Liveblogging election returns
I'm at the Federal with Kevin and Michaelwaiting for election results We'll all be posting our thoughts as the returns come in. Kevin's got a spreadsheet up ready to plug in the numbers, so we're just waiting now.
Turnout in precinct 19, where i vote, was 23%, more than double the primary. I'm taking that as a good sign.
Bell with 14256 and Stith 11,256 in the first returns. That's with 87% of the precincts reporting. Looks like Bell will win.
Ali and Harris are neck and neck at around 10,000 votes each.
UPDATE: With 49 out of 57 precincts reporting, Bell has essentially wrapped the election up. David Harris has pulled ahead of Ali by 37 votes.
UPDATE: Kevin's analyzing the precincts remaining to report inthe election. In those precincts, Democrats hold an approximate 5-1 registration edge over Republicans. Based on that, he's calling the mayor's race for Bell.
He's right.
Looks like all the bonds are passing by a large margin as well.
UPDATE III: With 51 precincts reporting, Farad Ali has pulled ahead of David Harris by 400 votes in the race for the last remaining seat.
UPDATE IV: 53 precincts reporting. Ali has opened up an 800 vote lead.
DE is calling this election for Bell, Catotti, Brown, and Ali. Congratulations to everyone. We'll be back in a little while with some more discussion about the results.
Turnout in precinct 19, where i vote, was 23%, more than double the primary. I'm taking that as a good sign.
Bell with 14256 and Stith 11,256 in the first returns. That's with 87% of the precincts reporting. Looks like Bell will win.
Ali and Harris are neck and neck at around 10,000 votes each.
UPDATE: With 49 out of 57 precincts reporting, Bell has essentially wrapped the election up. David Harris has pulled ahead of Ali by 37 votes.
UPDATE: Kevin's analyzing the precincts remaining to report inthe election. In those precincts, Democrats hold an approximate 5-1 registration edge over Republicans. Based on that, he's calling the mayor's race for Bell.
He's right.
Looks like all the bonds are passing by a large margin as well.
UPDATE III: With 51 precincts reporting, Farad Ali has pulled ahead of David Harris by 400 votes in the race for the last remaining seat.
UPDATE IV: 53 precincts reporting. Ali has opened up an 800 vote lead.
DE is calling this election for Bell, Catotti, Brown, and Ali. Congratulations to everyone. We'll be back in a little while with some more discussion about the results.
Since 1949, Durhamites have slept soundly, secure in the knowledge that, in our town, erection can be depended upon. Now, thanks to the power of the internets, we can spread that security all over the world.
23 Comments:
Now I know the Federal has wireless.
By
nicky in durham, at 8:20 PM
In a continuing sad commentary on myself, I'm mostly excited about my prospects with the gift certificate.
By
Marsosudiro, at 8:32 PM
Dude, we all said that shit back in 2000 too--don't count out the "chad man" just yet
By
Anonymous, at 8:38 PM
hovercrafty
where you been?
I'm kicking back bogging down my wireless.
I am watching CH and Carrboro races.
Let Chad and the nail biting begin....
By
nicky in durham, at 8:43 PM
the Federal does indeed have wireless. However, they also lack in plugs for the computer, so we've moved over to Alivia's.
By
Barry, at 8:55 PM
You're having more fun, eating better food and got to vote at *least* one more time than I did today. It's just not fair. :)
By
Lenore, at 8:59 PM
as of 9:06 pm
I'm noticing that there are 35K votes and
Durham BOE is reporting around 31K votes for mayor.
Interesting.....
By
nicky in durham, at 9:07 PM
There are plugs for computers at the Fed, at least for two on each side of the place.
By
Anonymous, at 9:11 PM
Alivia's? No wonder I couldn't find you!
By
Tony, at 9:55 PM
Nicky -- true, but keep in mind that the 35k ballot includes county and city voters. County voters could vote on the bonds, but not the mayoral or council races.
By
Unknown, at 9:59 PM
When does Ali announce he's a Republican?
By
Tony, at 10:07 PM
Let's figure this out mathematically: Farad Ali and David Harris each gained almost exactly 10,000 votes over their primary results.
Ali spent a reported $30,000 to get the 10,0000 votes, for a cost of $3 a vote.
Harris spent a reported $5,000 to get his, for a cost of 50 cents a vote.
I just know there's a joke about the value of having an MBA in there somewhere.
By
Anonymous, at 10:43 PM
And Stith spent, what, approximately $11.50 per vote?
phew.
Good thing he won't be minding the Derm budget.
By
Anonymous, at 10:47 PM
You guys are such freakin' geeks. :)
By
Joseph H. Vilas, at 11:08 PM
if Ali had declared Democrat it wouldnt have even been a race with Harris...Im sure he knew it was a risk to run unaffliated but he apparently he refused to compromise his values JUST to win. Bill Bell's folks supported Ali same as Stith's so he could just as easily declare Democrat if he opts to choose a party...which he probably wont. David Harris ran close only because people voted by block ( all Democrat ) if he had had to stand on his own ( or if Eugene had to ) it wouldnt have been a contest.
