Still No Winner In NY Senate Election

We still have no declared winner in last week's special election to replace Rikers-bound New York Senator Carl Kruger. As you may recall, NOM invested heavily in the campaign, hoping to claim as their own a victory by marriage opponent David Storobin (above right). NOM's ads declared that it was against Torah law to vote for a Jewish candidate (Lew Fidler) who supports marriage equality.

As it stands today, the entire vote is headed for a hand recount. And as each side has challenged the validity of numerous ballots, each side today issued screams of ethnic discrimination.

NYC Councilman Lew Fidler:

During the course of the day, the Storobin legal team, obviously realizing that more voters had chosen Lew Fidler, began registering challenges to voters who were registered Democrats, senior citizens, and had Jewish surnames. Over three-quarters of Mr. Storobin’s challenges were directed against women. Even allowing for the extraordinary number of Storobin challenges made with no legal basis, Lew Fidler is ahead in the count, and we are confident when the court concludes its review of the contested ballots, Lew Fidler will have more votes and win this election.”

Republican David Storobin:

Unfortunately, my opponent’s campaign has unfairly blocked well more than 100 Russian absentee votes from being counted, for no reason other than the fact that they are Russian. This blatant disenfranchisement cannot and will not stand. We had a solid lead until my opponent unfairly blocked ethnic votes, and I believe that once every valid vote has been counted we will win this election. I have faith that the legal process will work as it should to ensure that the votes that should be counted will be counted, and that in the end I will be the next State Senator from Brooklyn.”