Four incumbents in the Southern Tier won re-election to their offices in Tuesday’s election, but the local story of election night was former congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s overwhelming lead over incumbent Congressman Anthony Brindisi in the race for the 22nd Congressional District seat. Tenney had a 25, 000 vote lead over Brindisi — a 54% to 44% margin — with 92% of the votes counted early Wednesday morning. Election officials report 60,000 absentee ballots still need to be counted from voters in the district that essentially runs from Binghamton north to Utica.
Tenney issued a statement early Wednesday: ““Based on early returns, I am confident that our campaign will prevail. I am overwhelmed by the outpouring support for our campaign. I want to thank our volunteers and supporters for all their hard work and the voters of the 22nd District for their confidence. Voters here know that our country and our communities are worth fighting for and I will carry that fight to Washington. America and Upstate New York need champions that will always put the people first. I pledge to always put Central New York and the Southern Tier first. The work to Make Upstate New York and the United States of America Great Again has only just begun.”
Brindisi issued a statement: “Regardless of if you’re a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, if you voted for me or not, we are all Americans first. As the count continues, we are in for a long couple of weeks. It is important that the people of NY-22 have their voice heard and send a representative to Congress who shows up, works with both parties, and stands up to anyone on behalf of this community. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve you in Congress.”
Other race:
- Fred Akshar beat Thomas Quiter for a third term in the 52nd District seat in the New York State Senate with 86% of the vote. Akshar issued this statement Tuesday night: “Votes are still being counted and will be coming in for quite some time. Every vote must be counted, but I’m humbled and grateful for the overwhelming support we’ve received tonight from the people of the 52nd Senate District. Throughout this campaign we ran like we were 5 points behind because I’m never going to be a candidate that takes anything for granted. I look forward to going right back to work in the morning and continuing to stand up, speak out and fight for the people I’m honored to serve.”
- Christopher Friend won re-electrion for a sixth term from the 124th District in the New York State Assembly by 65% to 35% over Randy Reid.
- Jason Garnar will return to the Broome County executive’s office after beating Carl Bernhardsen with 64% of the vote.
- Tom Reed won the 23rd Congressional District seat with a 56% to 46% win over Tracy Mitrano.
The background of each race was reported in the following story.
‘Brindisi-Tenney: The Rematch’ is probably the most highly and hotly contested race in the Southern Tier, with two high-profile candidates. Anthony Brindisi, an incumbent Democrat, is facing a challenge from former one-term Congresswoman Claudia Tenney. Two years ago, Brindisi took the 22nd Conressional seat from Tenney in a contentious campaign — similar to this year’s “he-said, she-said” ad-nauseam race with each candidate touting their accomplishments, often related to controlling Spectrum cable — who raised again rates at a time when consumers were feeling the financial strees caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
Sen. Fred Akshar is running for a third term for the 52nd District in the New York State Senate that includes Tioga, Broome and Chenango counties. As a former deputy sheriff in Broome County, Akshar is an ardent supporter of law enfocement and highly critical of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, especially the governor’s so-called bail reforms. Thomas Quiter, of the Libertarian Party, is running against Akshar. Quiter, a native of Mt. Upton, describes himself as a self advocate for his disability who for six years directly advocated for individuals whose needs were not met by the system.
In the 23rd Congressional District, an incumbent faces a challenge from an actively campaigning opponent. Democrat Tracy Mitrano is on the ballot against 10-year incumbent Tom Reed, a Republican and former mayor of Corning. Mitrano, a Rochester native, is a cyber-security expert. The district includes a good portion of Tioga County but the candidates largely ignored the county. As the elected congressman, Reed has rarely come to Tioga County. The district covers a vast geographical area from Owego to the Ohio border.
FRIEND VS. REID
Assemblyman Christopher Friend is seeking his sixth term in the New York State Assembly from the 124th District. Friend is a Republican and native of Big Flats in Chemung County, where the majority of his constituents live. Although the district includes all of Tioga County, Friend is only an infrequent visitor to the county. Randy Reid is the Democratic candidate. Reid, a member of the Elmira School Board and long-time Elmira area businessman, is currently the Business Development Manager at Capabilities in Elmira.
Voters in Broome County will decide whether to return incumbent Jason Garnar to the executive’s office or elect a former legislator to the county’s top office. Garnar, a Democrat, is running for a second four-year term in office. Karl Bernhardsen, Republican candidate, is on the ballot. He previously served one term as a county legislator.
The local story of election night was former congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s overwhelming lead over incumbent Congressman Anthony Brindisi by 25,000 votes.