Kathy Hochul (D) won a special election Tuesday to replace former New York Representative Chris Lee (R), who resigned earlier this year. Hochul beat assemblywoman Jane Corwin (R) in a hotly contested race.
Looking toward next November’s election, the magic number for Democrats to take control of the House is reduced from a net gain of 25 to 24. Another unpredictable special election on September 13 will be held to fill the House seat vacated by Senator Dean Heller (R-Nev.) in Nevada’s second district.
While the general election is next year, plenty of action will occur in 2011 as many state legislatures are in the middle of congressional redistricting fights. Only five states - Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri and Oklahoma - have completed the process while others may not be decided until next year or will have courts make the final decisions. Already, it is likely that the courts will decide maps in Colorado, Minnesota and Nevada. Courts in Mississippi have ruled that their 2011 state legislative elections will be held under maps passed last decade. Lawsuits have been filed or have been threatened in a host of states, including Texas, Colorado, South Carolina and Virginia.
For more information, please contact Jim Young at (202) 547-0133 or youngj@agc.org