U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, won a third term in Congress on Tuesday in a lopsided contest with 28-year-old Sean Eldridge, who spent more than $4 million of his own money in the losing effort to represent New York’s 19th Congressional District.

With more than half of the election districts reporting, Gibson had 64.6 percent of the vote to 32.4 for Eldridge.

Eldridge conceded defeat at 10:45 p.m., saying in a statement that he was appreciative of the efforts by those who worked on his campaign. “I hope they will stay involved in the political process and continue to make their voices heard,” he said.

Eldridge also congratulated Gibson: “I hope that he and our elected officials from both sides of the aisle will rise above partisan gridlock and get to work on the urgent issues facing our region and our nation.”

Gibson called his victory “a direct result of the overwhelming support we received from all corners of the district and across party lines. I am so grateful to all of our volunteers, supporters, and those who cast a vote at the polls today. I am honored to once again have been entrusted by my friends and neighbors to represent them in Congress.”

The congressman, who had stopped in Cooperstown after voting in Kinderhook earlier in the day, said he will focus on “growing our economy, healthcare reform that works, ensuring sound fiscal and environmental policy, and protecting our freedoms.”

Eldridge’s statement was vague as to whether would try to run for another elective office. “Although we fell short tonight, I am proud of the issues we focused on in this race, from building an economy that works for all Americans to the need to address campaign finance reform and climate change with much greater urgency, and I remain committed to fighting for those issues and working to make life better for families in our region,” he said. 

In Otsego County, where some local Democratic leaders had billed Eldridge as a viable candidate, Gibson defeated his opponent by a 2-1 margin. Gibson ran up the score by similar amounts in much of the district, which is spread across all or parts of 11 counties.

Eldridge, who runs an investment company called Hudson River Ventures, moved into the district in 2013, buying a home in Shokan one year after marrying Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. He had stuck to a standard Democratic playbook, presenting himself as a strong advocate for abortion rights and a higher minimum wage, and criticizing Gibson for being part of what he often called “the least productive Congress in the history of the country.”

But he broke with some stalwarts of his own party, such as President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on the natural gas issue, by casting himself as afracking opponent. He also funded a series of TV ads labeling Gibson a supporter of shale gas drilling.

Gibson repeatedly said he would only support the controversial drilling technique if there were enough safeguards to prevent environmental harm.

Though Eldridge became the latest notch on Gibson’s belt, Delaware County Democratic Chairman Thomas Schimmerling said the defeated challenger has tremendous potential to pursue other opportunities in politics.

“From the time I met Sean a year and a half ago, I could see that he is a very charismatic, very hard-working and very committed person,” said Schimmerling. “Nothing in this campaign changed my mind about that. If he tries again, I think he has a really bright future.”

Schimmerling acknowledged that given Gibson’s unsullied personal reputation and his career achievements as a decorated combat veteran, Eldridge faced an uphill battle from the beginning.

One of the region’s most influential Republicans, state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, said the results showed Gibson’s work ethic is appreciated by voters in the 19th Congressional District.

“I’m very pleased Chis Gibson was re-elected in the face of the astronomical spending against him,” said Seward, who was unchallenged on Election Day. “I think the voters recognized his personal service to this country and to this district.”

Gibson shows up regularly at firehouse dinners, church picnics and local parades, a fact that has made him a familiar face in many local communities, his supporters said.

“He has established a constant presence in the district,” Seward said. “The voters don’t see Chris Gibson is not part of the problem in Washington. He’s been willing to work with anyone of any party to get positive results. The voters saw through someone who was just shopping for a district. And they stuck with a good solid strong representative.”

Schimmerling said one failing of Eldridge’s campaign is that it never stepped up to effectively address the claim by Gibson backers that Eldridge was a “hypocrite” for painting the congressman as a supporter for natural gas hydrofracking while Eldridge and his spouse were profiting from investment funds that have stakes in the oil and gas industry.

“Gibson deftly turned that into an effective wedge,” Schimmerling said. “I don’t think Sean was as worried about that as he should have been. I know a lot of people who are against fracking who voted for Gibson because of Sean’s investments.”

Ian Prior, a spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee, said Gibson came out on top because he was able to run on his record and because many voters were able to identify with his personal story.

“Chris Gibson is the embodiment of the 19th District,” Prior said. “He grew up there. He lives there now, and he has done a fantastic job serving as congressman since 2010. People know him and what he has done, and they know they can trust him to work on their behalf and no one else’s.”

Faced with charges by Republicans that he was trying to buy a House seat with the personal wealth he acquired through his marriage to Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, Eldridge attempted to convince voters that he was independent from special interests that seek to influence lawmakers with large donations.

“I don’t have to take a penny from corporate PACs, from big oil, from big banks and Wall Street,” Eldridge had said in one of his debates with Gibson. “No matter how personally honest you may be, no matter how well-intentioned you are, you know that those corporate PAC contributions come with strings attached.”