Florida 13: All but over

The congressional task force investigating the contested election for the Sarasota-area U.S. House seat, District 13, on Friday dismissed the case, likely closing the books on Christine Jennings' last hopes.

As you might recall, back in November 2006 Jennings narrowly lost to Republican Vern Buchanan in the race to fill the seat vacated by Republican Rep. Katherine Harris.

But some 18,000 people in a Democratic-leaning area of the district who voted in the U.S. Senate race that day for some reason never registered a vote in the House race , leading Jennings to claim that faulty touch-screen voting machines were to blame.

Friday morning,the House Administration Committee's Election Task Force unanimously passed a motion to dismiss the Jennings contest after the Government Accountability Office presented a final report showing that independent testing of the voting machines concluded "with reasonable assurance" the voting machines were not to blame for the large under vote.

“This investigation served a critical role in fulfilling the House’s constitutional responsibility when seating members of Congress," said Rep. Charles Gonzalez, D-Texas, chairman of the task force.  "From the beginning, this task force deemed it necessary to have a thorough, independent, nonpartisan review of the contested election, and that is exactly what the GAO provided.”

You can read the full GAO report here.

The task force's decision still needs approval from the House Adminstration Committee and the full U.S. House, but that approval is likely. Jennings, a banker who is running again this year, issued a statement saying she accepted the verdict.

She said she also beleived her challenge "achieved real results" for Florida voters because touch-screen voting machines are now banned in the state.

Comments

The one smart move by Nancy Pelosi & Co was to ignore the rantings and ravings of Christine Jennings.

18,000 Republican undervoted in that election.

The touch screen voting machines worked fine.

End of story.

[Dee]

When you cry wolf and there are no bite marks people do not want to hear from you again. Got it.

She should have been gracious and come back with an improved agenda to run on.

That District is increasingly becoming one with families where people have to work for a living and pay taxes. Therefore, she cannot run successfully on the right to kill unborn children and increasing social security benefits. People are looking for common sense solutions not another does of failed ideology.

Hopefully this story will get the media attention it deserves and people will remember her for what she was a whiney woman who lost.

[Tom]

Just another reason for "None of the Above".

I always liked that guy.

[Plausible D. Nyal]

"Please pay no attention to the man behind the touch screen!"

Yes, Jennings has already lost the 2008 election.

[Michelle from Tampa]

Dee says:

"That District is increasingly becoming one with families where people have to work for a living and pay taxes."

Which is exactly why Christine Jennings would be a perfect Representative for that district. Tell me, what have Republicans done for working families lately? (Answer: nothing.)

[Sally Sunshine]

And someone on here tell me, What the heck has Vern done to benefit you? his constituents? What the heck did he do with all that money?

The man is a used=car salesman and you've been given a lemon.

[Idiot]

no one likes the courts. when will democrats learn.

[Sam]

I am really glad that we will finally have a paper trail. Thank you, Christine Jennings!

The Republicans have sold our country off little by little, life by life...which reminds me...now that Mitt Romney has freed his 5 strapping sons from their patriotic duty of working for his campaign, they are now free to enlist in the Army or Marines to head over to the occupation in Iraq. Now they can really be patriotic and serve their country in this time of war, right?

[Susan S]

Talk about disenfranchising voters. I suppose Congress doesn't want to be bothered with Florida anymore. Until citizens rise up and demand to be heard, their interests will continue to be shoved aside. It's time to elect better Democrats to Congess.

[Angela]

Sam,

Of course the Romney boys will not serve in the military. They will make "other choices."

Attack the man's kids. You are so tacky.

there's the idealism and the superior morality of the left for you.

6:19--it's much better than listening to the pseudo-moral superiority of the far right. We've been doing that for years now.

It's about time we had the promise of Democrats who can focus on the common good, rather than Republicans who focus too much on what's going on in your bedroom.

2:23--who's attacking Romney's kids? The poster was merely suggesting that now they are free to do their patriotic duty. Nothing wrong with that, is there?

If Rahm Emmanuel and his DLC cohorts will stay the hell out of Florida this year, the Democrats might come up with a candidate who can actually win this time.

But some 18,000 people in a Democratic-leaning area of the district who voted in the U.S. Senate race that day for some reason never registered a vote in the House race , leading Jennings to claim that faulty touch-screen voting machines were to blame.

[Jason Straight]

Jennings will beat Vern this time they have paper ballots nuff said.Who could name a child Vern with a straight face.sounds likka used car salesman.

[John]

Jenning will lose again this year.

[John]

Jennings will lose again this year.

[Laura]

Christine Jennings has proven she's a real patriot.

Vern is nothing but an used-car salesman. What has he done to assure you that your votes count? What has Vern done to benefit Floridians? Zilch.

Buchanan lines his own pockets with your contributions - and then steals your hard-earned tax dollars for his friends.

Shhhh... enough time has passed, they've forgotten all about it... now: just pass out the little red pills and all will be fine.

Chances are that poor ballot design caused the undervote and it is possible that it cost Jennings the race.

http://www.vote.caltech.edu/media/documents/wps/vtp_wp61.pdf

Crists shift to paper was a populist move with positive security properties, but paper trails would not have made any difference in either the CD13 election or its audit/contest.

[Dave]

Attacking Romney's kids with WEAKES argument of all: Send your kids to war!! It is a VOLUNTEER military. What part of that do you not understand?

Anyway, is this going to be like Gore, whining about losing for the next decade????