Democrat Kathy Hochul beat Republican Jane Corwin late Tuesday in the special election for New York’s 26th congressional district — a battle seen as a referendum on the GOP’s plan to transform Medicare.
With 97 percent of precincts reporting, Hochul had 47 percent of the vote to Corwin’s 43 percent, The Buffalo News reported. Independent Jack Davis, who ran as a Tea Party candidate, had nine percent of the vote.
Hochul was quick to thank her “grassroots army” for the victory and conceded she had been the underdog throughout the campaign in the district — sandwiched between Rochester and Buffalo — that has been traditionally Republican.
“Tonight’s victory is an achievement that very few thought we could achieve,” Hochul told her supporters in her victory speech.
She said her campaign had overcome an “enrollment disadvantage” and a “financial disadvantage.”
“Yes, we were the underdogs,” she added.
Hochul also said that she told voters she met during her campaign that, “If you put your faith in me, if you honor me with your vote, I’ll have your back in Washington. You can count on that.”
US President Barack Obama congratulated Hochul, saying he was “look forward to working with her when she gets to Washington.”
“I want to extend my congratulations to Congresswoman-elect Kathy Hochul for her victory in New York’s 26th Congressional District,” he said in a statement.
“Kathy and I both believe that we need to create jobs, grow our economy, and reduce the deficit in order to outcompete other nations and win the future. Kathy has shown, through her victory and throughout her career, that she will fight for the families and businesses in western New York.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also welcomed the new congresswoman as an “independent, strong, passionate voice.”
“Kathy Hochul’s victory tonight is a tribute to Democrats’ commitment to preserve and strengthen Medicare, create jobs, and grow our economy,” Pelosi said. “And it sends a clear message that will echo nationwide: Republicans will be held accountable for their vote to end Medicare.”
Corwin conceded the race in a speech to supporters, and expressed sadness over the negative tone of her race with Hochul. “The discourse in this election leaves me concerned,” she said.
Without mentioning her by name, Corwin also criticized Hochul for not offering any concrete proposals for solving the health care problem.
“Leadership is not about ducking from the issues,” she said. “Leadership is not about running away from what you believe in.”
Corwin, a state Assemblywoman, had faced some heat for her support of House Republicans’ plan to overhaul health care, while Hochul, the Erie County clerk, opposed the House GOP plan, which would turn Medicare into a voucher program.
Republicans stumped heavily for Corwin. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) both campaigned for her, and other Republican heavyweights made calls on her behalf.
Earlier Tuesday Corwin was granted a court order preventing election officials from certifying the results and allowing voting machines and paper ballots to be impounded, The Buffalo News reported. If the margin of victory is wide, the order can be lifted by the courts.
Corwin campaign spokesman Chris Grant said the court action “is very typical” in such close elections.
“We recognize the closeness of the race and we want to make sure that every legal vote is counted fairly and accurately,” Grant said.
However, by conceding the race it now seems unlikely Corwin will challenge the result in the courts.
Hochul, meanwhile, was unable to vote Tuesday as she lives in a village that falls just outside the borders of the Congressional district.
Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said he did not believe the three-way race served as a warning to the GOP while Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus said Hochul’s victory would be short-lived.
“To predict the future based on the results of this unusual race is naive and risky,” Sessions said. “History shows one important fact: The results of competitive special elections from Hawaii to New York are poor indicators of broader trends or future general election outcomes.”
“If special elections were an early warning system, they sure failed to alert the Democrats of the political tsunami that flooded their ranks in 2010,” he added.
Priebus, who campaigned locally for Corwin earlier this month, said, “If we have learned anything from these results, it is that Democrats will stop at nothing to preserve the status quo in Washington, which is propelling our country towards bankruptcy.”
“Kathy Hochul’s reckless disregard for the looming insolvency of critical government programs and our crushing debt will allow her to feel right at home in Nancy Pelosi’s Democrat caucus,” he added.
“There is no question Kathy Hochul will have a tough time holding onto this seat in 2012, with Barack Obama and his failed economic leadership weighing heavily on the minds of Western New York voters when they return to the polls.”
The election was held to fill the seat of former Republican Rep. Christopher Lee, who resigned in February after posting a photo of himself shirtless soliciting a date with a woman through the website Craigslist, MarketWatch reported.
Hochul led Corwin 42 percent to 38 percent in a Siena Research Institute poll released Saturday.
In that same poll, 21 percent said that Medicare was the most important issue in their voting decision. Among the more than 600 likely voters surveyed, the federal budget deficit and jobs trailed the Medicare issue.
Under the House Republicans’ budget, Medicare recipients would get a subsidy to pay for health insurance instead of the current fee-for-service system they now enjoy through the entitlement program.
The Senate is expected to shoot down that budget in a vote later this week.