6:59 PM: The New York Times county-level national presidential map includes historical data back to 1992.
7:25 PM: Here’s my favorite poll closing time map.
7:29 PM: Libby is really really excited about this.
7:52 PM: Libby’s watching Lapeer results on ElectionMagic.com.
7:52 PM: As of today, Obama has over 2.4 million Facebook friends.
8:00 PM: MSNBC calls Pennsylvania for Obama??
8:01 PM: New Hampshire! Maine!
8:03 PM: Aside: Shaw dog park proposal to reality in 6 months. The neighborhood’s public library branch closed in 2004, and the temporary trailer didn’t open for 4 years.
8:12 PM: Chris Matthews telling Howard Dean he “started this”
8:20 PM: MSNBC calls the New Hampshire senate race for Shaheen
8:24 PM: Live shot of Palm Beach County vote counting on MSNBC right now
9:26 PM: The Obama campaign has their own map
9:32 PM: Changing from CNN to MSNBC … what a difference calling Ohio makes!
9:34 PM: We want the hologram back
9:41 PM: Obama campaign announces they have made 1 million calls. Today.
9:57 PM: The Overhead Wire is blogging the transit results. The big kahuna is California’s $10 billion rail bond.
10:14 PM: New England House race update – all four seats in ME and NH go to Dems
10:38 PM: Mass. ballot questions: income tax preserved, marijuana decriminalized, dog racing banned
11:00 PM: CNN, AP, Fox call Virginia
11:01 PM: Race called for Obama!
11:02 PM: From Libby and I … thanks to our friends who worked so hard for the Obama campaign, including Will and Rachel in NH, Kristen, Aaron and Jenny in MI, Michael and Marissa in Chicago, Jackie, Rosie, Paul and Ramya in OH, Becky in NC, and any others we’re missing. Congratulations!

Although it was exciting to watch the Democrats take back the House for the first time since 1994, the evening wasn’t without its disappointments. At the top of that list must be the success of the affirmative action ban in Michigan. Although the full impact will become clear in the next months and years, the ban threatens not only affirmative action policies for university admissions but also scholarships, retention programs, and other policies that assist not only racial and ethnic minorities but also women. A similar policy in California has led to sharp and stark declines in the number of black students at the top campuses in the UC system – as a particularly egregious example out of nearly 5,000 incoming students this fall at UCLA just 96 are black – around 2%. In Michigan this could mean we see the percentage of black students at the University of Michigan drop below 10% in a metropolitan region that is over 21% black. (Although University of Michigan president pledged today in a rousing speech they would use ‘every legal option available.’) My friend Dumi who is a graduate student at the University of Michigan has posted his thoughts about the initiative. (Which he points out was endorsed by the KKK) Also in Michigan, Carl Levin’s son Andy Levin lost his race for State Senate by a tiny margin in a hotly contested race for a Republican-majority district. Democratic challenger Jim Marcinkowski also failed in his attempt to knock off Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s 8th. Overall the picture in Michigan isn’t all doom and gloom — Governor Jennifer Granholm and Senator Stabenow won re-election, and Democrats took over the Michigan House. Another Michigan friend Chris Wilcox was helping out Michael Arcuri, who successfully won the contested race for New York House District 24.

Another largely-overlooked outcome of the election was the continuing popular backlash against the Kelo vs. New London case: eight states voted to prohibit or restrict the use of eminent domain for economic development purposes. I have mixed feelings about this. Although eminent domain has had a shameful history, I am mostly worried constitutional amendments and ballot initiatives is an inappropriate way of handling the issue and could lead to unintended consequences down the road.

Lastly, as I have already posted it appears my neighborhood ANC in D.C. will have a new chair – Kevin Chappele. Perhaps now that body will publish a regular agenda, post their meeting location on the web, and do a better job serving the needs of the neighborhood.

> Post: “Behind the Pack, Lichtman Feels the Heat”
> See the campaign website, myspace, and Facebook group

Eugene earned 45.5% of the vote to Mr. Rapundalo’s 54.5%. According to the canvass report, Eugene carried four of the ward precincts, and tied in one, with Rapundalo winning three precincts.

