Cao Concedes Defeat to Dem Richmond
Cao's election bid in LA-2 ends in defeat, despite a strong start earlier on tonight.Final unofficial results:
Cao: 33%, 43k votes // Richmond: 65%, 83k votes.
Posted at 12:17am by Tim Mak
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Cao currently giving concesssion speech now. Hopefully will have text of speech soon. "As a Republican and a New Orleans resident, it's disappointing. The demographics were just not in our favor tonight," said David Huguenel, describing the mood at campaign HQ as "somber, yet... it's still a party."
100 - 200 people at Cao HQ.
Posted at 10:35pm by Tim Mak
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Mike Bayham, New Orleans blogger, tells me that respected local demographer Greg Rigamer has called the race for Cedric Richmond. "Looks like political reality has caught up with Joseph Cao," he says.
Results: http://staticresults.sos.louisiana.gov/1122010_Congressional.html
Cao down by 16% right now.
Posted at 10:21pm by Tim Mak
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Cao falling behind. WWLTV, local TV station calling the race for Richmond, who is leading 56% to 38% with 27% reporting.
Posted at 9:57pm by Tim Mak
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Cao now tied with Richmond at 48%. 157 of 534 Precincts Reporting.
Posted at 9:57pm by Tim Mak
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Cao with slight lead at 8% reporting. He leads 46%-43%.
Precinct watcher in a black district tells that for every vote Vitter gets, Cao is getting 10. He's clearly doing better among the black vote than in 2008.
"He's biting into the black vote significantly from 2008," said Mike Bayham, New Orleans blogger.
Posted at 9:48pm by Tim Mak
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A tweet gives hope:
@straitjigg: i was gonna vote for Cedric Richmond... den i asked myself, WHY? idk what he REALLY stands for. i just know that he's a BLACK democrat.
Posted at 9:34pm by Tim Mak
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Source in New Orleans tells me that poll watchers showing a spike in black turnout late in the day in Cao's district. "Not looking very promising, but there's still hope," says the source. "At the end of the day, however, Cao had to chip in with the black vote - he had to do better with them than in 2008."
Posted at 9:23pm by Tim Mak
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Cao campaign manager David Huguenel says that turnout higher than expected, 38% from the first few precincts. "We're still in the game."
Posted at 9:16pm by Tim Mak
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Sources in New Orleans tell me that we will not have first numbers from Louisiana's 2nd district until 945 EDT. "They have to hand deliver content from the precincts to the election clerk's office," says the source.
Posted at 7:50pm by Tim Mak
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Cao is competitive on Twitter endorsements. Since 6AM this morning, Rep. Joseph Cao has gotten 15 twitter endorsements on #LA02 and #LA2.
Cedric Richmond, his Democratic opponent, has gotten 18 Twitter endorsements.
RT @neon_creole: IF YOU VOTE FOR CEDRIC RICHMOND, I AM NEVER SPEAKING TO YOU AGAIN.
RT @GberryBeatz: I'm yellin "Vote Joseph Cao" haha
RT @waterman504: Cedric Richmond look like he pimp hoes on the side
Posted at 7:33pm by Tim Mak
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At about 4:40 this afternoon, FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver said on MSNBC that the upset of the day would be Rep. Joseph Cao over Cedric Richmond in Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District.
Nice to get an endorsement from one of the nation’s top pollsters!
Posted at 7:10pm by Tim Mak