November 06, 2001

Dems Win Va., NJ; Green Concedes NY

Democrat Mark Green conceded to Republican Michael Bloomberg in a cliffhanger race Tuesday for mayor of New York City, still reeling from the Sept. 11 terror attack. Democrats captured governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, breaking eight years of GOP control in each state.

Green's concession put Bloomberg in position to succeed Rudolph Giuliani, a Republican barred from seeking a third term.

Green, the city's elected public advocate, spent about $12 million on his campaign, while Bloomberg, the billionaire owner of the Bloomberg financial information company, was expected to spend more than $50 million of his own money. That made it the most expensive mayoral campaign in U.S. history, according to Common Cause, a citizen lobbying group.

The city's Board of Elections said that it had 99 percent of the unofficial returns tabulated and that Bloomberg had 711,189 votes to Green's 670,413.

Green's once-large lead in the polls faded after the popular Giuliani endorsed Bloomberg as the man to guide New York through the aftermath of the World Trade Center attack.

In Virginia, Democrat Mark Warner, a wealthy entrepreneur who has never held elected office, beat Republican Mark Earley, a former state attorney general. With all precincts reporting, Warner had 994,399 votes, or 52 percent, to 893,232, or 47 percent, for Earley,

Earley was handicapped by Republican infighting over taxes and the state budget. Warner put $4.7 million of his own fortune into a campaign that has raised $18.2 million, a state record.

Warner's fellow Democrat, Timothy Kaine, was elected lieutenant governor, But the Republicans, who control the legislature, gained 12 seats in the House of Delegates.

In New Jersey, Democrat Jim McGreevey, a suburban mayor who narrowly lost a race for governor four years ago, rolled to a landslide victory over former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler. Democrats also won control of the New Jersey Assembly from the Republicans and gained five seats in the state Senate for a 20-20 split.

With 97 percent of the precincts reporting, McGreevey had 1,200,253 votes, or 56 percent, to 901,634 votes, or 42 percent, for Schundler.

McGreevey had tried to portray Schundler as an extremist for his opposition to abortion and support of school vouchers. Schundler charged that McGreevey would raise taxes.

With the victories, there will be 21 Democratic governors, 27 Republicans and two independents.

Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, contended the outcome in New Jersey and Virginia was not a reflection on President Bush, who didn't campaign for the GOP candidates.

"I think it was the right call," Rowland said, "You can't have the commander in chief in a political mode."

Top Democrats were elated, predicting their party would hold a majority of the governorships after the 2002 elections, when 36 states choose governors.

"Republicans, Democrats, independents all support the president in times of international crisis," said Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening, who in January will become head of the Democratic Governors Conference. "But when you look at the key issues - the economy, education, the environment - Democrats are the clear winners."

"The Republicans call us tax-and-spend Democrats," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe. "But in two of the most tax sensitive states in the country, that argument didn't work."

In notable mayoral races, Cleveland elected a woman as its leader for the first time, county commissioner and former legislator Jane Campbell. But in Minneapolis, the city's first black and female mayor, Sharon Sayles Belton, lost her bid for a third term to a political novice, R.T. Rybak.

Incumbent mayors Thomas Menino of Boston and Thomas Murphy of Pittsburgh won easily. In Miami, Mayor Joe Carollo failed to place first in a 10-candidate race, but - pending a possible recount - still had a chance to finish second and advance to a runoff.

The incumbent in Cincinnati, Charlie Luken, prevailed over challenger Courtis Fuller in a race between registered Democrats. Fuller, who is black, had criticized the white mayor's handling of friction between blacks and police that sparked rioting last April.

In Houston, incumbent Lee Brown - the city's first black mayor - led five challengers in his bid for a third two-year term but fell short of the 50 percent and headed to runoff. His opponent will be city councilman Orlando Sanchez, who would be Houston's first Hispanic mayor,

Gay rights supporters were pleased by results of ballot proposals in three Michigan cities. Voters in Traverse City and Kalamazoo refused to ban municipal policies protecting gays from discrimination, and voters in Huntington Woods upheld an ordinance banning anti-gay discrimination,

In Miami Beach, voters approved a ballot measure offering health care coverage to the domestic partners of gay and lesbian city employees.

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2001