Special Election - North Country State Senate Race
For the past year and a half, we’ve been talking about how important it is to flip the State Senate so it’s no longer where all good legislation goes to die. *cough* Clean Money Clean Elections *cough*
Well, we’re about to get a shot at whittling the GOP’s 2-seat majority down to 1 seat. James Wright, GOP senator from the North Country (the 48th district) is stepping down, and a special election will be held. The Dem candidate is Assembly Member Darrel Aubertine, north country dairy farmer, and the GOP candidate Will Barclay, called by some the “overprivileged son of former state Senator H. Douglas Barclay”.
The most encouraging thing to me, is that Aubertine is a Dem, holding office in an Assembly district inside the 48th, with a GOP registration advantage. I’ve lived on the verge of the north country, in Oswego (in the lower part of the 48th), and it’s quite a Republican area. So if Aubertine can win in this region in an assembly seat, it’s a good start towards a senate seat win. To give you an idea of where this all is, here’s a map of Aubertine’s Assy. district:
(Based on a map created by ortcutt at The Albany Project.)
The Albany Project has a buncha good stuff on this race, including a case for flipping the 48th based on electoral and registration analyses. There’s also a pro-Aubertine blog who has a lot of interesting background (borderline oppo research) on Aubertine’s opponent Barclay. I’ll leave you with Aubertine’s kickoff campaign ad:
Great graphics!
This election may prove that rumors of Spitzer’s demise were greatly exaggerated. If Dems win this one, they’re 50-50 to take the Senate in 2008, which would be momentous, to say the least.
Everyone would forget about Spitzer’s missteps, immediately.
Let’s hope so!
The Democratic Rural Caucus is organizing roadtrips to the 48th to help canvass and do whatever else is necessary to flip this seat. As a rural Democrat (Livingston County) I can’t tell you how cool it is to actually have a shot at helping to usher Joe Bruno out the door! I’m heading up there, along with 3 colleagues. The DRC is hoping to get all the rural counties to kick in.
oooh! tell me more. drop me some mail!
I’ll hook you up with someone who knows all about the DRC’s plans.
[...] announced for the NY 48th special election. btp wrote a great post about the upcoming election. A Dem win here, and it is possible, means then there is [...]
[...] big political event is the special election in New York State’s 48th Senate District Btp wrote about this about six weeks ago. Republicans currently hold a two seat advantage in the State [...]