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Alessi concedes; Losquadro wins 1st District race

Assemblyman-elect Dan Losquadro

Dan Losquadro has been declared the winner in the race for the 1st Assembly District after Democratic incumbent Marc Alessi conceded this afternoon.

“It has been an absolute privilege to serve the residents of the First Assembly District over the past five years,” Mr. Alessi said in a statement sent just after 4 p.m. Wednesday. “I’ve taken the state’s problems home with me, internalized them and tried to help — both on the large scale and individually — one constituent at a time.”

In the statement, Mr. Alessi blamed Albany dysfunction for his loss and touted his record in office.

“For five years, I worked tirelessly for the hardworking families of Suffolk and kept my pledges to the people who elected me. I will forever be proud of that,” he said. “While I accomplished much of what I set out to do for Suffolk, there is still more work to be done.”

The attorney said he will now focus on his family, as his wife Gretchen is expecting the couple’s third child in January.

Mr. Loqsuadro had urged his opponent to concede since as of this week he held an 830 vote lead with just 1,000 absentee ballots still to be counted.

Mr. Alessi had said Monday evening that he wouldn’t concede until after the Suffolk County Board of Elections finishes certifying the vote.

The two candidates were separated by just 40 votes on election night but Mr. Losquadro increased his lead after the election night results were verified and corrected, and during the absentee ballot count.

Mr. Losquadro’s win sets up a special election to finish out the final year of his term in the County Legislature, where he serves as minority leader.

Brookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner has been reported as a possible Republican/Conservative nominee to replace Mr. Losquadro, whom she served four years as a legislative aide prior to seeking her first public office in 2007.

A source in the Democratic Party did not rule out the possibility of Mr. Alessi pursuing the county seat.

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