Kastenbaum concedes to Ellman in NY-24 Democratic Primary
Photo by Tom Rivers: Alissa Ellman speaks during a candidate forum in Albion on June 4 at the Hoag Library. She is next to moderator Jim Renfrew and candidate Diana Kastenbaum.
Diana Kastenbaum of Batavia has conceded to Alissa Ellman of Lockport in the Democratic primary for the 24th Congressional District.
Ellman will move on to the general election against Claudia Tenney, the Republican incumbent.
Ellman, 42, is married with two grown daughters in Lockport. She grew up in rural Allegany County. She joined the Army National Guard at the age of 17, and deployed at age 19 to Afghanistan from January 2003 to June 2004 as a flight operation specialist.
She later returned to the Afghanistan with Halliburton from 2005-2008 managing flight line operations in Kandahar. In 2018, Ellman was diagnosed with a rare adrenal cancer, associated with toxic burn pit exposure during her service in Afghanistan. She was working at the Buffalo VA when her job was eliminated as part of DOGE cuts early last year.
The 24th district includes 14 counties. In Orleans County, Ellman received 216 votes compared to 207 for Kastenbaum. There are 119 absentee ballots in Orleans County that may still come in.
Kastenbaum issued this statement this morning to her supporters:
“I know this is not what we wanted,” Diana told her campaign team, “but this is how a democracy is supposed to function. We cannot waste time sulking over my loss; we must be pragmatic, and support whomever is willing to challenge Claudia Tenney and the broader MAGA movement in November. Alissa and I may disagree on approach, but we agree on the end goal: the preservation of our democratic values and a return to people-first politics.”
Kastenbaum acknowledged a Democrat faces an uphill challenge in a Republican-leaning district.
“It will be a challenge to win against Tenney in November, but Alissa is a fighter, and understands that people are fed up with the Republican status quo and want real change,” Kastenbaum said. “With the right support, Alissa has a real chance of becoming our next representative.”
Kastenbaum said she will stay active as a citizen.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with each and every one of you,” she said. “You are the lifeblood of American democracy, and a testament to hard work and perseverance. I hope to continue to work with you on the issues plaguing our community, even if I cannot do so from Washington.”
