Apparently nobody’s really sure at the moment: original reports had Rangel winning by 1,034 votes. However, what can be fairly described as tabulation “irregularities” have come to light, thus causing Rangel’s lead over contender Adriano Espaillat to shrink to 802 votes. With about 2,000 absentee/affidavit votes remaining, the primary election is still very much now in doubt. It’s also now going to the courts.

Of course.

This is going to be… interesting; partially because the specter of voter fraud is going to to enthusiastically (if unofficially) brought up, no matter who wins. And it’s going to be pretty much an exercise in applied cynicism, too. On the one hand, Charlie Rangel is pretty much a political tick on the side of the federal government who has been using his position to feather Rangel’s personal nest for decades. On the other hand, even political ticks deserve to be tossed out via a fair election; if for no other reason besides the fact that it’s a horrible precedent to set. On the gripping hand, I don’t think that the GOP even has a candidate in NY-13 this cycle, which means that in some ways it’s no skin off of our noses who wins this one.

Only in some ways: because this sort of thing is why you always fill every single slot in every single race with a candidate. Always. Or at least as many as you possibly can. Because you never know when the other side is going to make a mistake. And while you may not win a tough district with even the best candidate, you can’t win even the easiest district with no candidate whatsoever. Go ask Democratic party officials in CA-31 if you don’t believe me about that.

Moe Lane (crosspost)