Heh.

So Joe Bruno resigns, causing a flurry of well-manicured despair among his upstate colleagues. Predictably, there was a minor flood of commentary about a power shift to downstate. Some of Bruno's elderly caucus-mates raised the subject in the perennial bash-that-part-of-the-state-you're-not-in efforts that they seem to need like a junkie needs crack.

Well, so much for that. Here's Skelos' first big push of the election season - against Craig Johnson, on Long Island.

So much for keeping the interests of upstate foremost on the electoral agenda.

From Craig Johnson's web site:

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Thank you so much for all of your help. This was a tremendous victory for the residents of the 7th Senate District, Nassau County and all of New York State.

This seems like the right place for Liz and I to offer special thanks to the bloggers and the netroots community who energized this race from near and far. I don’t want to leave anyone out, but let me mention The Albany Project, The WFP Blog, Daily Gotham, Nassau GOP Watch and, of course, Daily Kos, which hosted our blograiser.

Together, we’re going to move New York forward.

Best wishes,

Craig M. Johnson

With Craig Johnson’s victory, speculation will heat up over Democrats’ apparent plans to try to persuade a pair of Republican Senators to flip across the aisle. The two most commonly mentioned candidates are Joseph Robach of Rochester and John Bonacic of Orange Country.

Robach is a former Assembly Democrat, who, as Rochester Turning has described, was lured into the Republican camp at least in part by Joe Bruno’s promises of member-item money. He knocked out Democratic Senate incumbent Richard Dollinger, in a challenge he claimed was motivated by a dispute with Shelly Silver over redistricting in his Assembly District. But the prospect of $5 million a year in discretionary funds probably didn’t hurt either.

Bonacic, of course, was a very lonely Republican voice calling for Joe Bruno to step down as majority leader, considering all those FBI investigations and so on. Credit where due: Bonacic went out on a limb, and now there’s no guarantee that Bruno won’t try to saw it off.

So let the debate begin. Let’s be clear: we want the Senate. We’re not pie-in-the-sky idealists in the NY netroots; we know how important it is for the well-being of New Yorkers to have a Democratic Senate at last, and we know how tough it is to take out incumbents. We’ve been there.

There was a political earthquake last night. The election of Craig Johnson to a seat that hasn't been occupied by a Democrat in a century puts the future of the state Senate into play, and strengthens the mandate of Eliot Spitzer for a full-throttle reform push.

That raises several questions.

First, will Shelly Silver insist on ignoring the procedure he agreed to and choose a Member of the Assembly for the post of Comptroller?

Second, if he does so, what will governor Steamroller do?

Third, if Democrats now manage to flip the Senate, will the new leader, Malcolm Smith, continue to embrace reform, including the full implementation of the Brennan Center reforms? Or will it be business as usual under new management?

Stay tuned. This fight isn't over quite as yet.

Yup, I was there, having spent much of last Saturday and election day canvassing, knocking on doors to get out the vote.

The night began slowly, with O'Connell taking the early lead. Fairly soon, however, Johnson began to build a lead that got as high as 4,000 votes. Suddenly, almost out of nowhere (shades of Florida 2000?), O'Connell not only erased that, but with 87% of the precincts reporting, grabbed her own lead of 800 votes.

No Florida here, however, as Port Washington and Great Neck came through. They were the last to report, and the victory was assured. And the party really began!

Sure, the speeches were made at the front of the room. And sure, everybody clapped and cheered. And sure Craig (make that "Senator" Craig) Johnson got the loudest cheers -- with the possible exception of his wife, who is truly amazing.

But the real action wasn't on the stage, bedecked with Nassau County Democratic bigwigs, Democratic state Senators, and Lt. Governor David Paterson. The real action was in the back of the room.

Volunteers were congratulating each other, not fully realizing what victory really meant, only knowing that it felt really good.

Campaign staffers, far too short on sleep, vacillated between overcome and overjoyed, and back again, as if they needed someone to tell them where to go next -- the new habit of campaigning having quickly become an addiction.

...and the steamroller wins.

Craig Johnson 26,452
Maureen O'Connell 22,929

Goodbye, Joe Bruno. Goodbye, Wingnut Maureen. Goodbye, republican party.

It's over.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-livote0207

STATE SENATOR-7TH SD-UNEXPIRED TERM
264 EDS COUNTED 264 EDS IN RACE
CANDIDATE NAME PARTY RESULTS CANDIDATE TOTAL

CRAIG M JOHNSON D 24,915
CRAIG M JOHNSON W 1,537 26,452
MAUREEN C O'CONNELL R 18,988
MAUREEN C O'CONNELL I 1,689
MAUREEN C O'CONNELL C 2,252 22,929

Image totally ganked from
my blogsister, Maryscott.

I just called into HQ to see if any numbers have come in. Early results suggest Maureen O'Connell has won her district.

We'll see how she fares elsewhere.

Use this post to scream with impatience. I'm listening.

Alrighty, this is it. We'll be posting results as they come online. Meanwhile...

...Log Cabin republicans, poor befuddled creatures that they are, cry foul over Maureen's vicious anti-gay literature; they had previously given her $8,000 and volunteered for her. Suckers. (NY Blade)

...A phone call I just placed to Lipris reveals hectic activity in Great Neck. I also hear Port Washington is surpassing expectations.

...Keeler and Pollak are out in the field.

[Update1]: When results come, they'll be posted here.

[Update2]: Just posted a diary on DKos about those illegal republican shenanigans.

[Update3]: It's 8 PM, the polls close in an hour.

[Update4]: Kickass; top of the Rec list on DKos. Polls close in fifteen minutes, and I'm now hearing that Great Neck looks "very good".

[Update5]: 9:04 PM EST, polls have been closed for four minutes. Results will begin trickling in in about fifteen minutes or so.