Politics Watch — November 2, 2010
Dust cloud fills The Blue Note as Excitement Builds
Supporters of Stephen Webber experienced a brief state of confusion, if not panic, as a cloud of what appeared to be smoke filled The Blue Note. Shortly after, a message over the intercom announced that there was not a fire, and the cloud formed from dust as when staff turned on the heater.
"its an exciting moment and theres a lot of stir about the election. It's amazing here in Columbia, in the heart of Missouri, all of this interest, especially in regulating puppy mills," said Daria Carriage, supporter of Webber and Proposition B.
One bystander was particularly interested in Democrat Wes Shoemyer's outcome in the race for the Missouri State Senate. The crowd is very vocal when showing their support, cheering loudly as Democrats win and occasionally booing Republican winners.
MU political groups make election day plans
As part of their Election Day activities, the MU College Democrats and Republicans have planned evenings to watch the polls.
The College Democrats plan to table in Speakers Circle from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to guide people to vote at the Gaines-Oldham Black Culture Center, according to a Facebook message from the group.
They will then attend a Democratic watch party at the Blue Note at 7 p.m. and proceed to state Rep. Chris Kelly’s campaign watch party at 7:30 p.m. at Billiards on Broadway.
The College Republicans will be attending Blaine Luetkemeyer’s victory party at 8:15 p.m. and then travel over to the Heidelberg for a group celebration, according to a Facebook message from the group.
Webber in the Lead
With 50 percent of districts accounted for Stephen Webber, Democrat Incumbent, leads the Missouri State Senate race with 68 percent of votes.
Stephen Webber watch party attendees commented on the most recent update on Prop B, which is currently at a 50/50 percent split from those in favor and against the proposition.
"I am a passionate supporter of Prop B, and I am excited because the numbers just significantly changed on that, it's been very far behind all evening and now it's suddenly much closer, I'm assuming because, and I'm just guessing, the Kansas City and St. Louis numbers have come in and I am very concerned if it doesn't pass because it seemed that its opponents were spreading a great deal of disinformation that simply wasn't factual and caused people to be very confused about what it was about, which is simply protecting animals, " said Cathy Rosenholtz, MU grad student in political communication.
Other attendees commented on the results as the night continued.
"I'm surprised it was so lopsided, I expected a lot of races to be closer and there were a couple of surprise upsets. I'm glad the Parks tax passed, that's extremely important , and the smoking ban, those were interesting results," accountant Frederick Schmidt said.
Christainson announces defeat at Webber watch party
Scott Christianson, Democrat candidate for Presiding Commissioner in Boone County, announced his defeat at a watch party for Stephen Webber.
"i really want to express my gratitude and thanks," Christianson said. "There have been several times during this race that I had the opportunity to think about our political system, good and bad, and it's pretty amazing that an average person can go down and sign their name on a piece of paper and declare themselves a candidate and stand before their peers, millions of people around the world do not have that opportunity."
Webber, Missouri State Representative, is still in the lead with 68 percent of the vote.
Blunt leads US Senate race with 63% of vote
With 18 precincts reporting, U.S. House of Representatives Republican Candidate Roy Blunt is leading Democrat Robin Carnahan. Blunt has received 63.2% of the vote, Carnahan 30.7%.
Blunt will be watching results at the Republican watch party in Springfield, and Carnahan will make an appearance at a watch party in Kansas City.
Republicans take 14 of 21 decided Senate races
With 21 U.S. Senate races decided at this point, MSNBC is reporting Republicans have won 14 seats and Democrats have won seven. 16 races, including the one in Missouri between Republican Roy Blunt and Democrat Robin Carnahan, have yet to be decided.
Republicans have won 89 U.S. House of Representative seats and Democrats have won 46, with 300 races still being counted, according to MSNBC.
58 percent vote "No" on Prop B with 9% of precincts reporting
With 8.9 percent of precincts reported complete, 42 percent have voted "Yes" on Missouri's Proposition B, with 58 percent voting "No."
