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Altschuler Concedes - Bishop 'I Now Have A Different Job'

By Nicole A. Flotteron | 26 Comments

Randy Altschuler concedes to incumbent Tim Bishop. (thinksb.com)

Southampton - Randy Altschuler, Republican/Conservative candidate, has conceded the hard-fought race for New York's 1st Congressional District seat as of this morning, December 8. With approximately 977 absentee ballots left to be counted, unofficial numbers showed four-term Democrat incumbent Congressman Tim Bishop with a 263 vote lead over Altschuler, with a total of more than 194,000 votes cast. The 1st Congressional District was the last undecided House seat in the nation.

Additionally, the Altschuler campaign dropped its legal challenges to the remaining uncounted absentee ballots. This will allow the Suffolk County Board of Elections to count the remaining ballots. While the Altschuler campaign uncovered numerous instances of absentee ballots that may have been unlawfully cast, the campaign is confident that the proper authorities will take the appropriate action concerning them and that their number is too small to alter the outcome of the election.

Randy Altschuler issued the following statement:

"After consulting with my family and campaign staff, I am ending my campaign and offering congratulations to Congressman Tim Bishop on his victory.

"Although Newsday, The New York Times and the Bishop campaign have all called for a hand recount of all the ballots cast on Election Day, I will not support such an action as I feel its cost will place an unnecessary burden on the taxpayers of Suffolk County."

"This was a very close election, and I want to thank everyone who was involved. Let me assure each and every one of my supporters, including my volunteers, donors and campaign staff, that your hard work, friendship and generosity will never be forgotten."

"I also want to thank the voters of Suffolk County. You proved that every vote does count and why it is so important that all Americans participate in our electoral process."

"I entered this race because I was worried about the future of our nation. The problems America faces are many and will not be easily solved. I plan to stay active in politics and continue to speak out on the issues that affect the residents of Suffolk County, our state and our nation. Those issues include high taxes, runaway spending and an ever-growing deficit. I intend to play an active role in building the Republican and Conservative Party voices in both Suffolk County and New York State."

During a conference call held at 11:15 a.m. with members of the media, Congressman Bishop reported that at 8:45 a.m. this morning, he received a call from Randy Altschuler in which Altschuler conceded the race. "It was a very gracious call and I thank him for that. He congratulated me on the victory, wished me well, I wished him well and told him that even though we had gone at each other pretty hard during the campaign, I hold a great deal of respect for him, and I wished him well," said Bishop.

The election in the 1st District will serve as a model for years to come that the old adage "every vote counts" is indeed true. Bishop expects that at the end of absentee ballot counting, the final margin will be in the 500 to 600 range of votes, with about 40 percent of the district voting. When asked to what he attributes his narrow victory, Bishop replied, "The victory is a validation of two things: number one how hard I and my staff have worked over the last eight years to deliver to our constituents; the second is the fact that over these last eight years I have formed partnerships with all of my fellow elected officials, regardless of [political] party to bring the federal government to the table to solve local problems and I think that is what the people of our district expect."

Bishop acknowledged that as a minority in the House of Representatives, his tactics as far as how to achieve his goals for the district and the country will have to change. "I now have a different job - my job will be to do the best that I can using the personal relationships that I've developed and the seniority that I have over the past eight years to influence legislation that will be written by the other side of the aisle to see that my constituents have their issues dealt with."

When asked if he sees need to make changes to the voting machines in New York, Bishop said, "I think that absolutely a change has to be made, in that they need remove the memory sticks from the machines and take them to either a central location or a series of satellite locations so that we don't have these transcription problems that we had on election night."

With a narrow margin victory over Randy Altschuler, and with five of his Democratic incumbent colleagues voted out of the House of Representatives, Bishop will have to vote and put forth legislation in his next term that will accommodate all of the 600,000 members of the district he represents. "I'm going to work as hard as I possibly can. It is what I have done for the past eight years and I am going to continue to do that, and to make myself as accessible as I can, and to listen to as broad a range of opinion as I can. I've always tried to be guided by what is in the best interest of the kind of family I grew up in," explained Bishop.

