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Wagner Concedes 40th Senate District Race To Ball

PEEKSKILL, N.Y. – District 40 state Senate candidate Justin Wagner (D-Croton) on Thursday conceded the race to incumbent Sen. Greg Ball (R-Patterson).

Democrat Justin Wagner on Thursday conceded that ballots remaining to be counted in the 40th Senate District race would be insufficient for him to overcome Republican Sen. Greg Ball's lead.

Democrat Justin Wagner on Thursday conceded that ballots remaining to be counted in the 40th Senate District race would be insufficient for him to overcome Republican Sen. Greg Ball's lead.

Photo Credit: Art Cusano

“I want to congratulate Senator Ball on a hard fought victory in this election and wish him the best in representing our community," Wagner said in a statement. "While absentee ballots are still being counted, information from the Board of Elections indicates that the number of outstanding ballots does not give me a realistic path to victory, and I do not think a protracted litigation would best serve the interest of the Hudson Valley."

Wagner, an attorney, said Thursday evening that while absentee and affidavit ballots have yet to be counted, the final Nov. 6 vote count leaves Ball with a lead that would difficult to overcome. In unofficial returns Ball received 60,680 votes to 57,456 for Wagner.

“Despite an incredible campaign and strong grassroots support, we have come up a little short, ending up with approximately 49% of the vote,” Wagner's statement said. “I’m proud of the issues-based campaign that we ran, and I want to thank the voters for engaging in a lively discussion about the issues – from raising the minimum wage, to standing up for reproductive health, to reforming our campaign finance system, to enacting common sense gun safety laws, to moving forward with substantive property tax relief. We fought for issues that impact middle class families in New York, and I will continue to do that as a private citizen.”

Ball claimed victory on election night, saying the lead of almost 7,000 votes he had gained in the Putnam and Dutchess portions of the district made it impossible for Wagner to win.

Wagner said he would now consider Ball's offer to meet for a drink after the race.

“Greg, we definitely should have that beer," Wagner said. "Let’s do it at a great Hudson Valley local business like the Peekskill Brewery. First round is on me.”

The district includes Peekskill, Cortlandt,Yorktown, Somers, New Castle, North Salem, Mount Pleasant, Mount Kisco,Lewisboro, Pound Ridge, and parts of Putnam and Dutchess Counties.

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