At 10:12 p.m., with 65.7% of precincts counted, the recall of anti-teacher, anti-union Michigan State Representative Paul Scott stands thusly:
49.49% FOR recall
50.51% against recall
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10:18 p.m., with 74.29% of precincts counted, the recall of anti-teacher, anti-union Michigan State Representative Paul Scott stands thusly:
49.39% FOR recall
50.61% against recall
Difference is 237 votes. Think your vote doesn’t count?
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10:39 p.m. Okay, Genesee County just took the Scott recall numbers off their website…
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10:43 p.m. Okay, Scott recall numbers back up. With 82.86% of precincts counted:
49.21% FOR recall
50.79% against recall
Difference is 302 votes.
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11:07 p.m. Latest update from Recall Paul Scott Facebook page:
I am told that Saul Anuzis and other Republicans were reporting that with 33 of 35, Scott was only leading by 25 votes. If so, this means there were 4 really good precincts that have reported, but are not yet on the county website.
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11:10 p.m. Via on Joshuaishere on Twitter (Joshua Pugh of Progress Michigan):
Mundy Twp. still uncounted. High Dem population and high turnout – ran out of ballots twice so naturally GOP crying foul.
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11:26 Really? 45 minutes without an update? Agonizing…
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11:29 Potentially GREAT news from Saul Anunzis Facebook page:
Unofficial results indicate that Rep. Paul Scott has been recalled, 12,358 (50.5%) to 12,126 (49.5%), a 232 vote margin.
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11:34 p.m. Official update with 30 of 35 precincts reporting:
49.61% FOR recall
50.39% against recall
Difference of 171 votes.
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11:42 Reports coming in that Paul Scott has conceded. We the People Michigan reporting:
“LANSING – Today voters sent a wake-up call to anti-worker politicians in Michigan and Ohio by voting to recall state Rep. Paul Scott (R-Grand Blanc) and repeal SB 5 in Ohio. Scott became the first Michigan lawmaker to lose a recall election in nearly three decades after voting to cut $1 billion from K-12 schools, impose a new tax on seniors’ pensions, and give a huge new tax giveaway to big corporations. In Ohio, citizens used their veto to repeal SB 5, the anti-worker law signed by Gov. John Kasich and supported by corporate special interests.“
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11:50 p.m. Via Michigan Public Radio:
Michigan State Representative Paul Scott has been recalled
Rick Pluta just called in to say that Michigan State Representative Paul Scott (R-Grand Blanc) has been recalled. Scott conceded defeat saying his campaign did their best, they came up short, and that he will not rule out running again in the future.Scott is the first sitting state lawmaker to be recalled since 1983.
Margin was 232 votes (unconfirmed).
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Flint Journal reporting on Scott’s concession
GRAND BLANC, Michigan — Rep. Paul Scott said he accepts that he has been defeated in today’s recall election.“You guys put up a massive fight,” Scott told a group of supporters at his campaign headquarters.
“It’s really been an honor to serve the past three years in this community.”
Eclectablog reporting from his couch:
“Suck it, you teacher-hating piece of crap. We’re tired of you villainizing our teachers and other public union employees. Crawl back under the rock you crawled out from under and don’t ever enter politics again. You are not worthy.”
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12:02 a.m. Strangely, the Genesee County website still only reporting 30 out of 35 precincts. Gave up and went home maybe???
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More from the Flint Journal (complete with misspelled headling):
Rep. Paul Scott said final vote counts showed him losing by 232 votes, despite the delay in getting precinct reports up on the Genesee County elections website.“I accept the results,” Scott said to a somber crowd of supporters at his Grand Blanc headquarters.
Scott said he will spend the coming weeks and months making a decision about whether he will run again in 2012
Despite months of fighting to avoid today’s recall vote, Scott said he’s done challenging the recall.
“The community’s just been through too much. … It’s time to move on.”
He is the first state lawmaker recalled since 1983.
Scott’s opponents sought to recall the second-term lawmaker for several reasons, including his votes to cut K-12 education funding, add a pension tax and his work on legislation that loosens teacher tenure protection.
According to campaign finance reports, Scott out-raised the recall effort by a nearly two to one margin.
Reports show Scott’s campaign committee has raised $111,796 in the past 12 months, while the Michigan Republican Party has spent another $29,000-plus to support his fight to stay in office. He also has support to the tune of $51,000 from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and nearly $73,000 from StudentsFirst, a Washington, D.C.-based education reform group. The recall committee reports having raised roughly $147,000, about $140,000 of which came from the MEA.
Money can’t by me gov(ernment)…
12:12 a.m. Flint Journal headline repaired. Joshua Pugh of Progress Michigan reporting that House Republicans have retained legal counsel to “investigate irregularities” in the recall vote.
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12:15 [WARNING: I’m getting punchy] When you think about how much money conservatives around the country spent on trying to save Paul Scott from getting booted (something like a 2-to-1 margin, likely way more), it just makes you laugh and laugh and laugh…
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Most progressive good news in Michigan tonight/this morning. Troy Michigan elected a tea partying mayor with absolutely no public service experience to be mayor. Other than that we have Lansing voters approving a much-needed millage for fire, police and roads and Traverse City voters approving an LGBT-friendly non-discrimination ordinance. Ann Arbor approved two infrastucture millages as well.
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Final vote tally in the Paul Scott recall with all precincts counted: Scott was recalled by a margin of only 197 votes – 50.4% to 49.6%.
