Incumbent Matthew Van Houten has claimed victory in the Democratic primary for Tompkins County district attorney.

Unofficial results from the county Board of Elections showed Van Houten with 5,863 votes, beating his competition, Edward Kopko, by more than 300 votes.

Kopko received more Election Day votes, but Van Houten bested him among affidavits and absentee ballots to come out ahead in the vote total, according to the unofficial results. Tompkins County covers the city of Ithaca.

"This result represents a victory for truth," Van Houten, who was elected in 2016, said in a statement. "Words cannot adequately express how much the support and encouragement from the community has meant to me during this campaign. I have listened carefully and paid close attention during the campaign and I will continue to do so."

In the statement, he pledged to work to address "systemic biases that affect our nation and our local criminal justice system."

Van Houten, in an interview on Thursday, said it appears he is running unopposed in the general election as of now.

The primary election comes weeks after protests against police brutality and racial injustice seized the nation's attention. Similar demonstrations occurred statewide and in Ithaca, too.

Nationwide, protests have sparked conversations about criminal justice reforms and some demonstrations have specifically been directed at local prosecutors.

In the criminal justice system, local district attorneys often control a myriad of levers, including when to prosecute police officers and how to handle petty crimes. 

"When a police officer commits a crime, it is my duty to prosecute that officer in the same zealous, fair and lawful manner that any other citizen is prosecuted," according to a statement on Van Houten's campaign website. "An officer should not be given any special treatment nor should they be treated more harshly than any other person facing the same charges."

He garnered endorsements from dozens of attorneys in the county, according to the website.

For his part, Kopko had pledged to offer pre-plea alternatives when it came to drug possession charges and said he would reduce prosecution of school-based offenses. 

"Rather than hindering the success of our young people with convictions that follow them for the rest of their lives, I will divert them to rehabilitative programs that offer support and structure in order to refocus their lives on constructive personal growth," according to an action plan posted on his campaign website.