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Tops in New York

Democrats rule in the Empire State

By Brianna Suslovic
Scholastic Kids Press Corps

Senator Hillary Clinton with former U.S. President Bill Clinton during election night celebrations, November 8, 2006. (Photo: Van Tine Dennis/Gamma/NewsCom)

November 8, 2006

As the results poured in, Democrats in New York State had plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Attorney General Eliot Spitzer came through for the Democrats by winning the race for Governor of New York State. A popular candidate going into the election, Spitzer took the race with 69 percent of the vote. The Eliot Spitzer-David Paterson (for Lieutenant Governor) ticket claimed that these candidates will help New York's sagging economy.

Spitzer's win returns the governorship to the Democratic Party. Republican incumbent George Pataki stepped down after three four-year terms. He is rumored to be planning a run for President in 2008.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate, John Faso, was not as well-known among voters. Many analysts believed that his chances of winning the race were slim.

Senate

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, won re-election. Clinton was able to keep her job after a strong finish (she won 67 percent of the vote) against Republican challenger John Spencer.

As a Democratic incumbent in the Senate, the former First Lady is well-known not only in New York, but nationwide. Clinton is expected to be a candidate for U.S. President in 2008.

U.S. House of Representatives

The 25th Congressional District in New York was the site of one of the state's key races. It is in upstate New York (in the Syracuse area), and the race was extremely close. The Republican incumbent, James "Jim" T. Walsh faced a strong challenge from Democrat Dan Maffei.

In the end, though, the night ended with a victory for Walsh, as the incumbent won with a reported 51 percent of the vote. Walsh has served in the House of Representatives since 1988.

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Democrats Win Big in New York

By Jennifer Shapp
Scholastic Kids Press Corps

Election night was a big night in New York for the Democrats.

Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, beat Republican John Faso for governor of New York with an estimated 69 percent of the vote. As Spitzer's running mate, David A. Paterson, became the Lieutenant Governor and Andrew Cuomo, Democrat, won the attorney general seat vacated by Eliot Spitzer with about 58 percent of the vote.

In the U.S. Senate, Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democrat incumbent, easily won re-election, with an estimated 67 percent of the vote. Her challenger was Republican John Spencer.

But for New Yorkers, one of the most interesting and closely watched races was for state comptroller. Alan Hevesi, the Democratic incumbent, was running against Republican J. Christopher Callahan. Hevesi won by a reported 57 percent of the vote.