The special election to fill the 20th Congressional District seat vacated when Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed to the U.S. Senate from New York will be decided today. And despite neck-and-neck poll numbers, one candidate has put clear distance between himself and his opponent through a Senate-worthy campaign - namely, Democrat Scott Murphy.
When this short, closely watched campaign began six weeks ago, most observers gave Republican Jim Tedisco, the minority leader of the state Assembly and a longtime force in state politics, a decided edge over his far lesser known rival. But an energetic campaign by Mr. Murphy, a businessman from Glens Falls, rapidly narrowed the gap, and a recent poll had him slightly ahead in the race.
One reason may be that Mr. Murphy is a moderate Democrat in a time when President Barack Obama is in the White House overseeing massive federal efforts to right the sinking economy. Another is that his calm, confident, personable manner is reminiscent of the president's unflappable resolve and fits the public mood.
The minority leader, in contrast, is a veteran New York politician who often sounds, for better or worse, as if he were being careful to hit his politician points when he speaks. While both are obviously "playing politics" as they campaign, Mr. Murphy has been able to appear above the common fray of this struggle and, in that sense, more senatorial.
He also has come across as someone, who, like the president, is more interested in getting things done for his constituents than in constantly making political points and grinding down the opposition in advance of the next election.
Assemblyman Tedisco, on the other hand, launched into a typical Karl Rovian attack ad campaign, which apparently has prompted many voters to desert him. This has not made him look as though he were ready to serve on a bigger stage in Washington, nor has his confused opposition to the president's stimulus plans, which are an attempt to overcome budgetary and economic mismanagement under his predecessor.
Voters of the 20th Congressional District would be well served by Democrat Scott Murphy and should give him their support in today's election.