Had he won the primary and general election, Eugene Kang would have been the first undergraduate to serve on the Ann Arbor City Council in at least a decade.

UPDATE: Dale Winling of the New West Side Association has some thoughts.

U-M undergrad and candidate for City Council in Ward 2 (contains the Hill Dorms and Northeast Ann Arbor) Eugene Kang’s primary election is today. If you are a registered Ward 2 voter, go vote for Eugene!

> See Eugene’s official website
> See results as they are reported

Some campaign lit I had posted earlier is after the jump.

EUGENE KANG FOR WARD 2:
WAKE UP THE CITY COUNCIL!

Dear Neighbor,

My name is Eugene Kang, and I am running for Ann Arbor City Council. I am proud to have lived in Ann Arbor for my entire life. And I am proud to have spent almost my entire life right here in Ward 2.

Many people have asked me why I want to run for office. The answer is simple: I want to give back to this wonderful community. I attended King Elementary School and Greenhills School for 6-12th grades. Next year I’ll be a Senior at the University of Michigan, majoring in English and Philosophy.

I am energetic, dedicated, and I know I have a lot to learn. I hope that I can serve a unique role as someone connected to both U of M students and to the greater Ann Arbor community. Because the City Council should be more responsive to your concerns, I have launched a precinct-by-precinct listening tour. Together, we can make Ann Arbor an even greater place to live.

As a lifelong resident of this community, I am aware of the challenges facing Ann Arbor. And, on the next page, I have identified key areas in which I plan to focus my attention. I look forward to listening to your concerns and working for you in the future.

Sincerely,

Eugene Kang

REMEMBER TO VOTE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY ON AUGUST 2!

EUGENE KANG FOR WARD 2:
WAKE UP THE CITY COUNCIL!

Increasing Fiscal Responsibility

• Our city budget has been in deficit for the past five years and expenses are expected to exceed revenue for at least the next two years. We need to close this gap – but not on the backs of taxpayers who are already paying more than their fair share.
• The cost of living in Ann Arbor is already significantly higher than that of similar cities in the Midwest, and higher taxes will only make it more difficult for people, especially new homeowners, to remain in our City.
• I am committed to balancing Ann Arbor’s budget and look forward to meeting with you to discuss your priorities and listen to your ideas.

Making Ann Arbor More Affordable

• Making Ann Arbor a more affordable place to live is critical to the City’s future. We cannot allow our middle-class and economically disadvantaged citizens to be pushed out of our City because of sky-high housing prices.
• Ann Arbor spends $5.6 million dollars a year to discourage Ann Arbor residents from moving away. Unfortunately, we spend only 10% of that amount to encourage people to live in our City by making housing more affordable.
• To curtail urban sprawl and enable people who work in Ann Arbor to live here as well, we must provide incentives for residents to remain in the City.

A Practical Approach to Downtown Density

• Downtown density is inextricably connected to the issue of affordable housing. While I recognize that building taller structures downtown would create more space for residential and commercial enterprises, I am sympathetic to how these structures would change the downtown aesthetic.
• I support a pragmatic case-by-case approach that would carefully consider each proposal and weigh the benefits of density with the costs to aesthetics. It is Ann Arbor’s sense of community that makes it so special. We must not alter the City’s unique appeal as we work to make sure as many people as possible can afford to enjoy the Downtown area.

Listening to Every Voice

• The Arbor City Council is not representative of Ann Arbor’s population. University of Michigan students are Ann Arbor residents. Their views should be represented on the City Council. An accusation often leveled against my generation is that we are politically apathetic. My peers and I are working hard to change this perception.
• Young people do care about politics and I believe that the student body does care about the greater Ann Arbor community.

Contact us at kangforcitycouncil at gmail.com or (734) 972-7254

—–

So
long as students are systematically discouraged or prevented from
engaging in electoral politics in the communities that they call home,
we will have less young people on the voter rolls, we will have less
vibrancy and innovation in our local politics, we will raise more
citizens who become politically apathetic adults, we will retain a
needlessly vast cultural age gap, our government will be less
responsive to the concerns of the young and we will have a weaker
democracy than we deserve.