In a statement released today by the Bishop camp, Bishop stated, "As a Suffolk County native, I am honored to have the opportunity to continue representing our community," Bishop said. "I will continue to work hard for our community and cross party lines to make sure we deliver for Suffolk County."

With information released from the office of Randy Altschuler

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Bishop, Grimm Announce Bipartisan Bill To Fight Outsourcing Of Call Center Jobs

Randy Altschuler Names Diana Weir Campaign Manager

Comments

Guest (Guest) from Hampton Bays says:
Noth Sea Guest: Spirt, empathy, ideas and vision sure isn't Timmy! A Pelousy clone, progressive, left-wing liberal is Bishop! Did you read todays headline? 11 million spent and 1.25 jobs created! What a joke! If Timmy continues to follow the San Fran witches lead, he will be out in 2012 with the worst president ever elected. Omama!

Guest (Guest) from hampton bays says:
i completely agree that the attorney general's office should investigate the claims of voter fraud taking place in the recent election. newsday reported that of the 38% of districts that telephoned in incorrect results the night of the election, district 216 (Brookhaven) had over 500 votes for mr. altschuler, over 400 votes for mr. bishop, yet they called in the results that night as "zero votes for altschuler, zero votes for bishop". this is only the tip of the iceberg of unanswered questions about what just took place

Guest (Guest) from North Sea says:
Tim won- he represents what the MAJORITY of the first district want. We neither need or want another Conservative moron who created the mess we are trying to climb out of. All the whining conservatives can think about is not paying their fair share of taxes to this great country. They don't talk about the right wing policies that have dragged us into two wars and destroyed the lives of our armed forces heroes, needlessly. Or to put it another way, the majority doesn't want your dumb ideas leading us back into the 19 century -"unions are evil" - try reading a history book and learning what this country was like without them. Better yet try thinking before you write your selfish letters about your tax problems. You don't care about creating a better world beyond your front yards. We need people in leadership positions with spirit, empathy, ideas and vision. Wake up we just elected one!

Guest (Guest) from East Hampton says:
Congressman Tim Bishop has done a wonderful job representing the average person in this district. He is a hard working rep. with his feet on the ground. When will all these turkeys realize that voting republican is NOT in their best interests unless they make $250,000 or more a year. Don't they realize that the last 10 years has seen the biggest transfer of wealth to the fewest people in US history. The middle class has been decimated!! The middle class are the group of citizens that make ouer economy float. Get real!

Turkey Bridge ...

Turkey Bridge says:
Lot of dittoheads out there. What was that I said about sore losers earlier? Now that I've buttered you up, let me ask you all, since you're so down on unnecessary spending, what do you think about the recent extravagance by the Republican-Conservative majority on the Southampton Town Board? If you don't know, the Supervisor there wanted to eliminate a redundant Town department, along with its $150,000-a-year chief, but the majority Gang of Three restored that department, and went ahead to hire a new chief for it without following any of the normal procedures, like advertising the position, interviewing candidates, discussing it with the whole Board, or allowing time for meaningful public input. They plugged a Riverhead Republican into a Southampton patronage job at great expense to the taxpayers. I know it's off topic, but I'm not hearing you guys anywhere talking about that.

Guest (Guest) from Noth Sea says:
He IS a progressive Liberal-worse than a Liberal Democrat! How did he get re-elected? You bet, unions, every day I received mailings from every left-wing union telling me LIES about Altschuler and what he was going to do! Well people who voted in this Progressive, if we, the people don't watch Timmy, he will screw each and every one of US! Did he learn by justing a slim win! I doubt it, as someone said here, he stated he would do exactly what he's done before, and that means he'll thrust his PROGRESSIVE agend down our throats! Wke up Ead Enders, your kids will have no jobs out here, you will sell your farms to pay inheritance taxes, and the Rich, Manhattanites will put Bishop in again!

