BY, EMMA
FRANKLIN
Voters
flocked to their local voting locations on Tuesday to elect various candidates
to office. Three of the most heavily watched races were for governor of N.J.,
governor of Va., and mayor of New York City.
The
candidates for N.J. governor included Republican incumbent Chris Christie and
Democrat Barbara Buono. Christie won the election by a landslide with 60.4% of
votes to Buono’s 38.1%. Although N.J. has been a historically Democratic state,
Governor Christie won the support of voters through his moderate policies and
quick response to last year’s Hurricane Sandy disaster. Governor Christie’s
mounting bipartisan support would potentially strengthen his potential bid for
the 2016 presidential election, if he chooses to run.
GW
College Republicans Chairman Alexander Miller said he was, “Very proud of Chris
Christie in his incredible victory in New Jersey. He received a record number
of votes from women and minority groups and seems well positioned for 2016.”
The race
for Va. governor included the state Attorney General, Republican Kenneth
Cuccinelli, and former Democratic National Committee chairman, Democrat Terry
McAuliffe. Although the race was very tight, McAuliffe came out on top with
48.0% of the vote compared to Cuccinelli’s 45.5%.
“I kept
a watchful eye on Virginia. Cuccinelli was predicted to lose by 7-12 points.
However, the closeness of the elections proves that Americans are upset with
the failed Obamacare and refutes claims that the government shutdown was the
fault of, and ultimately hurt the GOP,” said Miller.
Cuccinelli,
a Tea Party supporter, was not predicted to receive as much of the vote as he
did. However, due to negative public opinion surrounding the Republican Party
following the government shut down, McAuliffe’s campaign received a bit of an
energy boost and increased voter turnout. These results have prompted the
Republican Party to reevaluate how it chooses nominees in an effort to lessen
the number of extremely radical candidates.
The GW
College Democrats were active in the campaign. “Mr. McAuliffe's victory is
particularly heartening because we invested so much effort in helping him win.
These results mean real, material improvement in people's lives because now
Medicaid expansion appears more likely in Virginia,” said GW College Democrats
president Omeed Firouzi.
The race
for mayor of New York City, widely considered the second most powerful
political position within the United States, included Democrat Bill de Blasio and
Republican Joseph J. Lhota. De Blasio was the overwhelming winner with 73.3% of
the vote compared to Lhota’s 24.3%.
“I’m thrilled at the results in New York
City,” said Firouzi. “Stop and frisk may come to a close now, so obviously that
is a good thing because it means progressive policy outcomes.”
New York City consistently votes liberally and
considering the not-so-popular term of current moderately conservative mayor
Michael Bloomberg, de Blasio’s win was no big surprise.
