This from a press conference that was held in Katonah, New York this afternoon:
Take19 Calls on Kelly to Accept Result of Tuesday's Election
Over a hundred residents of the 19th Congressional District held a press conference this afternoon calling on Sue Kelly to accept the results of Tuesday's election. While national news outlets such as the Associated Press, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and CNN have called the race for John Hall, Kelly has yet to concede. Voters from throughout the Hudson Valley assembled to call on the Congresswoman to accept defeat with grace, and concede the election to John Hall.
More over the flip...
With 100% of the vote counted, John Hall is up by 3700 votes in the unofficial tally. There are 7100 paper absentee ballots to be counted of which 2300 are from majority Democratic Westchester. John Hall only needs 1900 of the 7100.
"John Hall has won this election and the only person unsure of the result is Sue Kelly," said Mike Morey, spokesman for Take19, the grassroots group committed to uncovering the real Sue Kelly. "While no election is final until the Board of Elections certifies the results, and we strongly support the counting of every vote, the time has come for the Congresswoman to graciously offer her congratulations to Mr. Hall and concede the election. The residents of this district deserve nothing less."
While candidates across the country have conceded defeat in races that were much closer, the Congresswoman has refused, even though, by doing so, she would not be giving up her right to have every vote counted.
The Congresswoman's campaign hired attorney John Ciampoli, who, as attorney for the Westchester County Republicans, filed a last-minute challenge to the registrations of thousands of voters before Tuesday's hotly contested race for the 35th Senate District between State Senator Nick Spano and County Legislator Andrea Stewart-Cousins. He filed close to 6,000 pre-election challenges to voters in that race. Ciampoli is also the same attorney who represented Nick Spano in the 2004 recount of the 35th State Senate District race.
Speaking at the press conference were Doni Belau, a Bedord mother of two, Zara Jackson, a senior from Somers, Anthony Merante, a veteran from Phillipstown, and Michelle Leder-Cooper, a small business owner from Peekskill.
"We are increasingly concerned by the Congresswoman's decision to "lawyer-up" and her apparent inclination to prolong the process when her chance to successfully reverse the result of this election is miniscule," said Morey.
"The election is over and its time for us all to come together," said Doni Belau, a mother of two from Bedford. "It was a hard fought race, but if the President and the incoming Speaker of the House can come together, than surely we can do so here in the 19th District."
Take19 is a model for how the netroots can affect change in the political system. This organization has done the heavy lifting in terms of educating the district and the media about the REAL Sue Kelly.
There should be a Take19 in every district in this country.
UPDATE: Seems there is a similar situation going on with the Hayworth race in Arizona. See TalkieToaster's Diary Here.