalk the election up as a positive referendum on the stimulus and Republicans downplayed the fact Murphy won in the supposed GOP stronghold with a 70,000 Republican voter plurality.
Saratoga County Republican Committee Chairman John `Jasper` Nolan largely chalked up the loss to a high level of support for Obama and the fact Murphy won the Independence Party line, typically where Republican candidates are found.
`One thing we kind of overlooked is we’re running in a period of time where Obama has a pretty high rate of likeability,` he said. `Also, Gillibrand during her brief career in that Congressional seat, she didn’t hit any home runs but she hit enough singles to keep herself on the front page. She didn’t leave with any real negativity.`
It’s time for the GOP to look towards the November elections and continue building support in Saratoga County, said Nolan. Tedisco won the district’s most populous county by more than 4,800 votes or by about 54 percent.
Saratoga County Democratic Committee Chairman Larry Bulman said that the strength of Obama’s administration`and his direct endorsement of Murphy`played a definite role in the win, but maintained that Dems ran a better coordinated campaign.
`We ran the perfect campaign, and it all started with our selection process,` said Bulman.
Dems agreed early on not to endorse candidates county-by-county, instead having committee heads interview about 30 hopefuls before making a unified choice. Republicans sought endorsements from committees in the district’s 10 counties, which were weighted by population.
`There was not one person who was upset with us selecting Scott Murphy, and that’s what made the difference in the beginning,` said Bulman. `Everyone did what they said they were going to do, we held it together, and because of that, we won.`
Future for Tedisco
Just months ago, Tedisco was riding high as the Assembly minority leader and the favorite for the congressional seat. He gave up his leadership role in early April, however, along with its perks like an expanded staff and office. As a rank-and-file member of the Assembly, he is also required to physically be on the floor to be recognized and to vote.
During the campaign, Tedisco’s protracted absences from the capitol during the budgeting process reportedly drew the ire of his caucus, leading many to speculate that his resignation was due to internal pressures more than his need to focus on a transition to congress, as the Assemblyman maintained.
Now, the question is what niche, if any, Tedisco will carve out in the Assembly chamber.
`Historically, when people drop out of the leadership they didn’t tend to stay around the legislature very long after that,` said Russ Haven, legislative counsel to the New York Public Interest Research Group.
`He’s going to pick himself up, as he always has,` said Thomas Buchanan, chairman of the Schenectady County Republican Committee, who dismissed the idea that Tedisco’s return to the rank-and-file will limit the good he can do for the 110th Assembly District.
`He was very effective before he became minority leader, and he should be just as effective today,` said Buchanan. `We hope he hangs in there. We want him to stay our assemblyman.`
Tedisco will no longer be first in line for the minority’s first crack at member items, though, and may have to reel in the showmanship that won him space in the national press.
`He’s going to be playing a reduced role because he is no longer the chief spokesman for the conference,` said Haven. During his time as minority leader, Tedisco hung a budget countdown clock in the capitol and was a vocal detractor of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, for example. `That will be a little more difficult now because he has to be a little more of a team player.`
Tedisco also came under fire days before his concession on allegations that he authorized a payment from the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee account to his chief of staff, William Sherman, to help pay the staffer’s personal legal bills.
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, said Tedisco has not hinted at retirement.
`I haven’t received and indication from Jim that it’s uncomfortable for him,` said Kolb. `It certainly is different than being leader, and I think he’s going through a little readjustment periodAs far as I know, he’s going to keep serving his district.`
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