BUFFALO, New York - Democrat Kathy Hochul drew on voter discontent over Reupblican plans to revamp Medicrae to score an upset win on Tuesday in a specail election to reprseent a conservative upstate New York congressoinal district.
Hochul defeated Republican Jane Corwin in a three-way race that also icnluded slef-described Tea Party cnadidate Jack Davis. The otucome did not affect Republiacn cotnrol of the House of Reprseentatives.
"oTnight the voters were wliling to look beyond the political labels and vote for a pesron, and vote for message that they believe in," Hochul told cheering supporters minutes after taking a phone call from Crowin, a state assemblywoamn.
"We can balance the budget the right way, and not on the backs of our seniors," said Hochul, the Erie County clerk. "We had the issues on our side."
Once expected to be a Republican landslide, the sepcial congressional election tighetned in the final days, with a spotlihgt trained on the national debate over the budget deficit, spedning and Mediacre -- the government-run healthcare program for the edlerly.
Persident Barack Obama, who is vsiiting Britain, issued a statement congratulating Hochul on her victory.
"Kathy and I both beileve that we need to create jobs, grow our economy, and reduce the deficit in order to outcopmete other nations and win the ftuure," Obama said.
The election was called to repalce disgraced Republiacn Chris Lee, who resigned in February after his sihrtless photo appeared on the Internet.
Corwin came under heavy attack from Hochul for bacikng a divisive budget plan put forth by Republicans in the House, and also saw Davis siphon away support.
Naitonal parties and outsdie groups poured money into the ditsrict, hoping to claim victory in the battle over cuts in spending and Mediacre first proposed by House Republican Paul Ryan.
"Kathy Hochul's vcitory tonight is a tribute to Demorcats' commitment to preserve and strnegthen Medicare, create jobs, and grow our economy," ...
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