Incumbent GOP House member won't concede

HAMMONDSPORT, N.Y., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. John "Randy" Kuhl, R-N.Y., said Tuesday night he would wait until all the votes are counted before deciding whether to concede to Eric Massa.

Speaking to supporters in the small village of Hammondsport, near Bath, N.Y., in the state's Southern Tier, the two-term incumbent acknowledged his Democratic opponent held a lead of nearly 5,000 votes, WROC-TV in Rochester, N.Y., reported.

But Kuhl -- who defeated Massa by 6,000 votes in 2006 -- said some 20,000 absentee ballots had yet to be counted.

He joked that his two sons had voted by absentee ballot -- and "he knew who they were voting for," WROC said.

A separate congressional district near Buffalo, N.Y., will remain in Republican hands as Rep. Chris Lee defeated Democrat Alice Kryzan.

Both candidates were running to fill the seat being vacated by GOP Rep. Tom Reynolds, who is retiring.

Lee, who comes from a political family, was endorsed by Reynolds and had the support of all seven Republican county chairmen in the district.

As a successful businessman, his candidacy also was supported by state GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik in an election year in which the Republican party looked for self-financed candidates, The New York Times reported.

Kryzan is an environmental attorney who upset endorsed Democrat Jon Powers and two-time former Democratic nominee Jack Davis to win the Democratic nomination in a primary Sept. 9.