It’s not every day that Democrats in the Midwest will comment on a political event in the Northeast. But the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is now chiming in on the NY-20 special election, after Republican candidate Jim Tedisco conceded defeat in the narrow race, and contrasting this with Norm Coleman’s decision to bottle up Al Franken’s Senate victory in litigation.
“I congratulate Jim Tedisco for doing the right thing and conceding this race. Now the people of New York’s 20th congressional district will once again be fully represented in Congress,” DFL Party chairman Brian Melendez says in a press release.
“Unfortunately, Minnesotans are not as fortunate. Nearly six months after Election Day — and the meticulous and fair process that followed — we remain without full representation in the U.S. Senate.”
Full press release after the jump — plus a similar release from the Democratic National Committee.
From the DFL:
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
Tedisco Did the Right Thing, Now It’s Coleman’s Turn
Following an extremely close special-election contest, New York Congressional candidate concedes
St. Paul (April 24, 2009) — This afternoon Jim Tedisco, Republican candidate for New York’s 20th Congressional District, conceded the race to Democrat Scott Murphy. Tedisco’s decision to do the right thing and move on came after an incredibly close special-election contest, ending yesterday with a 400-vote advantage for Murphy.
The Minnesota DFL Party released this statement from Chair Brian Melendez:
“I congratulate Jim Tedisco for doing the right thing and conceding this race. Now the people of New York’s 20th congressional district will once again be fully represented in Congress.
“Unfortunately, Minnesotans are not as fortunate. Nearly six months after Election Day — and the meticulous and fair process that followed — we remain without full representation in the U.S. Senate. Instead of putting Minnesotans’ best interests first, former Senator Norm Coleman remains is still playing the dog in the manger, catering to national Republicans and their special-interest friends.
“Hopefully Mr. Coleman will take a cue from Mr. Tedisco’s classy decision. If he has any respect for his former constituents and for Minnesota’s future, he will realize that now is the time for him to put personal pride aside, do the right thing, and give Minnesota back its full voice in the Senate.”
And from the DNC:
Jim Tedisco Does the Right Thing, Will Norm Coleman?
Losing Candidate in Special Congressional in New York Concedes Rather than Press On, While Norm Coleman Continues to Tilt at Windmills
Washington — Today, Jim Tedisco, a Republican running in an excruciatingly close special election in New York’s 20th Congressional District in which the vote was held on March 31st, did the right thing and conceded when it had become clear that he had lost. Tedisco decided to spare the voters a protracted legal fight and conceded rather than press on with challenges and other delaying tactics which would have left voters without representation in Congress. While the process in New York 20 took just three weeks, and the entire recount in Florida in 2000, which involved multiple legal appeals took less than five, Norm Coleman continues to tilt at windmills – insisting on dragging out a Senate race there after six months of legal wrangling and recounts which resulted in Al Franken being declared the winner last week
“Whether you are a voter in Minnesota or in New York’s 20th Congressional District, you deserve to have full representation in Congress,” said Hari Sevugan, national spokesman for the DNC. “Jim Tedisco had the decency to concede when it became clear that continuing was a lost cause, but Norm Coleman continues to tilt at windmills and hold the voters of Minnesota hostage to his political ambitions and the interests of Republican leaders in Washington, DC. Jim Tedisco did the right thing today in putting the interests of the people he sought to represent ahead of partisan politics. The question is will Norm Coleman do the right thing too?”
