Republican Bob Turner Captures Seat Vacated by Weiner

In a race largely viewed as a referendum on President Barack Obama’s economic policies, Republican Bob Turner, a retired television executive perhaps best known for producing “The Jerry Springer Show,” easily defeated Democratic state Assemblyman David Weprin to capture New York’s traditionally-Democratic 9^th Congressional District seat vacated in June by former Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Turner, who was declared the winner shortly before midnight, had 32,403 votes, or 53.7 percent, to Weprin’s 27,599, or 45.8 percent, with 448 of the district’s 512 precincts reporting.

Little-known Christopher Hoeppner of the Socialist Workers Party, who waged a gritty campaign in the face of a virtual media blackout, was unofficially polling 277 votes, according to media reports.

In winning the seat once held by the late Geraldine Ferraro and senior New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, Turner — waging his second campaign for the seat — took advantage of a number of miscues and gaffes by the once-favored Weprin to stage a spectacular come-from-behind victory.

Turner, 70, had polled a respectable 41 percent of the vote against Rep. Weiner in the heavily-Democratic district last November.

Encompassing most of Queens and part of Brooklyn, New York’s ninth congressional district was last represented by a Republican during Warren G. Harding’s administration.