Guest (Guest) from Hampton Bays says:
The Guest fron the South Fork is right on! I asked Bishop numerous times about farmers and small business people who make that amount. Also, with regard to estate taxes, farms will have to be sold to pay this off, and that will mean less farm land on the east end! He doesn't respond! Let's make sure to watch EVERY vote he makes, and if he stays his liberal, Pelousy course, make sure he is out in 2012! And we all should demand an investigation by the AG's office of voter fraud out here!

Guest (Guest) from Hampton Bays says:
let's start calling Timmy what he really is. NOT A DEMOCRAT- he is a PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL!!!!!!! hampton bays below was right tim does receive campaign money and votes from the unions.....unions are COMMUNISM.....What patriotic american could support unions!?!?!?!?!? lets start calling a spade a spade. Unions should be FEDERALLY PROSECUTED for telling members how to vote or even pressuring them to vote for a particular candidate.

Guest (Guest) from south fork says:
somebody please ask Tim Bishop why a local small business owner making $250,000/year should pay the same income tax rates as some of his wealthy Hamptons/NYC supporters who make over ten times that amount annually?

Guest (Guest) from hampton bays says:
who the heck actually voted for Bishop? these people are either hiding their vote in embarassment, or they don't exist, because i'm having a hard time finding anyone who voted for him! what is clear is that Tim receives a huge amt of money from trial lawyers (aka'Americans for Justice')association, and many different unions...all of whom tell their constituents how to vote in mailed literature. Bishop campaign was calling senior citizens telling them Altschuler was going to 'destroy Medicare and Social Security', both outright lies. hardly congressional material

Guest (Guest) from East Quogue says:
!0 to 4! Read all these comments, Tim! Or at least have the minions working for you read them and report back! District 1 doesn't have a Bishop love fest anymore! What a suprise that a recount of all ballots was not done! You are the first one who asked for the recount! That was when you were losing! Well, my man, if you continue to vote along party lines, this will be your 5th and last 2 year term!

Guest (Guest) from North Sea says:
So, Timmy won! And what does he say in the am paper, he plans to continue to do "exactly" what he has done befor, won't change a thing! Man, he's learned nothing from his slim-Tim win! We don't want more of your same-the folks have spoken! No more Nancy-fancy Pelosi kissy face! Here us, Timmy, vote for extension of the Bush tax reductions! 2012 will be here real soon! Saty the course that you have been on, and yr OUT!

Guest (Guest) from east end says:
its necessary for every person who voted against Tim Bishop this time to personally commit to convincing 10 other people over the next 2 yrs to vote against him in 2012. every private business owner and taxpaying citizen of the district needs to be informed and educated as to how Tim's votes have collectively have had a devastating effect on the citizens of Suffolk County. knowledge is power, let the education and the movement begin today!

Guest (Guest) from Water Mill says:
I only wish Tim can turn around and do what's best for this country and not vote the party or special interests. It is way past our time to protect the people of the United States of America not the jobs in Washington DC. God bless America.

Guest (Guest) from southampton says:
congrats to tim bishop. he always does his best to work for the people in his congressional district.

Guest (Guest) from Southamptom says:
How sad! Those people who are again bamboozled by Bishop! What has this man done for our District? My children moved out of the area, college graduates, who were unable to get well paying jobs on the east End! Southampton College, once the pride of us all, destroyed by Bishops wreckless mismanagement! And still, some people place him on a pedestal! Well, many of us don't so Bishop, if you don't go with the flow, 2012 will see you collecting your fat Government pension! Lucky you!

Guest (Guest) from Hampton Bays says:
Turkey----; Indeed I am one and the same! Keep your head in thr Turkey mud and vote for all Liberals, as I'm sure you did so for Bishop! We are closedr to 17% unemployed on Long Island! What has one Dem done to get our economcy going again? Nothing!You uber-liberals live in a dream world! And as another guest here has said, wait until 2012! We will carefully evaluate every vote of the current Congressman as he goes forward!

