KY-SD18: Democrats Pick Up GOP-Held Seat

Because we could all use some good news lately... here's a nice booster from Kentucky:

Democrats chipped away at Republican control of the state Senate Tuesday as Democrat Robin Webb narrowly defeated Republican Jack Ditty in a special election Tuesday for a vacant seat in northeastern Kentucky.

Republicans now hold a 20-17 margin in the Senate, with one independent member, bringing Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear closer to his goal of allowing slot machines at horse racetracks.

Unofficial results in the 18th Senate District - Mason, Bracken, Robertson, Carter, Greenup and Lewis counties - show Webb collecting 8,684 votes to Ditty's 8,402. Independent Guy Gibbons garnered 953 votes.

This race was a pretty expensive and hotly-contested one, so Kentucky Dems can pat themselves on the back for this win.

http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/5470/kysd48-democrats-pick-up-gopheld-seat

But not for the same reason the Governor is

Sometimes I type very fast and miss keys on the board
Unfortunately my spell check doesn't make gender specific fixes.

I need to proofread more and rely on the spell check less

Thank you

Lexington Herald-Leader

State GOP Chairman Steve Robertson called it "odd" that Republican-heavy Lewis County gave Ditty only a 112-vote margin. He noted that some voters there complained about questionable exit polling and said he will talk to Ditty about a possible recanvass.

The local NPR news update yesterday afternoon mentioned exit pollsters asking for Social Security numbers, which would be odd, but it sounds like this happened in about one spot...and if it's exit polling, how the hell is it "intimidating" you?

Louisville Courier-Journal

Clerks in Carter and Lewis counties reported possible illegal activities, said Les Fugate, a spokesman for Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson.

Fugate said clerks in the two counties reported that exit pollers or other apparent partisans had asked voters before they voted to get lists of names of persons who had voted and those who had not done so yet.

Such information could be used by a campaign or party to focus its get-out-the-vote vote activities later in the day.

Also, Fugate said, the secretary of state's office has received complaints of exit pollers asking voters to provide their Social Security numbers, as well as their name.

“If a voter views any question like that to be intimidating, then it's a problem. You can't intimidate voters,” Fugate said.

No identification of party. Since Webb only one two counties (and one of those by 26 votes), my guess is that the Republicans were doing some shenanigans themselves.

I'm in that district and I thought she was a goner

I thought the repukes were makinga a come back!

Geez!!! If they're NOT *resurgent* in the south, then WHERE are they resurgent?!!! By my record, this is yet another special election they've lost since last November. Granted, this is a state election not a federal one but still, the Republicans don't seem to be making the kind of comeback that Michael "No apologies" Steele and Politico promised them.
:eyes: