Sen. Neil Breslin will take on Republic challenger Bob Domenici and Independent Michael Carey on Election Day, after Democratic primary challenger Luke Martland conceded late Tuesday night.
I’m delighted with the win, said Breslin. `It’s a very difficult climate, particularly in and around the Capitol where everyone reads about the legislature on a daily basis.`
Breslin touched on the anti-incumbency sentiment that surrounded the primary elections and said the voters showed the state that he is different from the rest.
`Last night, the voters looked at me as an exception,` he said. `They looked at me as someone who will make sure we do look to correct corruption.`
With more than 93 percent of districts reporting, Bresin led Martland 9,962 votes to 7,208. There were 1,454 write in votes.
`We respect the decision of the voters,` said Martland. `They want to keep him as a their senator and that’s what I’ll respect.`
Martland put a substantial amount of his own money into his campaign, and the candidate said that fact alone will likely preclude him from a future go at office.
`I’m broke, I’m unemployed, so I need to get a job,` he said. `I’ll go home and I’ll sleep, rest up, and tomorrow I’ll start rebuilding.`
Immediately following Martland’s concession, Domenici issued the following statement: `Neil Breslin’s primary victory tonight showed Albany County’s dissatisfaction with Mr. Breslin’s politics-as-usual approach. A full 45 percent of Albany County Democrats rejected the incumbent.
`Now, the real campaign begins. And, I hope that Mr. Breslin is ready for the campaign of his life.`
Domenici went after Breslin for being `anti-business` and said the lack of jobs in the state are driving people out of the state.
`If we continue to lose the population we’re losing and the job structure we’re losing,` he said, `we’re going to continue to lose our best and brightest; our youngest citizens and their not going to come back.`
Domenici expressed the fact that he has never been an elected official. He also harped on Breslin’s status as an incumbent, for his gaffe on the prior approval bill and for accepting donations from the insurance industry, which he regulates as the senate’s insurance committee as chairman, paralleling much of what Martland had run on.
`We’re just going to state his record and we’re going to show there’s a clear difference,` he said. `You can vote for the incumbent and go down the old road and continue to pass, or you can look at the new future and say `we’re going to correct this and we’re going to unite the county and work as a team to rebuild our economic capacity.`
He added that he believes Martland would have beaten Breslin if he had more time and more money. Domenici said he will be appearing all over the district, just like Martland, and even said he would be reaching out to his supporters.
Results are unofficial and will be updated as districts report. Come back to www.spotlightnews.com and see the Wednesday, Sept. 22, print edition for full election coverage.
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