The Commonwealth of Virginia went red once again after being in the blue column since 2008 with 55-year-old former state attorney general Bob McDonnell winning the governorship. For from being a referendum against President Obama, the voters tended to be older, white voters. Apparently, the black vote, which gave Obama a 6% victory in 2008, failed to materialize for the Democrats
In New Jersey, former federal prosecutor Chris Christie ousted first-term Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine. Christie is the first Republican to win the top office in heavily Democratic New Jersey in 12 years. High unemployment, high taxes and a corruption scandal that brought Mayors and legislators under federal indictment may have contributed to the defeat.
All that aside, the race to watch was New Yorks 23rd District where Democrat Bill Owens captured the special election for a New York congressional seat that became a fight over the identity of the Republican Party.
Doug Hoffman, the Conservative candidate conceded the race to Owens very early Wednesday morning.
Owens defeated Hoffman and Republican Dierdre Scozzafava in the heavily Republican 23rd congressional District in rural northern New York. Scozzafava abruptly withdrew Saturday and supported Owens.
The race had been getting national attention, with some calling it a referendum on President Barack Obama and others saying it could help Republicans focus their message to attract more people to the party.
“This one was worth the fight, and its just one fight in a battle. We can’t stop,” Hoffman told the crowd of supporters who stayed late into the night waiting as the results in the hotly-contested district came in.
Hoffman gained the full Republican Party’s support after the party’s choice candidate, Scozzafava, came under attack from other conservative Republicans.
The RNC spent more than $900,000.00 to support Scozzafava, who in the end, withdrew and threw her support behind the Democratic candidate.
The Republican party has controlled this district for more than 100 years, making this a significant win for the Democrats.
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg was on his way to winning a third term after spending more than $90 million of his own money.
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