It may not be over for JD

but the proverbial fat lady is clearing her throat.

In the most important news in America today, it came out that Britney Spears is divorcing her husband, Kevin Federline.

Federline is demanding a recount. :)

Back to the real news (unfortunately, there are a lot of people in our country that consider the Spears news to be more important. Fortunately, none of them read this blog. :) )

...Just got back from the Mitchell campaign's election return party, an intimate little affair for 2000 of his closest staffers, volunteers, supporters, and friends.

First the good, almost great news -

Courtesy of the AZ Secretary of State's website:

As of 1:28 a.m., with 100% of precincts reporting, Harry Mitchell has 71,077 votes; Hayworth has 65,122.

Nobody is calling this race yet; it's close enough that provisional ballots could make a difference.

Harry isn't proclaiming victory; and we all know JD won't ever admit that he lost.

As I said at the party, JD won't concede until the U.S. Capitol Police padlock his office and drag him kicking and screaming out of the building.

Of course, as Geo of Geo's Precinct 134 observed, "It's better to be in Harry's position instead of JD's."

Ain't that the truth.

It's looking good right now, but things are still happening. More on this tomorrow.

Good things about the day, and the party afterward -

...Had the opportunity to meet fellow bloggers Geo and Tim and Zelph of AZNetRoots. It was great to be able to put faces with the names and the great writing that we all have read this election season.

...State House candidates Ed Ableser and David Schapira, along with State Senate candidate Meg Burton-Cahill, made LD17 A CLEAN SWEEP FOR THE DEMOCRATS!! Whooo Hooooo!!!!!!

They sent Laura Knaperek to retirement!!!!!!! Yesssss!!!!!

...In races from farther down the ballot, Jon Levenson and fellow blogger Elizabeth Rogers won the Constable and Justice of the Peace races for the Kyrene Justice Precinct (formerly Tempe East) respectively.

Credit positive messages and a LOT of hard work by both of them for this.

...Governor Napolitano and Attorney General Goddard both comfortably won reelection. No shocks there, but it was still nice to see.

...In CD8, Gabrielle Giffords posted a solid victory in the race for the U.S. House seat vacated by Republican Jim Kolbe.

...Prop 107 (anti-same sex marriage and unwed couples of any combination) looks like it's on it's way to defeat, and Prop 202 (raise the minimum wage) looks like it's going to pass.


There were some disappointments, too.

...LD8 went totally Republican. Not a huge surprise considering the Republican registration advantage, but North Scottsdale Reps are, generally speaking, moderate (at least by Rep standards). I thought there was a chance that Dan Oseran for State Senate and especially Stephanie Rimmer for State Rep could create an upset, but it wasn't meant to be.

...The down-ballot statewide races also went Republican. Again, nothing surprising, but I sort of hoped that after the ethics issues of incumbent David Petersen that even Republicans would hesitate to vote for another ethically-deficient candidate.

...Russell "National Alliance" Pearce won reelection to the State House. Ugh.

...and in the "Biggest Reason To Be Ashamed That I'm An Arizonan" category - every single ballot measure that attacks illegal immigrants won. Most of the measures were just vicious bigotry.

It's been a long day, and it's time for bed.

More on Harry Mitchell's quest to send JD into the fog of political history later today, as well as analysis of the day in Arizona and national politics.

Good night!!