Seeing as Ali was an unknown he had to spend more money...as everyone in here has mentioned, David Harris had been around FOREVER...yet it still wasnt enough to win, he didnt need to spend anything, he had the Democratic party and Diane Cattoti to do all his work for him.
and like I said before...those of us who pay taxes are going to be thankful to have that MBA in office when the Duke Lacrosse Boys come get the Durham savings account for all their pain and suffering...
speaking of racist...ya think any of the black men who have been wrongly accused of rape have been successful in sueing ANY city in this country?
By
Anonymous, at 11:18 PM
Hey, I just noticed where you guys were blogging from:
First, the Federal: "Federal" as in "Federal Government" as in employer of Senator Elizabeth Dole who was making calls for Stith.
Flushed out of there (something about an energy crisis, I think?), you went to Alivia's. "Alivia's" as in "Ali Via" or "Farad Ali" and "Road" or "Path". So, you finished at the "Path of Farad Ali".
I'm calling Oliver Stone RIGHT NOW.
By
Marsosudiro, at 11:29 PM
Golden, I don't know what town you live in -- but it sure isn't mine.
You better hope Ali shows up for City Council meetings more than he bothers to show up for those boards he's on. Dude's got a reputation for being MIA.
By
Anonymous, at 12:13 AM
Ali's wife apparently doesn't mind compromising her principles. She changed her affiliation from Republican to Democrat about the time of the primary.
Let's hope he doesn't follow her kead and change his affiliation. We've got enough blowhards in the local Democratic Party as it is.
By
Anonymous, at 12:17 AM
Geez, Golden. Did you not see the endorsements that David Harris received -- the People's Alliance, the Independent Weekly, the News & Observer, the AFL-CIO, and obviously the Democratic Party's? You don't think David could stand on his own with those sources saying he was the best candidate for the job?
By
Anonymous, at 9:06 AM
I think golden might actually be Farad Ali's son, or someone else very young. Hence I shall not pick on his rather niave, if not downright kooky, interpretation of Durham politics. Only a teen-ager would think an MBA was anything more than a piece of paper given to anyone willing to go into enough debt to get it.
By
Anonymous, at 9:16 AM
I am a grown woman. I wasnt the one who brought up the MBA..I was responding to yet another anonymous post...its not hard to type in a name so folks can keep track of your posts...
anyway. David Harris' endorsements placed him behind the Republicans in the primary...it was the Democratic push that got him to 4th in the election.
This is all such comedy given that I imagine my political agenda is indentical to most of you here, I just happen to listen to the statements of both Harris and Ali and I found Ali to be the stronger candidate, capable of the leadership I was looking for...
looks like i wasnt the only one who felt that way...
By
Anonymous, at 3:03 PM
Golden, your comments consistently show a lack of understanding about Durham politics -- you don't know when endorsements are made, you seem to have no grasp of the role political action committees play here, you show a complete lack of understanding of how neighborhood associations, media and political parties fit in and so you make sweeping statements based on completely wrong information. I suggest you read a little bit more on bullcityrising and other Durham politics-based blogs if you want to be taken seriously when you comment on local politics. You've been way off base in your assumptions and characterizations of the Durham political scene in virtually every post you have made.
By
Anonymous, at 5:17 PM
David Harris lost because Lavonia Allison still holds a 20-year-old grudge. Ali has limited knowledge of the poverty and social issues the Durham Committee cares about, but he used his MBA speak about metrics and assessments to blow smoke at the Committee. I know this because I heard him say the same stuff at numerous public appearances, and Committee members repeated exactly what he said during his interviews.
Maybe Ali had to spend more money, but did he have to accept it from Gary Hock, $tith's Daddy Warbucks, and other developers? Let's see how much loyalty they bought.
The Democratic Party rightly supported Harris. He has been active in the party for more than 30 years and has served numerous terms as a precinct chair or vice chair, and has assisted many other candidates in their races. Ali doesn't even bother to vote half the time; check out his voting record at the state board of elections website.
And Diane Catotti did not help David. What is your source for making such a statement?
And what makes someone with an MBA from Campbell any more qualified at looking at budgets than anyone else? Heck, George W. Bush has an MBA from Harvard, and look at what kind of leader he's been. An MBA means you just stayed in school two more years.
Catotti and Woodard both have economics degrees and master's. I think Catotti has two master's degrees.
And what makes anyone with a few years working in a bank more able to govern effectively? It isn't like we elected Bob Rubin or Hugh McColl or Ken Thompson. We elected a guy who had an entry level bank job.
By
Anonymous, at 8:55 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home