Updating Key Races and a Few Non-Key Ones

In NY-23, Bill Owens now leads by 3.6% with 76% of the vote in. This means that Conservative Doug Hoffman would have to win by 15% in the remainder of the precincts in order to carry the district. This one looks like it is almost over with Owens pulling off what surely is the upset of this election cycle.

In Maine, Gay Marriage is losing narrowly, down 3.2% with 60% of the votes counted. If gay marriage loses out it will continue an unbroken streak of gay marriage losing in every state in which it has been voted on. This vote is close, but it is a heat check for the gay marriage movement, which has made progress in courts and legislatures, but evidentally not as much progress with the voting public, even in purple-blue Maine.

Also in Maine, a proposition to expand the availability of medical marijuana appears headed to an easy win, continuing a nationwide trend of decriminalizing or legalizing medical marijuana.

On the ballot in Washington is a civil union law which is a essentially "gay marriage without the name". In early returns, the measure is losing by 9% with 23% of the votes counted.

One correction from earlier -- I had said that Mary Norwood appeared headed to win the Atlanta mayoral race. However, Georgia election laws require an outright majority to avoid a run-off. She is leading comfortably, but appears to not be headed for 50%, meaning she will face a run-off with second-place finisher Kasim Reed.