Tedisco concedes to Murphy

Republican state Assemblyman Jim Tedisco conceded the New York special election this afternoon to Democratic businessman Scott Murphy, giving the Democrats a key off-year victory in a race that both parties aggressively contested.

Tedisco called to congratulate Murphy on his victory earlier this afternoon, according to a Democratic official familiar with the call.

“Earlier today, I called and congratulated Scott Murphy on a hard-fought contest and wished him well as the next Congressman of the 20th Congressional district," Tedisco said in a statement.

“This was a close campaign every step of the way. Ultimately, it became clear that the numbers were not going our way and that the time had come to step aside and ensure that the next Congressman be seated as quickly as possible."

The resolution of the race took several weeks to complete, as election officials spent weeks tallying absentee ballots from across the district. Murphy won the majority of the absentee ballots and, as the count wrapped up, it became apparent that Tedisco had no chance of overcoming his narrow deficit.

As of Friday afternoon, Murphy led Tedisco by 399 votes in the state Board of Elections' unofficial count.

In a statement, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Chris Van Hollen called Murphy’s victory a referendum on President Obama’s economic policies.

“Congratulations to Congressman-elect Scott Murphy on his remarkable, come-from-behind victory. In this election, voters responded to Scott Murphy’s record as a successful businessman who helped to create more than 1,000 jobs and his strong support for President Obama’s economic recovery package,” Van Hollen said in a statement.

National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Pete Sessions (R-Tex.) argued that the closeness of the race in a Democratic-held seat – it previously was represented by newly-appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) – is an encouraging sign for the GOP.

“Since Election Day, we continue to hear the growing chorus of frustrated and concerned citizens who demand more from their government than profligate spending and mountains of debt that will be paid for in higher taxes by our children and grandchildren,” Sessions said in a statement.

“Although Jim was unsuccessful in his hope to change Washington, he has shed light on our Party’s efforts to win back the majority in the House.”

But in a sign that the GOP still faces obstacles to gain a significant number of seats in 2010, Sessions also acknowledged the party has its “work cut out…when it comes to winning in Democratic-held districts.”

President Obama narrowly carried the district with 51 percent of the vote last year, but the GOP holds a 70,000 voter registration advantage -- the largest GOP margin in all of New York.