Another Major Election in March?

After one of the most heated elections in American history most people are ready for a break from campaign politics, and most people will get a break at least until the 2010 mid-term races heat up just later this year. But the people of New York's 20th Congressional District will head to the polls in a little more than a month.

On March 31, 2009 there will be a special election to fill the seat vacated by Kristen Gillinbrand, who was nominated by New York Governor David Patterson to the United States Senate, to fill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's seat. The race is between Republican Jim Tedisco, who is the minority leader of the New York State Assembly and Democratic Businessman Scott Murphy, who has not held political office.

Though this race may not interest those in far away states, this is a very important election for the GOP. This could set the tone for the 2009 Virginia and New Jersey Governor's races as well as the 2010 mid-term and 2012 Presidential election. If the Tedisco wins, GOP donors and potential voters will begin to realize that the chance for a comeback in the coming years is possible. But if he loses the GOP may continue to lose hope.

The voters of this congressional district voted for George Bush in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008. Though the race is expected to tighten leading up to the election, as of February 6 a Real Clear Politics poll has, Tedisco holding a 50%-29% lead.

Tedisco's name recognition, from his time as minority leader in the state assembly could have something to do with this large lead, also the fact that the democrats have just passed an increasingly unpopular $787 Billion stimulus-spending bill could play a role in Tedisco's large lead. Murphy also has been in some hot water recently for failure to pay more than $21,000 in back taxes in 1997 and 1998 for a company called Small World Software, Inc. which Murphy owned. The fact that Murphy has trouble paying his taxes, it seems as though he would be better off in President Obama's Cabinet rather than the U.S. Congress.

On the other hand Tedisco has a record of opposing Governor Patterson's frequent tax increases, including the iTax which was a proposed tax on downloaded music from sites such as iTunes.

Clearly Jim Tedisco is the candidate with the tax payer's and the music lover's best interests at heart.