If you see former State Rep. Craig Dally, be sure to call him "Your Honor." He's been elevated to the judicial heavens, and sometimes I can see him, floating by from atop a cloud. He always waves at me."Hi Bernie."
"Hi Craig, I mean, Your Honor." At that point a thunderbolt flies up my ass.
Meanwhile, back on earth, ordinary mortals were confused about filling his seat. They decided on two, completely different, elections for the same seat. At the same time.
First, there's the special election. What makes it special is that voters elect someone only to serve out Craig's unexpired term. That only lasts until the end of the year. Party bosses, instead of the unwashed masses, get to pick the candidates for the special.
Second, there's a completely separate election for the next two year term. We still get a say in that one. There's a primary and general election and independents can get on the ballot and everything.
Still with me?
In the special race for Craig's seat, Dem party bosses picked Cory Miller, an unknown college student as their sacrificial lamb in a Republican district. The GOP elite liked Marcia Hahn, a seasoned state house staffer who worked both for Craig Dally and Len Gruppo. Naturally, she trounced hapless Miller with 76.2% in the special.
But that's only 'till the end of the year. What about the election for the two year term beginning in January? Hahn easily defeated Nick Sabatine (2768 - 1094) in the Republican primary. Her margin of victory is something of a surprise to me for two reasons: (1) GOP rank-and-file were upset at how she was selected as the Republican choice for the special election, against the wishes of a majority of the committee people in her district; and (2) she was a no-show at a candidates' night with Nick Sabatine.
OK, so Marcia has won the Republican side of the ticket, but what about the Democrats? Believe it or not, Democrat Cory Miller failed to garner enough valid signatures to get on the Democratic ballot. But Democrats did cast 662 write-in votes, so I figured he just got on the ballot that way.
I figured wrong. They're doing the official count over at the elections office. I've been informed confidentially that, with two or three precincts to go, the official count shows that Hahn has already captured over 400 Democratic write-ins.
She has apparently already won both elections. Isn't that special?
