Over the line

A good news story from the US election is that Tom DiNapoli, Comptroller of New York State, beat off a stiff challenge from republican contender Henry Wilson (who he had dubbed "a wizard of Wall Street").

DiNapoli, who has veteran civil rights advocate Pat Doherty at his side, has made repeated commitments to investing state pension funds in the Irish peace process and this victory gives him a four-year term to get his plans over the line.

In Massachusetts, where we host our Golden Bridges luncheon later today, the Democrats saw off the republican challenge — a clear sign that they took on board the Tea Party surge earlier this year which gave Scott Brown the Senate Seat of the late Ted Kennedy. Interestingly, in many constituencies, Democrats in Massachusetts don't have challengers. One exception to that rule is State Senate President Therese Murray

(who will join us later today), a staunch ally of the Irish peace process who is especially committed to working with organisations in the Derry-Donegal region. She also saw off the Republican challenge. (Picture courtesy of Cape Cod Times.)