The third party candidate was not a factor. Burton would have had to pull 100% from Bullock to be a factor. How likely is that? Not very.
The “woulda coulda shoulda” question for the Dems:
1) How much of a factor was the conventional wisdom that solidified around the idea that Bullock favored dirty old coal and Hastings was a stronger proponent of clean renewable wind power?
The big winner: Dave Burris who is now made out of titanium winning this election under very unusual circumstabnces.
8:50 UPDATE:
9 of 9 Districts Reported
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
LYNN R. BULLOCK 1494 82 1576 44 . 1 %
REPUBLICAN PARTY
GREGORY A. HASTINGS 1693 77 1770 49 . 6 %
8:50 UPDATE: Newbie is right. Atkins not a factor.
8 of 9 Districts Reported
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
LYNN R. BULLOCK 1250 75 1325 43 . 8 %
REPUBLICAN PARTY
GREGORY A. HASTINGS 1462 71 1533 50 . 7 %
8:40 UPDATE: Hasting still ahead with 5 of 9 reporting.
8:35 UPDATE: A big cheer must have just risen at the Hastings HQ.
3 of 9 Districts Reported
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
LYNN R. BULLOCK 389 25 414 % of vote: 44.8
REPUBLICAN PARTY
GREGORY A. HASTINGS 424 23 447 % of vote: 48.4
Dave Burris looks happy – but then again he always looks like he just heard some good news.
Mike Mathews says that his sources tell him they see a big turn out for John Atkins . (I love the anon commenter who said that they hope Atkins gets .14 percent of the vote.)
No word from the Democrats yet – but I’m on ASM’s shit list as far as this election is concerned so I’m not expecting anything.
Polls close in 45 minutes.
Click here for the early* FULL results. Del Department of elections will have all the totals available tonight.
*The full results may not be known for a couple of days with the write in taking a while to tally.
4:30pm: ZOINKS!!! Things are looking up for Bullock. Mike Castle is “helping” Hastings.
You’d think Hastings would have shaved.
Well, the good news for Atkins (an extention of DWA’s anon commenter) is that his total write-in count has left him well below the legal limit of .08. Speaking of that…there is now a Secrets of Middletown (no, not the same people…spelled differently). I just thought, “What a co-inky-dink!”
It just went to 8 of 9 and I can’t imagine Bullock can close the gap now. Maybe they can work on that Atkins .14.
Hastings won, with a 200-vote gap. Burton and Atkins *were* a factor, but Burton ever so much more so.
titanium? Can we sell him for scrap?
Jason’s endorsement of Hastings did the trick 🙂
OK, Burris and the GOP purged their party of a bad player and survived. Let that be a lesson to the Democrats – you can do the same.
I am not sad about not putting another retired state trooper in Dover.
This is a game of expectations. Dems supposedly had a 500-voter registration edge and were supposed to win, so to lose this one in an open election is bad news. It says the 41st prefers the Republican brand, and in this era that’s saying a lot.
What does an analysis of this vote show for Castle’s 2008 prospects?
If the SC voters favor the Republican brand it is no wonder.
The Democratic brand is SC is dilluted to the point of being non-exsistent. That is the lesson. If you are a Dem run as a Dem. Not as the a Republican who happens to have a “D” next to his name. (Yes – even in conservative districts. Voters want genuine people they disagree with more than they want phonies who agree with them.)
What Jason said!
People who picked the “over” won.
According to the NJ, John C. Atkins got 533 votes.
You’re right that Burton was not a factor. Bad logic on my part – that’s what happens when you try to think too quickly.
The Elections Department has Atkins at 23 votes, NOT 533:
http://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/elect07_special_election.shtml
23 sounds right.
556 apparently is the total for Atkins now.
There were a smattering of single-vote cwrite-in candidates. Plus one person who wrote in Greg Hastings’ name. (For practice?)
So that’s close to 800 votes for someone other than the major-party endorsed candidate. If just 200 of t hose had swung Bullocks’ way, the Democrats would have won.
atkins got 1/3 of the total votes that hastings received and never spent a dime and wasnt on the ballot. to me thats pretty impressive. could there be a primary in 08?
Atkins’ bread and butter was constituent services so it is possible that some of those votes would have gone to Bullock – but I think Atkins just kept it closer than it would have been.
Also – 500 people in that district need to get off their rear ends and change their party affiliation.
Once you figure Atkins votes in Hastings percentage will drop to around 40% certainly not a mandate.
If there is ANY justice Atkins will be a convicted felon by 2008. He is the closest thing to human trash ever born.
How do you really feel Joe? Don’t hold back.
As I said on the radio he is a 2 bit punk! John Atkins makes Judas Iscariot look like a stand up guy. While I feel for Lynn Bullock the fact that John double fucked himself today and ended his pathetic political career has a certain delicious irony:)
heh, nothing will keep Atkins from going for it in 2008 but a felony charge. Since the AG now has the “package” from the House, there should be action in that regard.
Nope. Even pulling 500 votes this was a big repudiation of Atkins. With a Republican incumbent in that seat now I think we can, at long last, close the books on Atkins.
Joe and Nancy, cut Atkins a break. According to sources in Sussex, his 3 year old suffered severe head trauma with a baseball bat accident in thier backyard yesterday. Even you two sleazy dirtbags should wish him well. Shame on you!
Oh please. That fact is just now being reported, and Atkins has a history that predates his childs injury.
Titanium?
Looks more like jelly to me.
Welcome back.
How many of the next 18 months do you get to be a blogger befor returning to the fortress of solitude?
Dave!
Listen. Atkins is responsible for Atkins. I am 7th of 8 kids so I know from stitches, salves, bandaides, blah. blah. blah. blah. What sympathy I have for his family absolutely goes to the kids, absolutely.
Changing the topic for a second. Is that Donvitti’s avatar standing next to Castle in the photo with Hastings?
Glad you liked my pic of Mike Castle stumping for Greg Hastings, Jason. It was taken at the Millsboro Fire Hall where Castle got a warm reception from 41st District voters.
Meh…
I think Maria was gently suggesting that you should have had the courtesy to give her credit for the picture…
Oopsie.
Sorry Maria.