Day: November 25, 2013

Washingtonpost.com:

RICHMOND — The state Board of Elections on Monday certified Democrat Mark Herring as the winner of the Nov. 5 election for Virginia attorney general, even as the board chairman raised questions about the “integrity” of the vote tallies.

A recount seems likely in the closest-ever statewide election in Virginia history, although the losing candidate did not immediately call for one.

Herring, a state senator from Loudoun County, beat state Sen. Mark Obenshain (R), by 165 votes out of more than 2 million cast.

Herring had 1,103,777 votes to Obenshain’s 1,103,612, according to the certified tally.

Herring and Obenshain were running to succeed Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), who ran unsuccessfully for governor against Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Should Herring’s victory stand, it would give Democrats a sweep of all three statewide offices.

Senator Obenshain has 10 days to ask for a recount.   In this close race, there is probably no room for crowing from either side.  The results send a strong message that every vote counts.

It even seems a bit premature to congratulate the new Attorney General- to-be.

Pewforum.org:

 …[A]  growing share of Americans also believe individuals have a moral right to end their own lives. About six-in-ten adults (62%) say that a person suffering a great deal of pain with no hope of improvement has a moral right to commit suicide, up from 55% in 1990. A 56% majority also says this about those who have an incurable disease, up from 49% in 1990. While far fewer (38%) believe there is a moral right to suicide when someone is “ready to die because living has become a burden,” the share saying this is up 11 percentage points, from 27% in 1990. About a third of adults (32%) say a person has a moral right to suicide when he or she “is an extremely heavy burden on his or her family,” roughly the same share as in 1990 (29%).

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