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6.27.2012

nate shinagawa wins democratic primary in 23rd congressional district

On Tuesday, 28-year-old Tompkins County Legislator Nate Shinagawa won the Democratic Party primary in New York's newly redrawn 23rd Congressional District: Shinagawa wins race for 23rd Congressional District nomination.

Shinagawa won a three way race against Leslie Danks Burke and Melissa Dobson. The Associated Press declared him the winner shortly before 11:00pm, with returns from 589 or the district's 596 precincts showing he had 55 percent of the vote.

He will face off against incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Reed in November:
In his acceptance speech to supporters, Shinagawa thanked his Democratic opponents for elevating the level of campaign discourse. Leslie Danks Burke and Melissa Dobson "ran inspiring campaigns," he said.

"Together, we showed this district why Democratic values like fairness and opportunity matter. I look forward to working with them in the coming months in our common effort to change the direction of Congress," Shinagawa said.

Shinagawa spoke only once of his upcoming Republican opponent Congressman Reed, using the night’s events to link the incumbent to the corporate elite and aligning Reed against the welfare of voters.

"My Republican opponent, Congressman Tom Reed, and his Tea-Party leadership in Congress think that the job creators in this country are billionaires and large, multinational corporations. They give more tax cuts and more subsidies while the rest of the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes struggles," he said.
More here: Shinagawa to Face Reed in November.