Washington – Anthony Brindisi today granted the election of the 22nd Congressional District to Claudia Tenney, abruptly ending a three-month legal battle over the ballots disputed in the election.
Brindisi, a Utica Democrat, was filing a legal appeal against a state Supreme Court decision that allowed New York State to certify Tenney as the winner of the elections this morning by 109 votes.
But two hours after the state certified the election at noon, Brindisi called Tenney to grant. He told her he would withdraw all legal remedies and his requirement for a manual manual recount of all more than 316,000 votes cast in the election.
Brindisi said in a statement that it is time to leave the elections and focus on uniting the nation and building a better community.
But he said he has deep concerns about a series of mistakes and other problems that arose when election officials in eight counties counted absentee and declaration votes after the November 3 election.
“My only disappointment is that the court did not want to give us a recount,” said Brindisi. “Unfortunately, we may never know how many legal voters were turned down at the ballot box or un counted ballots due to the ineptitude of electoral boards, especially in Oneida County.”
Among the errors discovered during court proceedings in the past three months was the failure of Oneida County to process more than 2,400 voters’ requests that correctly registered with the Motor Vehicle Department, but were prevented from voting on election day.
“My hope is that some authority will intervene and investigate the massive voter deprivation that occurred during this election,” said Brindisi.
Brindisi’s decision to withdraw all resources and recount requests opens the door for Tenney, a Republican from New Hartford, to take office as soon as possible.
“I really appreciate Anthony’s call today and I thank him for his service,” said Tenney in a statement. “He kindly offered to help ensure a smooth transition and I look forward to working with him in the coming days to complete this process on behalf of everyone at NY-22.”
The 22nd district seat has been vacant since January 3, Brindisi’s last day in office. It was the last run by the country’s House of Undecided. Three other seats in the 435-member House are vacant due to death or resignation.
Here is Brindisi’s full statement:
Today I congratulated Claudia Tenney and offered to make the transition process as smooth as possible on behalf of our community. I hope she will be a representative of everyone in this district, not just those who agree with her point of view, and will work with members of both parties to heal the deep divisions that exist in our country.
It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve my hometown, the place where I grew up and am raising my family. Unfortunately, this election and counting process was riddled with errors, inconsistencies and systematic violations of state and federal electoral laws. My only disappointment is that the court did not wish to grant us a recount. Unfortunately, we may never know how many legal voters were turned down at the ballot box or un counted ballots due to the ineptitude of the electoral boards, especially in Oneida County. My hope is that some authority will intervene and investigate the massive loss of voters that occurred during this election.
I am proud of the achievements we have achieved together in the past two years. Whether strengthening laws to support jobs here in Upstate New York, working to help end the veteran suicide epidemic, or struggling to distribute resources to rural and underserved communities, I have always put politics aside and put people first. .
I want to thank my family, especially my wife Erica and two children, Anthony and Lily, for their patience, love and support. I want to thank my excellent staff. I was fortunate to work with some of the most dedicated and talented public service professionals. I also want to thank my campaign team for their hard work and for staying with me during this long and complicated count. Finally, I thank all of our volunteers and this community for giving me the opportunity to serve you in Congress.
It is time to close the book on this election and focus on building a better community and a more united country for our children.
MORE ABOUT THE NY-22 ELECTION
NY certifies Claudia Tenney as House Race winner against Anthony Brindisi
Amid mistakes and delays, a lesson from the 22nd race in New York: how not to run for an election
On NY 22, judges suggest that there are no big options for correcting Oneida County’s mistake
What’s next for the Brindisi-Tenney House race? Resources, recount, can delay the decision for months
700 votes were cast in Oneida County. Officials ignored state law in the latest mess
Oneida County missed 2,400 voter registrations, preventing their votes in the Brindisi-Tenney dispute
Have a tip, comment or idea for a story? Contact Mark Weiner at any time by: The e-mail | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751