Christie Unseats Corzine in New Jersey; Bloomberg Wins a Third Term as
Mayor
Sarah Simonis for The New York Times

Chris Christie shook hands with poll workers after voting at the
Brookside Fire House in Mendham early Tuesday. More Photos >

Christopher J. Christie, a Republican former United States attorney who
said he would vanquish corruption from the halls of New Jersey
government, won the New Jersey governor’s race on Tuesday, defeating the
incumbent, Gov. Jon S. Corzine, and striking a blow against the
Democratic party on a national stage.

Mr. Christie, who accused Mr. Corzine of leading the state into economic
turmoil, had nearly half of the vote to Mr. Corzine’s 44 percent.

Mr. Christie’s victory ended a bruising and bitterly fought race that
often descended into personal attacks by both candidates. Although the
campaign focused mainly on local issues, including a statewide corruption
scandal, Republicans across the country were quick to portray Mr.
Christie’s win as a defeat for President Obama, who was in the state
campaigning for Mr. Corzine just a few days ago.

The decision by the White House to throw Mr. Obama into the race was a
tacit acknowledgment that a defeat for Mr. Corzine would be interpreted
as a rebuke of the president, potentially affecting the president’s
ability to pass major legislation and the public’s perceptions of the
Democratic influence.

Republicans also captured the night’s other major gubernatorial race, in
Virginia, where Robert F. McDonnell, a former state attorney general,
defeated the Democratic candidate, R. Creigh Deeds, a stark reversal of
fortune for Democrats who have held control in Richmond for the past
eight years.

In New York City, Michael R. Bloomberg won a third term, but his margin
of victory - 5 percentage points - was relatively narrow, particularly
when juxtaposed to the fact that the mayor had vastly outspent his
Democratic challenger, William C. Thompson, the city’s comptroller.

And a closely tracked Congressional race in upstate New York remained too
close to call In that race, the right wing of the Republican party is
hoping that Douglas L. Hoffman, a Conservative party candidate, can win a
Congressional seat after a more moderate Republican nominee withdrew from
the race at the last minute.

But his Democratic opponent, Bill Owens, was holding 49 percent of the
vote to Mr. Hoffman’s 45 percent. A victory for Mr. Owens would be a
surprising outcome in a district that has been a Republican stronghold
for more than a century. Polls closed in that race at 9 p.m.

In Maine, voters remained divided on a referendum to reject a law that
would allow same-sex marriage in the state. Voters who opposed gay
marriage held a slight edge with more than half the vote counted, but it
was too early to tell which side would prevail.

In another New England race, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino won an
unprecedented fifth term, defeating his fellow Democrat, City Councilor
Michael F. Flaherty Jr. It was the toughest re-election fight of Mr.
Menino’s career, but he relied on his popularity and impressive political
machine to neutralize charges from his opponent that the city needed a
change.

Off-year races are often sleepy affairs, and the turnout, for the most
part, appeared to be low on Tuesday. Few long lines were reported, even
in New Jersey, the scene of the day’s toughest-to-call race. Voter apathy
seemed to belie the more dramatic narrative that has been hoisted on
Tuesday’s races, which political officials have described as high-stakes
contests that could shape next year’s Congressional agenda and reveal
deep divisions within a Republican party seeking a return path to power.

In New Jersey, a fierce battle between Mr. Corzine and Mr. Christie
quickly deteriorated into ad hominem attacks. Both candidates spent the
final day of the campaign in a flurry of last-minute campaigning. Shaking
hands with voters in Bayonne around noon, Mr. Corzine pointed to the
sunny blue sky above the Broadway Diner and called it a good omen — but
only after buttonholing the city’s mayor, Mark Smith, leaning in close
and growling at him to “drag, drag” people to the polls if necessary.

Mr. Christie held the hands of his youngest son and daughter as he walked
into a voting booth in Mendham, N.J. at 7 a.m. to cast his vote.
Acknowledging the uncertainty of a race that remained, in its final
hours, still too close to call, Mr. Christie told his supporters, “Life
will be a lot different tomorrow, one way or another.”

David Kocieniewski, Suzanne Moore, Adam Nagourney, Jeremy W. Peters, Nate
Schweber and Ian Urbina contributed reporting.

--
Slavery: The belief that people can be property
Corporatism: The belief that property can be people.

<LOL>   ...and Obama is confirmed as an empty suit.  

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Contrary to what liberals are whining, nobody
owes you anything.

You're right .. the majority of voters in Virginia and New Jersey said it
was the economy and jobs that was the main factor in their voting .. guess
which party got blamed for the bad economy .. hint: it wasn't the
Republicans.

Say, how about that NY-23rd vote?

Booga, booga.

 Hahahahaha  

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Contrary to what liberals are whining, nobody
owes you anything.