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The Associated Press calling the 27th Congressional District primary in the 10pm hour on Tuesday night, with Chris Collins defeating opponent David Bellavia.
With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Collins had a 59-41 percent lead over Bellavia. Bellavia won 65 percent of the vote in Orleans county, took 54 percent in Wyoming county and was almost 2 to 1 over Collins in both Genesee and the district's tiny sliver of Monroe counties. The majority of the district lies in Erie and Niagara where Collins took 75 and 60 percent of the vote respectively.
| Republican Primary New 27th Congressional District THE LATEST RESULTS |
 While not making the candidate available for interviews Wednesday morning, the Hochul campaign is previewing the issues they will stress.Within minutes of the Collins victory, Hochul Campaign Manager Frank Thomas issued the following statement. "Chris Collins has made it a hallmark of his campaign to avoid taking positions on key issues. But one thing is clear, Mr. Collins supports Paul Ryan's budget; a plan that turns Medicare into a voucher program and makes seniors pay $6,400 more for their Medicare benefits to fund tax cuts for multi-millionaires. He has even has said that it does not go far enough. “It is time that Chris Collins comes clean with voters about his plans to take the Ryan’s budget further. What more could he do on top of decimating Medicare and protecting the super rich? We hope that now that he is the nominee he willing to answer questions on the issues that matter most to the people of the 27th district.” |
"I am honored to be nominee and this November, we will continue that record of strong, Republican leadership in Washington," Collins said.
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Exclusive WBEN Audio Hear Collins's Victory Speech and discussing his race Wednesday morning with John & Susan on Buffalo's Early News |
In his speech Tuesday night, Collins went on to say the economy is broken and the nation lacks a vision, adding that his Democratic opponent Kathy Hochul and President Obama are content "to kick the can down the street."
"Their plan is more of the same -- higher taxes, bigger government, massive spending, and runaway debt. We cannot afford that anymore," Collins says.
Collins also giving a nod to opponent David Bellavia for his campaign -- and for his service during the Iraq War.
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Do you know how in the city of Buffalo, there are just so many Democrats that often times the primary election is the race that decides the ultimate outcome? That's the way Republicans are looking at the primary after after redistricting moved freshman Democrat Kathy Hochul into the new 27th Congressional District which embraces rural Republicans in a stretch from Erie County to the Finger Lakes.
The newly drawn district has 58 % of its voters in Erie and Niagara Counties, but sheds places where more moderate Republicans and Democrats live and extends across rural Republican strongholds between Erie County and Canandaigua in the Finger Lakes.
By some estimates, it is one of the most Republican districts in the nation now, where based on past presidential election patterns, a Republican could have an automatic advantage of at least 10 -- maybe even 12 -- percent of the vote.