Special state legislative elections thread (see OP for results/upcoming races)

[Mr.Phips]

Another fishy late shift in a Louisiana election.  The same thing happened in LA-04 two years ago.

[Mr.Phips]

In other news, Democrats appear to have held a State Senate seat in Maine.  The Democrat is leading 67%-33% with about two thirds reporting and the only town left to report was won by the Democrat in 2010 who only won districtwide by 75 votes. 

[Mr.Phips]

Only partisan Democrats would be the ones crying over losing legislatures in the deep south, yes.

Then, it must really have hurt to watch the GOP pick up both chambers in New Hampshire, Maine, Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Houses in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Ohio, and the Senate in New York. The last one must have really caused some consternation. Fortunately, the loss of both chambers in North Carolina wasn't that bad since it is part of the South.

There was no excuse for Democrats to lose the New York Senate.  This was caused by a Democratic incumbent losing in a 77% Obama district. 

[Mr.Phips]

This was apparently a big upset. The Independent candidate said he had no regrets. Any chance he runs again in 2014? The Dem already said she'll be back for a rematch.

If he does, either he or the Dem will win. 16,000 votes were cast in this district in the last off-year election so I'm guessing that the 24-year-old R nurse won't be able to get enough to win even if the Dems split their votes cleanly down the middle.

Yeah, its was pretty much a perfect storm.  I believe that the independent who got nearly as many votes as the Dem was a Democratic town councilman in Peabody. 

[Mr.Phips]

This was apparently a big upset. The Independent candidate said he had no regrets. Any chance he runs again in 2014? The Dem already said she'll be back for a rematch.

If he does, either he or the Dem will win. 16,000 votes were cast in this district in the last off-year election so I'm guessing that the 24-year-old R nurse won't be able to get enough to win even if the Dems split their votes cleanly down the middle.

That's not something I'd say is for sure, since this is the type of district that voted for Brown and Baker. Seats like this have a tendency to stay in Republican hands, at least until the inevitable retirement happens.

Most of the Massachussetts Republicans who have held state House and Senate seats like this were quite moderate and in the Richard Tisei/Scott Brown mold.