Did Ritchie run a better 21st century campaign?
Democrat Darrel Aubertine still hasn’t conceded in the 48th State Senate race, even though he’s down 3,514 votes to Republican Patty Ritchie, with only 3,892 absentee ballots. Those would have to swing Aubertine’s way by a more than 90% margin for the result to change.
Aubertine’s staff declined to comment, and the Senator himself isn’t speaking today, as he’s dealing with “a family issue”. But the campaign says he’s staying in the race until the numbers make that impossible.
But assuming Ritchie’s lead holds up, could it be her technological e-ground game that helped her to victory over Aubertine? She has almost 5,000 friends on Facebook, and her campaign’s Facebook page has another 2,300 likes. That’s a lot of people to be able to reach quickly in a race with only 70,000 voters.
Darrel Aubertine’s Facebook page: 939 likes.
Tags: election10
David, I really don’t know why Ritchie won. What I heard in the debates and press releases and radio spots, etc. didn’t give me any Chris Mathews style “tingle”. Aubertine was a good Senator. I think part of it is just plain old disgust with Albany and the Democrat machine.
Personally I was far more distressed over Addie Russell retaining her seat. Useless doesn’t begin to cover my description of her abilities. After years of dealing with Dede and Darrel and their very quick and personal response to questions and concerns, dealing with the complete lack of response from Russells office to repeated emails and calls is maddening.
I’d have voted for Darrell Aubertine if he represented my district (the line is just a few miles down the road). He was one of the few sane voices in Albany during the great senate debacle, he’s been a good representative for North Country interests and it’s a shame to see him go. I don’t see any reason Richie should have won. Yeah, she made hay over her license plate protest but her protest wasn’t the sole reason that got changed. She just took all the credit. Unfortunately politics is all about claiming credit/assigning blame and perception counts more than reality.
Unbelievable that Ritchie won!
People will be SORRY they voted for ‘Pathetic Patty’. She stands for nothing … she has no experience in politics … she will be a pawn for the Long Island Republicans.
I can not see her accomplishing ANYTHING as a senator. She is the type to just jump on someone elses bandwagon.
Aubertine wasn’t weak or afraid to speak up on issues. She never gave any opinion on issues and refused to answer questions – only to give wishy washy answers.
We will be sorely represented if the tally favors Ritchie after all the absentee votes are counted.
I supported Aubertine 100%.
But you know she won and I think she ran a better campaign. The broader danger is going to be that there are important issues looming including redistricting, it could spell bad news for the North Country. Because of the way Aubertine first come into that seat he has had to constantly campaign since he first held office, I think he just got a little tired of it all.
She is a good administrator in my opinion but is now in over her head, we will see if she can create and protect jobs in the north country, I fear we have harder times ahead because of this, but who knows?
Aubertine has been some good things, but his conflicts of interest regarding wind mills is very disturbing. He also made some bad votes. And let’s face it: the Senate Democratic leadership is all about NYC.
In my view, every single Albany incumbent should have been voted out of office. Especially the Senators.
I was looking up state results, and every single non-NYC Democratic incumbent senator either lost or had a close race. I wonder if the Democratic leadership will get the message that there’s more to the state than NYC?
I was pretty shocked about how dismissive and ignorant Ms.Ritchie was about municipal power and then she didn’t show for the debate at SUNY Canton. I hope Albany finds a role for him. I think he could accomplish a lot on behalf of North Country ag.
I don’t think she understands the issues that well, she has spent her career as a government employee in St. Lawrence County, which is kind of ironic given that she ran on a traditional Republican pro-business platform.
The senate leadership will be even MORE about NYC without a strong Democratic voice in Aubertine representing the North Country and agriculture etc. A Republican they can totally blow off without consequences.
But anyway you know this is just me being sour grapes and she won and she will probably be fine, and if not hey we can get someone else in the next round.
mervel,
It is likley the Republicans will be in the majority next year. Right now the Democrats have 31 seats and the GOP has 30. THere are 2 more where the GOP candidates are leading by several hundred votes and another that is virtually tied with several precints outstanding. If they win at least 2, the Republicans will be in the majority.
Now maybe we can get some sanity back in Albany.
Yes she ran a better campaign, against Senator Aubertine she has been pounding on doors since last May. Aubertine lost touch with the voters. Yes he alligned himself with downstate Dems. The AEG money shows that. Themajority of people going door to door were from downstate (WFP), one young lady who i s[oke with was from Florida, and never been to the area. People are angry and sick of the current tax structure, Aubertine voted to raise taxes every year. He voted to let inmates out a jail by the thousands be voting to ease sentencing guidelines thus putting prisons in danger, he urged by local newspapers via editorials not to support this by law supported by downstate dems. Quite frankly he lost touch where he was from.