One of the founders of
the organization, Ellen Kolasky, wrote a report for the League of
Conservation Voters Education Fund last summer that I blogged about in September
on the suppression of student voting rights. When I went to find a copy
of the report online it was nowhere to be seen, but I tracked down an
electronic copy from LCVEF:

> “Not Home, Not Welcome: Barriers To Student Voters� (PDF)

—–

> Contact the Kang campaign at kangforcitycouncil (at) gmail.com or (734) 972-7254.
> View his platform
> Read articles printed by the Ann Arbor News and the Michigan Daily about his candidacy
> Join the Kang for Council Facebook Group

—–

EUGENE KANG FOR WARD 2:
WAKE UP THE CITY COUNCIL!

Dear Neighbor,

My
name is Eugene Kang, and I am running for Ann Arbor City Council. I am
proud to have lived in Ann Arbor for my entire life. And I am proud to
have spent almost my entire life right here in Ward 2.

Many
people have asked me why I want to run for office. The answer is
simple: I want to give back to this wonderful community. I attended
King Elementary School and Greenhills School for 6-12th grades. Next
year I’ll be a Senior at the University of Michigan, majoring in
English and Philosophy.

I am energetic, dedicated, and I know
I have a lot to learn. I hope that I can serve a unique role as someone
connected to both U of M students and to the greater Ann Arbor
community. Because the City Council should be more responsive to your
concerns, I have launched a precinct-by-precinct listening tour.
Together, we can make Ann Arbor an even greater place to live.

As
a lifelong resident of this community, I am aware of the challenges
facing Ann Arbor. And, on the next page, I have identified key areas in
which I plan to focus my attention. I look forward to listening to your
concerns and working for you in the future.

Sincerely,
Eugene Kang

And his platform:

Increasing Fiscal Responsibility
• Our city budget has been in deficit for the past five years and
expenses are expected to exceed revenue for at least the next two
years. We need to close this gap – but not on the backs of taxpayers
who are already paying more than their fair share.
• The cost of living in Ann Arbor is already significantly higher than
that of similar cities in the Midwest, and higher taxes will only make
it more difficult for people, especially new homeowners, to remain in
our City.
• I am committed to balancing Ann Arbor’s budget and look forward to
meeting with you to discuss your priorities and listen to your ideas.

Making Ann Arbor More Affordable
• Making Ann Arbor a more affordable place to live is critical to the
City’s future. We cannot allow our middle-class and economically
disadvantaged citizens to be pushed out of our City because of sky-high
housing prices.
• Ann Arbor spends $5.6 million dollars a year to discourage Ann Arbor
residents from moving away. Unfortunately, we spend only 10% of that
amount to encourage people to live in our City by making housing more
affordable.
• To curtail urban sprawl and enable people who work in Ann Arbor to
live here as well, we must provide incentives for residents to remain
in the City.

A Practical Approach to Downtown Density
• Downtown density is inextricably connected to the issue of affordable
housing. While I recognize that building taller structures downtown
would create more space for residential and commercial enterprises, I
am sympathetic to how these structures would change the downtown
aesthetic.
• I support a pragmatic case-by-case approach that would carefully
consider each proposal and weigh the benefits of density with the costs
to aesthetics. It is Ann Arbor’s sense of community that makes it so
special. We must not alter the City’s unique appeal as we work to make
sure as many people as possible can afford to enjoy the Downtown area.

Listening to Every Voice
• The Arbor City Council is not representative of Ann Arbor’s
population. University of Michigan students are Ann Arbor residents.
Their views should be represented on the City Council. An accusation
often leveled against my generation is that we are politically
apathetic. My peers and I are working hard to change this perception.
• Young people do care about politics and I believe that the student body does care about the greater Ann Arbor community.

Contact us at kangforcitycouncil at gmail.com or (734) 972-7254

> Download a PDF of the Flyer Here
> See my coverage of the Kang campaign
> See my viewpoint in the Daily: “A Perfect Storm Brewing in City Politics�

—–