NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions just put out a statement looking forward optimistically in NY-20 and playing the spin game, boasting that their man Jim Tedisco has closed the gap in a tough, Democratic-held district:
“As the latest vote totals reflect, there still remain thousands of absentee and military ballots that have to be counted. Rest assured that Republicans will ensure that the integrity of the election is protected and every vote is counted. As it stands now, there is a Republican advantage in the number of absentee and military ballots that have been returned.
“With that being said, Jim Tedisco has closed the gap in a district that has come to exemplify Democratic dominance in the Northeast in recent elections. That is a testament to the strength of Jim’s campaign and the effectiveness of the Republican message of fiscal responsibility and accountability that Americans are demanding in the wake of the AIG scandal.
“Less than 150 days ago, President Obama carried New York’s 20th District, and former Congresswoman Gillibrand was handily reelected in this district by a margin of 62-38 percent, despite the fact that her Republican opponent spent $6 million trying to defeat her. For the first time in a long time, a Republican candidate went toe-to-toe with a Democrat in a hard-fought battle over independent voters. This was hardly a common phenomenon in 2008, particularly in the Northeast.”
The claim that more Republicans have turned in absentee ballots could very well be true — but it’s not quite complete, either. The unaffiliated voters in this district have leaned heavily Democratic in recent elections — thus the Dem wins in a district where the GOP has a big registration advantage on paper. And if that pattern continues, it won’t be good news for them.
As for Tedisco closing the gap, it needs to be remembered that he led in all the polls against his lesser-known opponent, until very late in the race.
But it really is too early to know how this will all turn out.