Proposition B would affect large-scale dog breeders statewide by placing a breeding dog limit of 50 dogs on breeders, as well as creating the misdemeanor "puppy mill cruelty" for violators of the law.
Kelly arrives at election watch party
Missouri State House of Representatives candidate and incumbent Chris Kelly, a Democrat, arrived minutes ago at his campaign's watch party located at Billiards on Broadway. Kelly is running for reelection as 24th district representative against Fifth Ward Councilwoman Laura Nauser, a Republican.
Upon entering the room, Kelly immediately started greeting his supporters who are all in high spirits about the campaign and Kelly's efforts to get reelected.
"I think it's been a great campaign and he has done a great job of showing that he is a valuable member of the House," supporter Jonathan Sessions said. "That goes to show that we need to get him back in (the House)."
'No' vote on Prop 2 leads with 75%
With 1,652 votes in, 75 percent have voted "No" on Columbia Proposition 2, the ballot measure that would make it illegal for individuals, including police officers, to threaten to use a Taser, stun gun or other conducted electrical device against another person within the city.
64 percent have voted "Yes" on Columbia Proposition 1, with 1,660 votes in. Proposition 1 would renew a one-eighth of one percent sales tax to raise money for upkeep and projects in Columbia parks. The tax was first passed in 2005.
Click here to view election results at the Boone County Clerk's website.
Luetkemeyer Confident About Election Results
Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer is celebrating election outcomes at the Courtyard Marriot, surrounded by his family, friends, and campaign members. Luetkemeyer, who is favored to beat Libertarian candidate Chris Dwyer, announced to the members of the viewing party that change was coming.
"The winds of change are blowing", Luetkemeyer said.
Luetkemeyer also stated that the election served as a critical turning point in marking a shift of Congressional power from Democrats to Republicans.
"Tonight we pushed Liberalism back and took the first steps to taking our country back," Luetkemeyer said.
Luetkemeyer ended his first speech by declaring his pride of America.
Blunt holds 61% of US Senate vote with 20% of precincts reporting
With 20.8 percent of precincts reporting, Republican Roy Blunt currently leads the polls in the race for U.S. Senate with 61.8 percent of votes over Democrat Robin Carnahan's 32.6 percent.
Boone County reports 48.2 percent for Blunt and 47.5 percent for Carnahan. Kansas City and St. Louis County are not yet reporting.
Click here to view the results as they progress at the secretary of state's website.
Webber arrives at watch party
Stephen Webber, Democrat incumbent, supporters and campaign workers anticipate the election results at The Blue Note downtown. The venue is crowded as Webber awaits the results for the race against Republican Paul Szopa.
AP calls US Senate race for Blunt
The Associated Press has called the U.S. Senate election in favor of Roy Blunt. The AP reports Republican candidate Roy Blunt has defeated Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan in the race.
The election is being called after 29.9 percent of precincts are reported.
According to the secretary of state's website, Blunt has received 63 percent of votes so far while Carnahan received 31.1 percent.
Prop B vote too close to call; "No" vote leads for Prop 2
A "Yes" vote on Proposition B, the ballot measure that would bar dog breeders from housing more than 50 dogs at a single kennel, is leading by a slim margin with 15 percent of precincts reporting. The "Yes" option has 52 percent of the vote as the "No" is taking 47 percent.
With 22 percent of precincts reporting, a "No" vote on Proposition 2, the ballot measure that makes Taser use a misdemeanor in Columbia, is leading with 74 percent.
Click here to view election results at the Boone County Clerk's website.
Students cite Prop B, Senate Race as reasons for votes
According to students who were interviewed after voting on Tuesday, the most important issues on the ballot were Proposition B regarding puppy mills, the mid-term elections for Senators and Propositions regarding taxes.
