Republican Bob Turner Wins New York Special Election
Bob Turner, a conservative Republican, has won the house seat of former Democrat Anthony Weiner in a special election held in New York on Tuesday.
Turner will replace former Democrat representative Weiner who had to leave office after a sex scandal involving him sending explicit photos to women emerged in May.
Turner beat his Democrat opponent, David Weprin, by a 54 to 46 percent ratio, according to unofficial results. Weprin, an orthodox Jew, has previously voted in favor of same-sex nuptials in the New York Assembly, which angered some supporters. The ninth congressional district, which covers parts of Brooklyn and Queens, is one of the strongest Jewish districts in the nation, according to CNN.
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To add insult to injury for the New York Democrats, the district is also traditionally heavily Democratic, with registered Democrats outnumbering registered Republicans by an almost three to one ratio.
"We've asked the people of this district to send a message to Washington, and I hope they hear it loud and clear," Turner declared during his election party in Queens on Tuesday.
After his victory, Turner was reported standing on a stage with Israeli and American flags behind him. He was also immediately backed by a Jewish GOP institution, the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC).
"We congratulate Bob Turner on his historic victory," said RJC's executive director, Matt Brooks.
He added that this Republican win in this overwhelmingly Democratic district is a clear sign that President Obama faces a problem with the Jewish community.
"While party leaders scramble to deny and try to stem the erosion of Jewish support for Democrats, the real issue is this: President's policies on Israel, on jobs, and on the economy," said Brooks. "Bob Turner's win tonight has huge implications for 2012 races in states with large Jewish communities, such as Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania."
Turner was also supported by a women's group called Independent Women's Voice (IWV), who placed 87,000 phone calls to voters throughout the ninth district, urging them to vote Republican. Turner's victory means that the previously Democrat and independent voters are leaning towards conservative GOP voices, the group said.
"The victory in New York demonstrates that Americans of all political affiliations increasingly recognize that the big government policies advanced by this Administration and Democrats in Congress are damaging the economy and weakening our country," said IWV's CEO Heather R. Higgins. "Rep. Turner will join the ranks of those committed to ending government's assault on private business, repealing ObamaCare, and cutting the wasteful spending that is burying our country in debt. He'll represent New York well, and we're pleased to have been able to play a part in his victory."
