From Craig Johnson's web site:

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Thank you so much for all of your help. This was a tremendous victory for the residents of the 7th Senate District, Nassau County and all of New York State.

This seems like the right place for Liz and I to offer special thanks to the bloggers and the netroots community who energized this race from near and far. I don’t want to leave anyone out, but let me mention The Albany Project, The WFP Blog, Daily Gotham, Nassau GOP Watch and, of course, Daily Kos, which hosted our blograiser.

Together, we’re going to move New York forward.

Best wishes,

Craig M. Johnson

There was a political earthquake last night. The election of Craig Johnson to a seat that hasn't been occupied by a Democrat in a century puts the future of the state Senate into play, and strengthens the mandate of Eliot Spitzer for a full-throttle reform push.

That raises several questions.

First, will Shelly Silver insist on ignoring the procedure he agreed to and choose a Member of the Assembly for the post of Comptroller?

Second, if he does so, what will governor Steamroller do?

Third, if Democrats now manage to flip the Senate, will the new leader, Malcolm Smith, continue to embrace reform, including the full implementation of the Brennan Center reforms? Or will it be business as usual under new management?

Stay tuned. This fight isn't over quite as yet.

...and the steamroller wins.

Craig Johnson 26,452
Maureen O'Connell 22,929

Goodbye, Joe Bruno. Goodbye, Wingnut Maureen. Goodbye, republican party.

It's over.

Alrighty, this is it. We'll be posting results as they come online. Meanwhile...

...Log Cabin republicans, poor befuddled creatures that they are, cry foul over Maureen's vicious anti-gay literature; they had previously given her $8,000 and volunteered for her. Suckers. (NY Blade)

...A phone call I just placed to Lipris reveals hectic activity in Great Neck. I also hear Port Washington is surpassing expectations.

...Keeler and Pollak are out in the field.

[Update1]: When results come, they'll be posted here.

[Update2]: Just posted a diary on DKos about those illegal republican shenanigans.

[Update3]: It's 8 PM, the polls close in an hour.

[Update4]: Kickass; top of the Rec list on DKos. Polls close in fifteen minutes, and I'm now hearing that Great Neck looks "very good".

[Update5]: 9:04 PM EST, polls have been closed for four minutes. Results will begin trickling in in about fifteen minutes or so.

From Nassau Voter Protection:

Republican Board of Elections Commissioner Sends Out Illegal Order For Election Inspectors to Disregard County Attorney's Letter on Voter ID
Democrats: We're Prepared for the Worst

MINEOLA – With four hours before polls close in the hotly-contested special election between Craig Johnson and Maureen O'Connell, the Republican County Board of Elections Commissioner has taken illegal steps designed to intimidate and suppress voters.

Commissioner John DeGrace has illegally ordered election inspectors to disregard a legally binding court order, as well as the written instructions of the Nassau County Attorney – effectively encouraging Republican poll workers to suppress voting by demanding identification from voters.

DeGrace issued an order on Board of Elections letterhead requiring Election Inspectors to "disregard" the Nassau County Attorney's letter delivered to all poll watchers this morning.

Johnson campaign spokesperson Alex Navarro said, "We're prepared for the worst. Our campaign has deployed dozens of extra voter protection attorneys to at-risk areas, We have real concerns that Commissioner DeGrace is attempting to interfere with the lawful conduct of the last hours of this critical special election."

DeGrace's actions are illegal for two reasons:

1. First, the Republican chair issued the order on official Board of Elections letterhead without informing the Democratic Commissioner, Bill Biamonte. Under law, neither Commissioner can act unilaterally. By issuing orders without informing his Democratic colleague, DeGrace has violated election law.

2. The order issued by Judge Brandveen last night is still in effect while a stay is in effect. Until this stay is lifted in Appellate Court, Judge Brandveen's order is still in full effect. Judge Brandveen's order stated that all polls and all poll workers should have access to the letter issued by the Nassau County Attorney, and requiring elections workers to disregard this law is requiring them to disobey a court order.

There's more:

Resolved: republicans are human garbage. That's pretty much the conclusion after seeing this desperate piece of hateful crap from Maureen O'Connell, wingnut:

Oh, and there's this:

Hateful, desperate, bigoted, un-American filth. That's the republicans for you.

(Hat tip to The Albany Project).

[Update]: Oh wait, there's more. After a republican judge denied their illegal request for blanket I.D. checks, the O'Connell thugs are back in court to try that again. Desperate scumbags.

This just in from Nassau Voter Protection; the above flyer (click to enlarge), clearly pretending to be an official statement from the U.S. Attorney's office, is currently being districbuted in the Seventh District.

Somebody really should call the AG's office.

Alex Navarro emails over this blog effort to document republican voter suppression tactics. Check it out, here.

It's on, people. To volunteer, please call 516-393-0700.

If anyone challenges you at the polls, please call 1-800-300-8707 immediately.

Sponsored by: The Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause/NY, DEMOS, League of Women Voters/NYS, NYPIRG.

The New York Times: The Nassau special election has officially surpassed all records for a state legislative race, with a price tag now above $5,000,000.

Underscoring the importance of the race: both the republican and Democratic Presidential frontrunners campaigned in-district yesterday:

Hillary...

...and Rudy, sans Bernie Kerik (all images NYT).

Newsday reports remarks by Senator Malcolm Smith that winning this race, with some party-switchers, could wrest the Senate from the enfeebled republican clutches. He mentions a 'zone of potential agreement', 'ZOPA', on which we'll have a few things to say when the time comes.