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There are swing districts and then there are seesaw districts. New York’s 22nd Congressional District is the latter. After a drawn-out legal challenge, Republican Claudia Tenney was certified as the winner on Monday, unseating moderate Democrat Anthony Brindisi – who just two years earlier defeated Tenney after her first term in Congress.
The outcome may induce whiplash for residents of the Central New York district – and for observers who waited more than three months for the last undecided House seat in the country to be called.But in a year full of upheaval and changes to how New Yorkers voted, it may not be that surprising the district switched hands again, especially since Tenney only won by 109 votes. “It has really kind of been a Ping-Pong match between Brindisi and Tenney,” said Luke Perry, a political science professor at Utica College. “One bounce of the ball has determined who has been the victor.”
Claudia Tenney and Anthony Brindisi. Photos: Official Congressional portraits
Feb 08, 2021 The race for New York’s 22nd district, which includes parts of the North Country, is finally over. Incumbent Democrat Anthony Brindisi conceded today to Republican Claudia Tenney.
Brindisi, from Utica, issued a statement Monday afternoon congratulating Tenney on her win. He called serving in Congress the “honor of a lifetime” and said has offered to help her make a smooth transition into Congress.
In the same statement, Brindisi said the election and counting process was “riddled with errors, inconsistencies and systematic violations of state and federal election laws.” The race was incredibly close, with the court’s final tallies putting Tenney in the lead by 109 votes out of the more than 326,500 people who voted in the district.