“I feel empowered to vote,” Kat Seal said. “It’s important for college kids to vote because we are the constituents of Columbia, so if we want our voices heard, if we want to be radical and make a difference, we need to show the representatives that we are voting and that we do care.”
Six of the eight students polled cited puppy mills as one of the most important issues on Tuesday’s ballot.
“I agree that there should be more focus on those that are breeding dogs, and there should be more restrictions on them.” Shajuanda Campbell said.
Jennifer Hawkins shared Campbell’s sentiment.
“The only one that pretty much caught my attention was the one about the animals, I feel like it’s really important that animals get adequate food, water and shelter,” Hawkins said.
Not all students believed Proposition B was the right choice for their vote. Ashleigh Voellinger said she didn’t vote for Proposition B because she heard that it was going to be used as a stepping stone to regulate other agricultural issues. As a participant in the rodeo, Voellinger said she was worried how Proposition B would affect rodeo down the road.
Steven Young said the Senate race, Proposition B and municipal tax amendments were all important aspects of why he voted.
“I voted against Prop B because I don’t think we need more government regulating all the aspects of business, and I voted against the municipal tax increase because I don’t think right now is the time to be raising taxes on anyone,” Young said.
Travis McCartney, a political science major, said balancing out Congress and securing enough money for the government through taxes were two of the reasons he voted Tuesday.
“We’re not going to get our country out of debt if we keep cutting taxes,” McCartney said. “If the government has no money, then essentially we have no money either.”
In the Senate, Democrat Robin Carnahan, Republican Roy Blunt, Libertarian Jonathon Dine and Constitutionalist Jerry Beck squared off.
“Obviously the Senate race was probably most important,” Young said. “I really loathe and despise both major candidates for Senate, I voted Libertarian.”
McCartney said that he voted for Carnahan because of the things she has done well as Secretary of State. Overall, students polled seemed enthusiastic about casting their vote on Election Day.
Post-Dispatch and KC Star declare Blunt winner of US Senate race
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Kansas City Star report Republican candidate Roy Blunt the victor in the race for U.S. Senate. Blunt has defeated Democratic candidate and current Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan in the election. The Associated Press called the election for Blunt around 9:10 p.m. Tuesday.
According to the Secretary of State's website, 41.5 percent of precincts have reported their results.
St. Louis County has reported in favor of Blunt. Boone County has reported in favor of Carnahan. St. Louis City and Kansas City have yet to report their results.
For more up-to-date information on election totals, visit The Maneater's election page.
Kelly leads Nauser by 15 points, MU students show support
With 12 percent of precincts reporting in, Kelly leads Nauser 57 percent to 42 percent. Despite a calming down of the watch party, Kelly and his supporters remain happy and confident about the campaign.
Stephen Webber, the democratic 23 district state representative candidate, stopped by Kelly's watch party to show his support along with some MU students who attended Webber's watch party a few blocks away.
"There are a number of reasons that I support Kelly, one of which is that he fought for Mizzou to prevent budget cuts and he is not overly partisan or ideological, which makes him a valuable member to have (in the House)," student and supporter Greg Young said.
Luetkemeyer Wins Election
Republican incumbent Blaine Luetkemeyer has successfully won his 2nd term as U.S. House Representative from the 9th District of Missouri. Luetkemeyer beat libertarian candidate Chris Dwyer, and considers the election a return to what the people want.
"We're excited because not only have we won tonight but a lot of the races we were working on here in the district have won," Luetkemeyer said. "A lot of the races around the country are going our way. It looks like we’re going to be in the majority so its been a good night."
Luetkemeyer stated that the country can now take a right turn, and become governed by basic Republican principles.
"We have to go back to governing the way we should, which is by the Constitution and the good, sound, Conservative, fiscal principles of budgeting," Luetkemeyer said. "We’re excited about going back to D.C. and start straightening out this mess."
