Republican John Katko has ousted Dan Maffei from the 24th Congressional District seat.
Katko claimed victory on Election Night by a margin of more than 18,000 votes. Though Maffei had obtained a court order impounding absentee and military ballots, it’s unlikely they’ll change Tuesday night’s outcome.
To raucous cheers and a rock star’s welcome, Katko told celebrants at the Republican Party’s Victory Night celebration at the Sheraton Syracuse University that they were sending a “fighter” to Congress.
“For 20 years, I fought the good fight, putting law enforcement together, putting different groups together,” Katko said of his time as a prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s office. “Believe me, when you have federal, state and local law enforcement, and then you mix in politicians and public figures, it can be a tough thing, but we made it work for 20 years.”
Katko, who earned 73,317 votes to Maffei’s 55,268, promised to bring that dedication to Washington.
“We have some work to do. There’s no question about it,” he said. “I’m not going down there, starry-eyed, thinking we’re going to light the world on fire. But when you have unemployment stubbornly high here, you have manufacturers continuing to leave, you have all the problems we have here, you have to do something about it. I have a seven-point economic plan and I’m going to do my best to get it into place.”
Katko also pledged to work with both parties to accomplish his agenda and serve the district.
“Anybody want to know why I’m wearing a purple tie? It’s a combination of red and blue, because we’ve all got to get together, Democrats and Republicans,” he said. “We deserve better for this district, and we deserve better for this country, on both sides of the aisle. It’s not just a Democrat thing, and it’s not just a Republican thing. We deserve better out of our leaders. We deserve better than having a 10 percent approval rating for our congressman. We’ve got to keep trying to get things better. That’s why I got into the race.”
Meanwhile, at the Democratic Party’s celebration at the OnCenter, the mood was much more somber, as Maffei’s supporters reacted to the news with tears and disappointment.
“Elections don’t always have the outcomes that we want,” Maffei said in his concession speech. “For the sake of our area, our region, Central New York, we wish Mr. Katko well, regardless of our differences, and that’s what I just did.”
Maffei said he is going to focus on his family, including wife Abby Davidson-Maffei and daughter Maya, who was born in July.
“While I am disappointed, I have a wonderful family that I love more than anything,” he said. “I now must devote my full and total energy and attention to them.”
Onondaga County Democratic Committee Chairman Mark English said while area Democrats are “heartbroken” over Maffei’s loss, the Democratic Party is set to be the “dominant party” in the county because of incumbent victories in the state assembly. Maffei was the only Democratic incumbent in Onondaga County to lose his seat.
