Archive: News

In Lansing's only local race Katrina Binkewicz (D) received 61% of the vote making her Town Councilwoman with 2676 votes.  Andra Benson (R), who had dropped out of the race too late to be taken off the ballot received 1661 votes.  A new law to update Lansing's charitable gambling law was passed 2,765 to 810.  The day after the election Binkewicz was appointed to finish Benson's term at Wednesday's regular Town Board meeting. 

Election day saw few contested races for Lansing voters.  Barack Obama (D) defeated Mitt Romney (R) 303 Electoral College delegates to 206.  270 were needed to win.  In the popular vote Obama won 60,743,181 votes (50%) to Romney's 57,853,713 (48%).  But the numbers in Tompkins County were heavily skewed toward Obama with 67.9% (24,447) of voters choosing the president and only 28.4% (10,202) for Romney.


In the newly formed 23rd Congressional District Tompkins County Legislator Nate Shinagawa (D) challenged incumbent Tom Reed (R).  Early in the counting Shinagawa was ahead, but as more districts reported results Reed took the lead, defeating Shinagawa 126,191 to     116,189, giving Reed 52.1% of votes to 52.1% Shinagawa's 47.9%.  Tompkins County supported it's own, giving Shinagawa over 70% of the vote, defeating Reed 24,264 to 10,201.  But Reed won all ten other counties Tuesday, insuring another term in Washington.  Because the vote was so close it wasn't clear who the winner would be until about an hour after campaign officials had anticipated.

"During our first two years in Congress we started the process of changing Washington," Reed told supporters late Tuesday night. "We have only just begun. The challenge is great, but I am an optimist. America’s best days are ahead."

Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D) won another term as US Senator in a landslide 72.0% victory against Wendy Long (R) and three other candidates.


Uncontested winners Tuesday included NYS Senator Mike Nozzolio (R), NYS Assemblywoman Barbara S. Lifton (D), and Tompkins County Supreme Court Justice Kevin M. Dowd (R).

"Serving the wonderful people of the Finger Lakes region is a tremendous honor," Nozzolio said.  "I look forward to continuing our work to cut spending and taxes, and meet the very serious challenges we face as a State and Nation.  I will continue to work hard to make New York State job competitive again, bring more jobs to western and central New York, and provide career opportunities for our children."

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