Judge rules Republican Claudia Tenney won last open US House race
FILE – In this June 10, 2015 file photo, assemblywoman Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford, speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, in Albany, N.Y. A New York judge ruled Friday that Republican Claudia Tenney defeated US Rep. Anthony Brindisi by 109 votes in last open race. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)
ovp test
Male shot by female at Shreveport apartment
Class to create biodiverse backyard
Rules for outbursts at Caddo School Board Meeting
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A New York judge ruled Friday that Republican Claudia Tenney defeated U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi by 109 votes in the nation’s last undecided congressional race.
The ruling by Judge Scott DelConte could clear the way for Tenney to be sworn in as the representative for central New York’s 22nd Congressional District, barring emergency intervention by a state appeals court.
She previously was the district’s representative for one term, until she was defeated by Brindisi, a Democrat, in 2018.
DelConte’s ruling came after he spent three months reviewing ballot challenges and trying to fix a myriad of problems with vote tabulation. He rejected an argument by Brindisi’s lawyers that certification of the election results be delayed until an appeals court had a chance to review the case.
Latest News
- Thune lays out plan for separate border and tax reconciliation bills
- AUTO TEST: NNN Synopsis Text
- AUTO TEST: Synopsis post
- AUTO TEST: NNN Synopsis
- AUTO TEST: Disable Ads post
DelConte’s order directed New York to certify results immediately.
The judge said even if the results end up changing after any litigation, New York could simply amend its certification. He issued his ruling hours after a last public hearing, in which he told Brindisi’s lawyers that he was disinclined to delay the results any further.
“I’ve been asked to stop this election … and that’s a very very high burden,” he said.
Tenney has maintained a small lead even as months of litigation revealed problems with ballots that either weren’t counted properly or were improperly rejected. Tallies have shifted as county election officials counted a flood of absentee ballots and courts weighed in on which challenged ballots could be counted.
Brindisi had argued that once the election gets certified and Tenney is sworn in, only Congress has the power to remove her, not the courts.
