Carson (D) wins seat in (Indiana) 7th District race

[Newsjock]

Source: Indianapolis Star

Democrat Andre Carson appeared to have won his bid tonight to replace his grandmother in representing the 7th Congressional District.

With 73 percent of precincts counted, Carson was leading by a margin of slightly more than 52 percent compared to Republican Jon Elrod’s 44 percent.

... The winner will represent the 7th Congressional district for the last nine months of this year. In May and November, voters will again head to the polls to determine who will win the seat in 2009.

... Julia Carson, a legend in Indiana politics, died Dec. 15 after a battle with lung cancer. She was the first black and first woman to represent Indianapolis in Congress, and had served more than six terms.

Read more: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080311/LOCAL18/803110367

[saltpoint]

1. I wish this young man all the very best. He has some seriously excellent

shoes to fill.

Here's hoping he does it, and keeps that seat blue for another generation.

I sure miss his grandma.

[eridani]

4. I'll say. I didn't read up on her until she died

One of the best.

[saltpoint]

8. Hi, eridani. Agree with all my heart. She was tops.

[dhill926]

5. Julia was great...

lived in her district for a few years...

[saltpoint]

9. Then you are a fortunate soul. The Pukes tried to knock her off year

after year after election and election and she kicked their sorry butts every time.

One year they even brought in Ralph Reed, that little vomitous lizard, to be campaign manager for her GOP opponent, and she whipped 'em good.

[BearSquirrel2]

12. They have no idea ...

I had an excellent opportunity to become familiar with those working class neighborhoods in Indianapolis. Challenges came from the like of the Star News publishers. They were completely out of touch with district and they kept running people far to the right in line with their national strategy. A Republican friend of mine kept complaining about this. They would not run a moderate and Carson kept creaming them.

[jackson_dem]

2. Good to hear

:party:

[bluestateguy]

3. That's a relief

That race was a little too close for comfort.

[existentialist]

6. update

With 88% of precincts reporting Carson has slightly over 53% of the vote, and Elrod somewhat over 43% that would round up to 44%.

[Lochloosa]

7. Black Man Black District....and your point

:sarcasm:

I can't believe some of the comments on DU today!

Congrats Andre Carson

[David in Canada]

10. He has another hurdle...

Andre Carson is facing a spirited primary challenge in the May primary.

When his deceased grandmother, Julia Carson died, an ad hoc convention was convened for both parties to choose their respective nominees. Carson won this convention with 52% of votes cast. Some of his opponents, such as state Reps. Caroline Mays and David Orentlicher as well as former Health Director Woodrow Myers will be opposing him on the ballot. Elrod, on the other hand, faces only token opposition.

I believe Mr. Carson has outperformed his grandmother's 2004 (and perhaps 2006) results. With his 9-point victory, will his primary opponents withdraw? If he were to fall in the May primary, he will be one of the youngest former members of Congress in living memory.

[David__77]

11. One more superdelegate.

I don't know who he supports though.

In any case, it's interesting that he is a progressive Muslim, and now the second in Congress.

Congratulations!

[Hatalles]

13. Rep. Carson's grandson wins her seat

Source: The Los Angeles Times

INDIANAPOLIS -- The grandson of the late Rep. Julia Carson of Indiana won a special election Tuesday to succeed her, keeping the seat in Democratic hands and becoming the second Muslim ever elected to Congress.

Andre Carson had a 4,000-vote lead over Republican Jon Elrod out of nearly 49,000 votes counted. With 88% of 445 precincts reporting, Carson had about 53% of the vote, compared with about 44% for Elrod.

Carson, 33, will represent a district that covers most of Indianapolis. Julia Carson died in December.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-carson12mar12,1,5744465.story

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Virgil Goode must be pissing his pants right about now. :rofl:

[Robbien]

14. GOPers over at RedState were watching this race closely

and gloating how they were going to steal this seat away from the Dems.

Ha!

Hope Indiana Dems persuade the primary contesters to back off now that Carson is a proven winner.