Vic Chambers holds on in divided NAT primary election

MASTWIN, S. Ceona -- A four-way race for the special Senate election in South Ceona benefitted the incumbent, Saturday.

Sen. Vic Chambers (N) secured his party's nomination for re-election, despite three well-funded challengers from his party who targeted the moderate senator.

Chambers secured 27.72% of the votes in Saturday's special election, hardly a mandate from Nationalist Party voters, but enough to win the NAT nomination.

His closest challenger was left-wing activist Taffy Layholt, a community organizer from inner-city Fairfield. Layholt received just over a quarter of the votes (25.08%), respectively.

Businesswoman Tiffany Kisner and former Member of Assembly Allan Shephard, both moderates, were close behind. Kisner received 24.27% and Shephard had 22.93 percent, as of the last-updated numbers.

Early on in the tabulations, it was looking grim for Chambers, who, despite being a life-long Nationalist, has a very conservative voting record and often sides with his Conservative colleagues over his fellow NAT peers.

Even though South Ceona is a Conservative-leaning state, Chambers has had success winning re-election in the past, as many Conservative voters have supported him.

But over the past few years, Nationalists have grown increasingly dissatisfied with Chambers' conservative voting patterns.

South Ceona liberals have attacked Chambers for years, and were hoping to oust him in the party's special primary election.

However, progressives' hopes were dashed when Chambers three opponents split the vote and allowed the senator to narrowly slip by with a plurality of the vote.

Chambers supporters were nervous early in the night, as early returns from the state's more populous western half leaned heavily in favor of Layholt, Kisner and Shephard.

Hinterwin County, the state's most-populated, which encompasses the state's largest city of Gallaghan, went easily to Shephard. Chambers took a distant last-place there.

He fared similarly badly in Fairfield County, the second-most-populous county. Shephard won that county too.

In eastern South Ceona, Chambers came in last in Malden County also, the fourth-largest county in the state.

But he made significant gains in Addieburg County, which includes Chambers' hometown of Mastwin. The senator won over 60% there, routing his rivals.

Chambers was also successful in several mid-size counties, including New Britain County, which includes the northern suburbs of Fairfield, and Whimsner County in the north-central part of the state.

His surprise win is relief for the state's Conservative Party, which has agreed not to run an official Conservative candidate against Chambers in the upcoming general election.

With no strong candidates lined up to run, the state CNS Party recruited businessman and former Senate candidate Scotch Harrison as a last-minute candidate, in case Chambers lost his NAT primary.

Chambers struck a deal with South Ceona's Conservative Party because of his history of voting with the CNS so frequently. In many ways, Chambers is considered a reliable Conservative vote, even though he's from the opposing party.

He will now go on to the special general election, where no mainstream or well-known Conservative candidates will be on the ballot. Scotch Harrison immediately withdrew from the race upon Chambers' win.

The only candidate left on the ballot will be Conservative activist John Rambo from rural Silanstra County. Rambo has little name recognition and little money backing his campaign, and the Conservative Party has made clear they do not endorse Rambo's candidacy.

That clears the path for Chambers to win re-election, however, the 77-year-old senator has hinted his third term may be his last.

Assuming Chambers wins re-election, he'll remain a firm conservative senator representing South Ceona. 

Fellow Nationalist Sen. Mick O'Toole is the only reliable liberal vote representing the state.

***South Ceona Senate Primary Election -- NAT -- Results***

Chambers	Kisner	Layholt	Shephard		Chambers	Kisner	Layholt	Shephard
27.72%	24.27%	25.08%	22.93%		204,960	179,451	185,492	169,569
					27.72%	24.27%	25.08%	22.93%