Candidate in New York State Loses Home in Fire and Then Loses Election

Talk about lightning striking twice. As residents across New York state headed to the polls Tuesday, one political candidate faced not one, but strokes of bad luck.

A fire, caused by an electrical malfunction, took the home of a New York state man running for City Council, says officials. But to add insult to injury, the same unfortunate candidate apparently also lost the election Tuesday night, according to the latest poll numbers.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration's data from 2021, New York state saw 0.7 deaths and 10.6 injuries per 1,000 fires, compared to the national average of 2.3 deaths and 7.2 injuries, respectively.

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New York State Politician Loses Home and Finishes Last in Election 

WWNY says that an Ogdensburg City Council candidate and his wife had left the home they were staying in to vote Tuesday evening when the fire broke out. Police Chief Mark Kearns told WWNY that the fire started in an exterior light near a car port, and then spread.

Kearns says the couple does not own the house.

But to make matters even worse, North Country News says the candidate finished last in a five person race for four open seats on the Ogdensburg City Council.

While The Post Standard says the results are still unofficial and don't count absentee ballets, candidate Robert Edie still finished last with 519 votes, 215 behind the next closest candidate.

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WWNY says the house is a total loss, and the American Red Cross is assisting the family.