Andrew’s candidate, Van T. Tran, is winning in Assembly District 68, though it’s not clear what percentage of the precincts is reporting. It’s Tran 8,373 (61.6%), Leyes 5,232 (38.4%) at the moment.

Statewide, with 8.6% of the precincts reporting, Kerry has an enormous lead in CA: 67.5% to 17.8% over Edwards. Geographically, he’s winning everywhere. Meanwhile, the “annoy the media, vote for Dean” delegation did not succeed in getting their 15%. Hollerin’ Howard is at 5%, while Kucinich is at 3%.

Ahnold’s “balanced budget” initiative, Proposition 58, is passing overwhelmingly, 70% to 30%.

Bill Jones is running away with the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

Rohrabacher is crushing Dornan.

UPDATE: There’s a five-vote race in State Senate District 11, among other close contests.

Well, damn. The NFA curse lives on.

UPDATE: The Hartford Courant reports:

Hall-West Hartford 45, Newington 41: Kim Moynihan scored 22 points as No. 22 Hall (12-9) upset No. 11 Newington (14-7) at Newington. It was the first victory for Hall in the state tournament since 1983.

Emily Sherman added nine points for Hall. Kelly McVey led Newington with 12 points.

Fresh-faced Johnny Boy
Coulda been a contender
Now goes marching home

The last and largest state to have its say on Super Tuesday, California, is done voting.

CNN has called the presidential race for Kerry based on exit polls, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still suspense in the Golden State. You can track the fortunes of Andrew’s legislative candidate, Van Tran, here.

Kristy has voted — and she got a round of cheers and applause when she cast her ballot, having mentioned that is it was her first time voting — but she forgot to tell us in her audiopost who she voted for!

Kristy, you’re killing us here!!! :)

UPDATE: She voted for Edwards. Woohoo!

Hey, there’s honor in going down with the ship. :)

Lieberman-Edwards ‘08! (Er… ‘12!)

BrendanLoy.com Los Angeles Correspondent Kristy LaPlante votes for the first time in her life!

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John Kerry may have wrapped up the nomination before today’s voting is even finished, but we’ve had some unexpected suspense late on this Super Tuesday. The question: would Kristy be able to find the polling place before the polls close?

BrendanLoy.com’s Los Angeles Correspondent filed two audio reports as she drove toward the polling place (at 7:04 and 7:11 Pacific time), and with less than 50 minutes before closing time, she reported that she was “very, very lost.” Drama!

But now, as of 7:21 PST, Kristy reports that she’s arrived at the polling place and is about to cast her vote.

“Who will it be?” she asks with a dramatic flair. “Kerry? Edwards? Kucinich? Stay tuned.” We’re riveted!!!

BrendanLoy.com Los Angeles Correspondent Kristy LaPlante arrives at the polling place — 39 minutes before the polls close — to vote for the first time in her life!

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BrendanLoy.com Los Angeles Correspondent Kristy LaPlante gets “very, very lost” as she drives to the polling place to vote for the first time in her life!

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BrendanLoy.com Los Angeles Correspondent Kristy LaPlante reports live on her own democratic odyssey, as she drives to the polling place to vote for the first time in her life!

audio post powered by audblog

Not that it really matters anymore, but Georgia is very, very close. With 72% of the precincts reporting, CNN reports:

Kerry 166,548 (44%)
Edwards 166,274 (44%)
Sharpton 20,620 (6%)
Dean 6,737 (2%)
Kucinich 4,361 (1%)

UPDATE: Kerry has pulled away now. With 97% reporting, it’s 274,130 (46%) to 248,512 (42%).

Kerry also wins Minnesota, goes 9-for-10. A truly Super Tuesday for him.

The Courant website has Newington’s townwide results, which are more strongly pro-Kerry than the E.Green precinct results reported by my dad:

Kerry 914
Edwards 440
Kucinich 35
Sharpton 17

They’re not listing the totals for dropped-out candidates; I’ll have to get those from SOTS, but SOTS doesn’t have Newington listed yet.

UPDATE: CNN actually has town-by-town results, including the full tally from Newington. The closest aspect of the contest: Dean beats Lieberman for third place, 45-44.

Here are the overall totals:
Kerry 914 (60%)
Edwards 440 (29%)
Dean 45 (3%)
Lieberman 44 (3%)
Kucinich 35 (2%)
Sharpton 17 (1%)
Uncommitted 7 (0%)

NOTE: If my dad and I had both voted with our hearts instead of our brains — for Lieberman instead of Edwards — we could have lifted Saint Joe to victory over Hollerin’ Howard in Newington!!! D’oh!!! :)

Incidentally, the Lieberman-Dean battle for third is close statewide, too… but Senator Joe has the edge, 4,523 to 4,041 with 84% reporting. GO, JOE, GO! :)

Al Sharpton is talking on Larry King Live; says he’ll decide in the next day or so whether to drop out. Says he wants to make sure his constituents’ issues are represented to the greatest extent possible, whatever that entails.

Asked how enthusiastic he is for Kerry and what his strategy is, he says, “It’s easier for Edwards, who probably wants a job, than it is for me, who wants to get people jobs.” Heh. Heh heh.

So far, Edwards’s best town in Connecticut is Prospect, where he has 43% of the vote. Second best is Sprague with 42%.

Kerry’s best town is New Fairfield with 78%. Woodbridge is second with 76%

Many towns (including Newington) have yet to report.

(This according to the Hartford Courant website; the official site of my dad’s former employer, the Secretary of the State, is a very slow-loading page for some reason.)

Ted Kennedy just introduced John Kerry as “the next president of the United States.” Meanwhile, some jerk in the crowd is holding up an anti-CNN sign. Is that really necessary? Shouldn’t they be, like, celebrating Kerry’s victory?

UPDATE, 7:09 PM: “Thank you to voters from coast to coast who have truly made this a Super Tuesday.”

“A remarkably gracious… powerful statement by John Edwards tonight. There is no question that John Edwards bring a compelling voice to our party, great eloquence to the cause of working men and women all across our nation, and great promise for leadership in the years to come, and we thank him for what he has done over the course of this race.”

“In 2004, one united Democratic party, we can and we will win this election — and we will build one America.” (emphasis added)

Edwards a rival in recent months, but first and foremost, a friend. “He is a valiant champion of the values for which our party stands.”

7:11 PM: Now praising and thanking Dean for bringing people into the process.

“Tonight the message could not be clearer, all across our country: change is coming to America.”

“I know that together, we are equal to this task. I am a fighter.” Blah blah, “battlefield” allusions. Did you know he served in Vietnam?

“In 2004, I pledge we will tell the truth about what has happened in our country, and we will fight to give America back its future and its hope.” Good line.

7:18: “The Bush Administration has run the most inept, arrogant, and ideological foreign policy in the history of our country, and we will reverse that course.” (I think I missed one adjective.)

“Bring it on! Bring it on! Bring it on!”

7:22 “George Bush, who promised to be a uniter, has become a great divider. Just last week, he proposed to amend the Constitution of the United States for political purpose. We say that he has no right to misuse the most precious document in our history to divide this nation and distract us from our goals. We resoundingly reject the politics of fear and distortion. We will instead, all across this nation throughout these next months, keep trust with Lincoln’s ideals of America as the last, best hope on Earth.”

Today, like in Vietnam era, “Americans are once again wondering if they can trust and believe the leadership of this country. Our campaign is about restoring that belief, and speaking honestly and straightforwardly to the American people … [and] building an America that is again a great light to all the world.”