Republican Congressman Chris Gibson kept his seat in New York's 19th Congressional District with large leads over Democratic challenger Sean Eldridge on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
In a statement emailed to the press at 10:42 p.m. on election night, Eldridge conceded the race to Gibson, saying that he was "proud of the issues we focused on in this race."
Gibson had a hefty lead over Eldridge in early election results: at 10:30 p.m., with fewer than half of the precincts in the 19th District reporting, Gibson had 62 percent of the vote overall, while Eldridge had 35 percent.
In the Catskills counties that reported unofficial results before 11 p.m., Gibson won by even larger margins: 61 precent of the vote in Sullivan County, 74 percent in Greene County, and 79 percent in Schoharie County.
Gibson emailed a victory statement at 11:01 p.m., thanking voters and citing broad support for his campaign "across party lines." Gibson said that his first act will be to shepherd a Lyme Disease bill into law.
Here are the statements from the two candidates in full:
Gibson:
Tonight's victory was a direct result of the overwhelming support we received from all corners of the district and across party lines. I am so grateful to all of our volunteers, supporters, and those who cast a vote at the polls today. I am honored to once again have been entrusted by my friends and neighbors to represent them in Congress.
Now, there remains much to be done - growing our economy, healthcare reform that works, ensuring sound fiscal and environmental policy, and protecting our freedoms. Most immediately, I will be working with the Senate to ensure passage of my Lyme Disease bill so we can get that bill signed into law by the President.
As always, my commitment to those I have the privilege to represent remains constant: I will always put the needs of Upstate New York first in everything I do.
Eldridge:
I am incredibly grateful to my hardworking team, my friends in the labor community, and the more than a thousand volunteers who put so much time and energy into our campaign. I hope they will stay involved in the political process and continue to make their voices heard.
Although we fell short tonight, I am proud of the issues we focused on in this race, from building an economy that works for all Americans to the need to address campaign finance reform and climate change with much greater urgency, and I remain committed to fighting for those issues and working to make life better for families in our region.
I congratulate Congressman Gibson on his victory and wish him and his family well. I hope that he and our elected officials from both sides of the aisle will rise above partisan gridlock and get to work on the urgent issues facing our region and our nation.
This story has been updated as results have come in.
