Republican Inches Ahead In New York House Race
On Election Day, Murphy led Tedisco by 65 votes. There are still 6,000 absentee ballots left to count.
Meanwhile, in what has been described as both a show of self-assurance and an effort to stave off a vote of "no-confidence" as the New York State Assembly's minority leader, Tedisco today resigned from his leadership post in the assembly.
He said he was stepping down to raise money for what he believes will be a protracted legal fight over the outcome of the election, The Albany Times-Union reports.
"As the State Board of Elections prepares to count the thousands of absentee and military votes cast in the special election for the 20th District, I am fully confident that the final tally will be in our campaign's favor," Tedisco said in a statement announcing his resignation. "That process will take a few weeks and I want our Conference's important agenda to keep moving forward."
Tedisco's absence from caucus meetings and time spent on the campaign trail annoyed Republicans, who wanted more proactive leadership during a fight over Governor David Patterson's budget. This led to murmurs that members of his party were moving to strip him of his post sometime next week, The Times-Union reports.
But in his statement today, Tedisco made no mention of any budding revolt. Instead, he said he believed that when all of the outstanding ballots are counted, he will be certified as the race's winner.
"As I begin my transition to Congress, I have every confidence that this group of dedicated, courageous public servants will continue moving forward, and build upon its many victories. I will never forget all that we achieved together, or ever stop believing in the limitless promise and potential of our Empire State," Tedisco said.