ITHACA, N.Y. — Nate Shinagawa, the Democratic candidate in New York's 23rd Congressional District last November, has announced that he will not run again in 2014.
Shinagawa, 29, lost by 48 percent to 52 percent to the Republican incumbent, Tom Reed. Local and national Democratic leaders have been urging him to run in the next election.
“This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever made in my life,” Shinagawa said on his Facebook page Tuesday.
A member of the Tompkins County Legislature and an administrator at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pa., Shinagawa explained, “There's a lot of work to do with healthcare reform, and my hospital and community need me on the ground to make sure these reforms best serve the people of the district. I've also become the caretaker of my youngest brother, and I need to focus on giving him the best opportunities possible before he graduates from high school.
“It was a tough decision and I'm sure I'll disappoint many of you. I can assure you though, this isn't the end. I'll be around, active and ready to take on other battles in the future.”
A native of Berkeley, Shinagawa moved to upstate New York to attend Cornell University and now lives in Ithaca.