Guest (Guest) from southampton says:
Bishop has squeaked by with his support AGAINST the American People and has done TOO MUCH to hurt the fair people of The Hamptons and Suffolk County...and even going against the wishes of 'Obama the Maniacal' by voting against extending the tax cuts for all of the American People. I, for one, know that this, whatever you want to call him, would NEVER have gotten re-elected had the voters known that he received TWO MILLION DOLLARS to BANKRUPT our beautiful, defunct SOUTHAMPTON COLLEGE. I hope this guy will be voted OUT two years from now...it's not too long from now and I know TOO MANY PEOPLE who 'want the bum out'! He's lost any local value that he might have had but I think he never had.

Turkey Bridge ...

Turkey Bridge says:
Hey, Guest from Hampton Bays, are you the same guy who complained about the "Democratic Cabal" under the piece about the Kratoville coronation in Southampton? I bet you are, because you used the same term there that you do here -- "uber-liberal," showing off your ersatz psychobabble German. The reason I ask is because you speak there of "sore losers," which is really rich, looking at your little rant here, that re-defines "sore loser." Enough said.

Turkey Bridge ...

Turkey Bridge says:
I said Tim would win and he did. Good. I also said I was ready, come what might, to congratulate both candidates on running a vigorous, reasonably fair race, and I do. They took the issues out for a good airing, which is what's always needed. Good luck to Tim in carrying on with the good job he's been doing, and good luck to Randy in whatever is next for him.

Guest (Guest) from Southampton says:
So Tim, whose lap to sit on now that Pelosi has been downgraded from ego-tyrant to just an annoying libtard? With Long Island unemployment over 14% do you still believe the illegals are doing the jobs Americans won't do? It's a shame the locals are so loyal you personally that they ignore your patent job killing socialism. Better luck next time. p.s. We will be watching those absentee ballots a lot closer in 2012

Guest (Guest) from East Hampton says:
Contrary to the above comments, Cong. Bishop's office went out of its way to consider a matter I brought to its attention, and opened a formal complaint on my behalf with the Comptroller of the Currency regarding misrepresentations by a major U.S. bank. In the past, we attended sessions by him at the East Hampton High School, regarding the complexities of the Medicare Drug Program for seniors. As far as I am concerned, he is doing a spectacular job.

Guest (Guest) from SAGAPONACK says:
Hooray for Tim Bishop's re-election! No one can serve this congressional district better than he. Tim has been a tireless worker for every member of this community, regardless of his or her political party and is a man of character and substance. Congratulations, Tim.

Guest (Guest) from Sag Harbor says:
We hope that Tim Bishop understands that half of his "constituency" doesn't agree with his values, votes or joined-at-the-hip to the very far left wing of the Democrat Party. If he continues to do as he has in the past (which he promises to do), we will work even harder in two years to assure he collects unemployment!

Guest (Guest) from Hampton Bays says:
Not even a day after squeaking by, Mr. Bishop continues his lies! He has NOT worked for the constituents of his district, he has worked to insure that the Pelosy, Reid, uber-liberal left-wing agenda be thrown down our throats! He voted 97% with the soon to be Ex-speaker. Even this am, he was quoted as saying he is NOT for the Bush tax reductions for ALL the people, going against the leader of his own party! Just remember, 2 years will fly by! It is sad that Altschuler did not take heed to the suggestion of the New York Times, when Bishop was losing, to re-count every last ballot in District 1! Be assured, the better man lost, this time!

Guest (Guest) from southampton says:
A class act all the way...its a shame Mr Altschuler did not win, we really could have used him. Tim Bishop's political capital is severely and irreparably tarnished. People are finally awakening to the real impact of Tim Bishop's voting record. The voting shenanigans are just beginning to surface. Bishop just voted again against extending tax cuts for all Americans. Thank God even Obama sees how wrong that would be in the midst of this economy! Maybe Tim would volunteer to pay more taxes out of his own pocket, rather than raise all of our taxes first.

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Altschuler Concedes - Bishop 'I Now Have A Different Job'

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