License plan spills into local races around state

NEW YORK - Voters around New York decided a spate of local races and one statewide ballot measure Tuesday on an Election Day that drew a surprising amount of nasty rhetoric at the county level because of the governor's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

No statewide offices were up for election, but Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer's license plan has become such a hot-button issue that it managed to spill into county clerk, legislature and supervisor races that rarely make headlines.

With their base so riled up by the proposal, Republicans sought to take advantage of the license controversy by labeling Democrats as weak on terrorism.