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Clinton to face Spencer in November

BY GLENN THRUSH | Newsday Washington Bureau

September 13, 2006

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton bulldozed anti-war challenger Jonathan Tasini in yesterday's Democratic primary, clearing the way for a new David-and-Goliath contest against Republican John Spencer in November's general election.

Clinton defeated Tasini in a race that was largely ignored by Democratic voters who seem to be looking beyond the senator's re-election to her possible 2008 presidential bid.

"I'm honored and deeply gratified by this expression of support," she said in a statement. "I've worked hard to earn your confidence, and I will continue to work hard on behalf of the issues and values we share."

With polls showing her 30 to 40 percentage points ahead of Spencer, Clinton's biggest political challenge might be amassing a victory large enough to compare with Sen. Charles Schumer's 2004 showing of 71 percent. It will be tough to do, but she'll need to come close to maintain momentum for 2008, analysts say.

"She literally has to get into the 60s or it will be a bitter victory," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. "If she runs against a candidate who hasn't spent a lot of money and is just cashing it on anti-Hillary votes, then she's going to have some explaining to do."

Doug Muzzio, a politics professor at Baruch College, said Clinton is likely to spend much of the fall trying to make inroads among conservatives and independents.

"She wants to demonstrate that her appeal goes beyond the Democratic base for '08," he said. "Clearly she would love to exceed Schumer, but she mostly wants to be able to make the statement she can win over red state voters in blue states."

Tasini, a former union official who helped to finance his bid with his entire $50,000 life savings, had hoped to turn the race into a referendum on Clinton's October 2002 vote in support of the Iraq invasion.

But polls showed that many New York Democrats found Clinton's support of the war, along with her criticism of the Bush administration, to be an acceptable position.

Clinton kept a low profile on Election Day, voting near her Chappaqua mansion before returning to Washington.