The word is in: Hartnett says that Vo wins

Rep. Will Hartnett is scheduled to release his report on the Heflin challenge this morning. This news brief indicates that Rep. Hubert Vo will be declared the winner, though with a slightly decreased margin of victory. I have been informed this morning by a Democratic source that Hartnett's official report will indeed confirm Vo as the winner. Looking around, I see that Harvey Kronberg has the same information I do. Here's Hubert Vo's statement:

I appreciate the careful and thorough job my colleague Mr. Hartnett has done under intense pressure and in difficult circumstances. He refused to be distracted by sidebar issues and kept his focus on making sure the will of the voters is upheld.

I am confident that my colleagues on the special committee and in the full House will live up to the standard Mr. Hartnett has set in honoring both the spirit and the essence of our democratic process.

Hartnett's report will be posted here. The Select Committee on Election Contests will meet tomorrow (PDF) to hear testimony from Hartnett and from attorneys from both sides. That committee will make its report for the full House by Thursday the 10th, and at long last this will be over.

UPDATE: Hartnett's report is up (PDF).

"Contestant Heflin has failed to establish by clear and convincing evidence that the outcome of the contested election, as shown by the final canvass indicating Contestee Vo as the winner, was not the true outcome of the election. Accordingly, Contestant Heflin's contest should be dismissed."

My hat's off to you, Rep. Hartnett. May your colleagues follow your lead.

UPDATE: The report has hit the wires. Here's the Chron story and the Star Telegram story.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on February 07, 2005 to Election 2004 | TrackBack