Seventh democratic candidate emerges to unseat Rep. Tom Reed for NY-23

A seventh Democratic candidate has entered the race to unseat republican incumbent Tom Reed from the United States House of Representatives in November.

Linda Andrei, a retired cardiologist based in Tompkins County, announced her candidacy to represent New York's 23rd Congressional District on Tuesday. According to the campaign's news release, it has raised $132,000 since launching in December.

In her campaign announcement, Andrei set her sights upon health care policy reform in Washington.

“Our health care system is broken,” she said. “All Americans should feel safe and secure that they will be taken care of. We must insure Medicare and Social Security are protected. Job creation and economic growth depend on a healthy, well-educated workforce that can meet the challenges of the 21st century.”

Andrei also said during his time representing New York, Reed has “failed his constituents.”

“(Reed) has aligned himself with an administration that seeks division and confrontation,” Andrei said. “He has passed tax legislation that favors the wealthy and leaves working families behind."

After 30 years practicing and teaching medicine in the Southern Tier and beyond, Andrei has retired to Tompkins County with her husband, Tim, who teaches at Cornell University and owns an Ithaca-based cyber security company.

“The same impulse that led me to medicine guides me now to find solutions to heal our broken systems and bring integrity to Congress,” she said.

New York’s 23rd Congressional District includes Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tompkins, Yates, Ontario and Tioga counties.

Along with Andrei, six other candidates will be on New York’s democratic primary ballot before one moves on to the general election in November, including Max Della Pia, Rick Gallant, Ian Golden, Tracy Mitrano, Eddie Sundquist and Charles Whalen. A previous candidate, Karl Warrington, dropped out of the race earlier in January and endorsed Mitrano.

Follow @sarah_mearhoff on Twitter.