Boone County is lone county trending toward Carnahan for US Senate
After numerous news outlets have called Missouri's U.S. Senate race for Republican Roy Blunt in the last hour, Boone County remains the only Missouri county trending in favor of Democrat Robin Carnahan. The trailing candidate and Missouri secretary of state has a slim 47.7 to 47.2 percent lead in Boone County but is trailing to Blunt by a 62 to 32 percent margin with just more than half of the state's precincts reporting.
Luetkemeyer declared winner in US Representative race by Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Republican U.S. House candidate Blaine Luetkemeyer has been re-elected to his position as Representative for the 9th District of Missouri. Luetkemeyer, the incumbent, has defeated Libertarian candidate Christopher Dwyer in the race with 78.8 percent of votes.
This result comes with 78.4 percent of precincts reporting. All but two counties have reported. All reports are in favor of Luetkemeyer.
For more up-to-date information on the election, visit The Maneater's election page.
'Yes,' 'No' votes for Prop B separated by less than 1-percent margin
With 83 percent of precincts reporting, the vote on Proposition B, the ballot measure that would bar dog breeders from housing more than 50 dogs at a single kennel, has a "Yes" vote of 50.2 percent and a "No" vote of 49.8 percent. In Boone County, 52.2 percent have voted "No" on the proposition.
Robin Carnahan concedes in US Senate race
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Robin Carnahan has just conceded in the race against Republican candidate Roy Blunt.
The election was called in Blunt's favor earlier this evening by the Associated Press and then subsequently by the Kansas City Star and St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
83 percent of precincts are reported complete in the race. Blunt currently leads the race with 56 percent of the votes to Carnahan's 38.6 percent.
For more up-to-date information on the election, visit The Maneater's election page.
Kelly claims victory in 24th district house race
Democratic candidate Chris Kelly announced to supporters he has won the race against Republican Laura Nauser for a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives.
"In office, I'm going to try and continue to work across the aisle," Kelly said to a crowd of supporters. "My check doesn't say 'Democrat,' it says 'Missouri.' It's my job to find 82 votes for things that are good for the university and good for Boone County."
With 82 percent of precincts reporting, Kelly leads the race with 56.1 percent of the vote, according to the secretary of state's website. Kelly would be the new state representative for Missouri District 24.
Nauser has yet to concede the race as of 11:15 p.m.
For more up-to-date election results, visit The Maneater's election page.
Prop B vote split 50-50; Prop 2 Taser ban voted down
As of 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, the vast majority of precincts have reported for city and state propositions. Here's a breakdown of the vote totals.
Proposition B: This ballot measure would bar dog breeders from housing more than 50 breeding dogs at a single kennel. Yes: 50% No: 50% 91% of precincts have reported
Proposition 1: The renewal of a 1/8 of 1 cent park sales tax for Columbia. Yes: 64% No: 35% 34 of 34 precincts have reported.
Proposition 2: This ballot measure would make Taser use a misdemeanor in Columbia. Yes: 22% No: 77% 67 of 67 precincts have reported.
Major Missouri races come to a close
As the polls draw to a close, many major races have been determined. A majority of precincts have been reported. Here are the election results as of 11:35 p.m.
U.S. Senate Race: Roy Blunt (Republican) - 56%, Robin Carnahan (Democrat) - 38.7%, Jonathan Dine (Libertarian) - 3.1%
U.S. Representative - District 9: Blaine Luetkemeyer (Republican) - 77.7%, Christopher Dwyer (Libertarian) - 22.2%
State Representative - District 21: John Cauthorn (Republican) - 60%, Kelly Shultz (Democrat) - 40%
State Representative - District 23: Stephen Webber (Democrat) - 67.9%, Paul Szopa (Republican) - 32.1%
State Representative - District 24: Chris Kelly (Democrat) - 55.9%, Laura Nauser (Republican) - 44.1%
State Representative - District 25: Mary Still (Democrat) - 100%
For final results, visit The Maneater's election page.