Yankees post outlines some of the problems we have. Put a rep in from the ruling party, Dems in this case, and he has to play by the party rules or he’s toast. Put a rep in from the other team and they’re toast to start with. Party is more important than the good of the State. (That’s why outfits like the Tea Party are born.) As long as Shelly Silver and the NYC Dems control things anything north of the Tappan Zee might as well be Canada. And lets not forget our new, improved Governor will always be a NYC boy first and foremost. As his beloved father said, “Upstate? That’s where they buy their suits off the rack at Sears, right? Ha, ha”. Junior will be a carbon copy of the old man, so forget a Pataki like Governor.
I noticed the difference in Facebook numbers some time ago and wondered if that was a kind of leading indicator about how the election was likely to turn out.
I strongly supported Darrel’s re-election because he was a highly productive legislator who got things done. His support of the legislation establishing the North Country Power Authority was crucial, and I don’t think people yet realize how transformative the new NCPA will be for the North Country. Most of the senate district lies outside of the NCPA service area, however, so this accomplishment would not have meant much to most of the voters in the 48th.
Time will tell. I agree with those who feel she’s in over her head, has little experience, and, as far as i could tell, little in the way of a plan to accomplish anything.
i don’t believe she will.
Its amazing how districts are drawn. Darrel was not on my ballet either and I would have voted for him.
Trust me if Patty Ritchie is smart she will be looking to get advice from Joe Griffo, from Rome. If she becomes a senator like Griffo we all win.
“Trust me if Patty Ritchie is smart she will be looking to get advice from Joe Griffo, from Rome. If she becomes a senator like Griffo we all win.”
Let’s hope not. It’s unfortunate that Griffo didn’t lose.
please explain facts on Mr. Griffo,,,,,,
Maybe people were turned off by the constant bombardment of calls from out-of-state call centers.
Patty came to my house and shook my hand. Duh-rell was no where to be found.
Pattie could not have come up with the social media plan. She is technologically clueless. I have worked with her on tech projects. She can barely open an email.
Aubertine is a joke…he makes it seem like he saved OCF with a single hand…He did nothing…Mayor Nelson, Addie Russell and the OCF Taskforce did all the work…I’m sure Aubertine busted a nut walking a piece of paper over to the governor….He lost….and FYI DBW it is Mrs. Ritchie, not Ms. as you put…Alot of voters were angry with the performance in Albany…I know i was put off by the Senate in albany with their BS and a failure to do their job….Kind of funny that Aubertine says he did everything that he could, but during the time the issues in albany were going on, i saw him over a dozen times either in watertown or the cape….Why vote someone in again when they didnt do the job the first time around…Just like everyone else, Aubertine is wanting the money for screwing the hard working people…
What’s Aburtine waiting for to concede? The Minnesota vote counters to get her and fix the election for him?
She won because she ran a much better campaign, and because people are tired of the same old dysfunctional politcs in Albany. Mr. Aubertine got too comfortable there with his newly found friends from N.Y.C.. His voting record shows that quite well! Patty cares about the people of this district, but I’m a firm believer in term limits as well. With some of the REAL change not just here in N.Y. but in the country as well, maybe we the people can start to rest a little easier, but I’m willing to bet it won’t last long, because these elections are more like a bandaid than anything. The bleeding just slowed down a little, because the alot of real problems still exist. Hopefully the people continue awaken, and continue to let these politicians know who it is that they work for, and that it’s not the other way around.
nyyankee88,
Griffo is a career politician who voted to make Espada majority leader. Need I say more?
Darrell lost for a couple of reasons.
His last campaign ads were over the top lies. They were blatant, especially his last one. Secondly his vote against same sex marriage came back to bite him.
I do agree that Addie Russell does not respond to constituents’ inquiries. Time and again I asked her office about NYSCA funding in the 2010 budget and time and again I received no answers.
Thank you Mr Liotta, I thought it was just me.
I have a hard time believing that Ritchie “ran a better campaign” when she skipped all three debates. What better way to get your platform out to the voters than by attending a debate?!? well I guess the negative campaign ads must have worked well. I’ve never been so happy to see Billy Fucillo and Viagra ads back on tv.
I don’t expect much from her. but I’m getting used to that in politics.