A Look Back at Sandy Gordon vs Debbie Bush
The Race Crunched.
| ED | DEM | DEM % | REP | REP % | CON | CON % | WF | WF % | ICE | ICE % | Write-In | Over Vote | Blank | Blank Percent | Total Votes | Sandy Total | Bush Total | Sandy % | Sandy Net Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berne 1 | 88 | 37.13% | 89 | 37.55% | 34 | 14.35% | 6 | 2.53% | 20 | 8.44% | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4% | 248 | 94 | 143 | 39% | -49 |
| Berne 2 | 210 | 52.11% | 113 | 28.04% | 41 | 10.17% | 12 | 2.98% | 27 | 6.70% | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1% | 409 | 222 | 181 | 55% | 41 |
| Knox 3 | 97 | 40.59% | 79 | 33.05% | 36 | 15.06% | 15 | 6.28% | 12 | 5.02% | 4 | 0 | 9 | 4% | 253 | 112 | 127 | 46% | -15 |
| Rensselaerville 1 | 87 | 43.28% | 50 | 24.88% | 35 | 17.41% | 13 | 6.47% | 16 | 7.96% | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1% | 204 | 100 | 101 | 50% | -1 |
| Rensselaerville 2 | 87 | 37.50% | 61 | 26.29% | 53 | 22.84% | 10 | 4.31% | 21 | 9.05% | 0 | 1 | 16 | 6% | 250 | 97 | 135 | 42% | -38 |
| Rensselaerville 3 | 162 | 43.55% | 106 | 28.49% | 63 | 16.94% | 22 | 5.91% | 19 | 5.11% | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3% | 386 | 184 | 188 | 49% | -4 |
| Westerlo 1 | 130 | 37.57% | 131 | 37.86% | 63 | 18.21% | 7 | 2.02% | 15 | 4.34% | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4% | 361 | 137 | 209 | 39% | -72 |
| Westerlo 2 | 183 | 56.48% | 84 | 25.93% | 29 | 8.95% | 8 | 2.47% | 20 | 6.17% | 0 | 0 | 26 | 7% | 351 | 191 | 133 | 59% | 58 |
| Westerlo 3 | 105 | 34.31% | 117 | 38.24% | 53 | 17.32% | 16 | 5.23% | 15 | 4.90% | 0 | 0 | 16 | 5% | 323 | 121 | 185 | 39% | -64 |
| Total | 1149 | 43.20% | 830 | 31.20% | 407 | 15.30% | 109 | 4.10% | 165 | 6.20% | 4 | 2 | 110 | 4% | 2785 | 1258 | 1402 | 47% | -144 |
Maps Showing What Happened.
ED by ED percentage of votes for Sandy Gordon.
I often prefer to use Net Votes per Election District, as this more clearly shows were a person lost and won the race, because Turn out can very quite widely from Election District to Election District. Moreover, some Election Districts are more populus then others.
Turn out was particularly high in districts that Sandy lost, particularly in Westerlo ED 3 (Dormansville), one of most conservative EDs in Albany County currently.
This map shows the Average Democratic Preformance of Statewide candidates by 2010 Voting Tabulation District, with the 2011 County Leg districts superimposed. Be aware that all statewide Democratic candidates preformed quite well across 2010 Albany County,but it also shows the weakness in Dormansville (Westerlo ED 3), and Cooksburg-Preston Hollow-Potters Hollow (Rensselearville ED 2). The entire district was and is marginal Democratic, and can easily swing into the Republican column.
While Sandy Gordon got a higher percentage of votes on Democratic line then Debra Bush on the Republican line, the heavy Conservative-block vote in Renselearville EDs and South Westerlo (ED 1) provided a margin of victory for Debra Bush.
Sandy Gordon lost 2/3rds of Knox in the redistricting. He preformed worst in the new portion of the district — specifically Westerlo — and failed to hold onto Renselearville.
While he faced a Tea-Party Movement in Renselearville that organized against him, if he had spent more time going door-to-door in this portion of district, along with introducing himself to Westerlo voters, he may have been able to hold on to his seat.
Regardless, it was tough year for Democratic Incumbents, especially those with a long record and many difficult votes to face, such as over-riding the tax-cap, which will hurt rural residents and those of the hilltowns who own a lot of land hardest.