Candidates have declared victory in the Democratic primary elections in the First Senate District and Second Assembly District races.
Laura Ahearn of Port Jefferson has claimed victory in a five-way contest for the Democratic nomination to replace longtime State Sen. Ken LaValle, who was first elected in 1976.
Laura Jens-Smith of Laurel declared victory today over Will Schleisner of Sound Beach.
All paper ballots have been canvassed in those two state races though the Suffolk County Board of Elections has not yet released even unofficial results.
Ahearn’s campaign said she holds an 1,857-vote lead over the second-place finisher: 8,419 votes to Valerie Cartright’s 6,562 votes. Ahearn had a 240-vote lead after machine votes were counted when the polls closed on June 23.
“I look forward to the election in November, where everyone involved in this primary effort can work together and send a forward-thinking, pro-choice woman to represent this seat in Albany for the first time in its history,” Ahearn said. “I look forward to a General Election focused on restarting our economy, fighting for children and families, and protecting our environment.”
A spokesperson for the Cartright campaign said the Brookhaven council member is conceding the race and would be issuing a statement this afternoon.
Ballot counting continues in the four-way race for the Democratic nod in the First Congressional District in an effort to unseat incumbent Lee Zeldin.
Riverhead Town Democratic Committee chairwoman Marjorie Acevedo said this afternoon the race remains tight between Perry Gershon of East Hampton, the Democrats’ congressional candidate in 2018, and newcomer Nancy Goroff of Stony Brook. County Legislator Bridget Fleming of Sag Harbor was polling third by a significant margin, Acevedo said.
The victorious Democrats in the state races will take on Republicans Anthony Palumbo of Laurel in the First Senate District and Jodi Giglio of Baiting Hollow in the Second Assembly District.
Jens-Smith, a former Riverhead Town supervisor who served on the town board with Giglio, wasted no time going after her longtime nemesis.
She called Giglio “ethically-challenged” and “a walking, talking conflict of interest.”
Jens-Smith and Giglio regularly did battle over the future of the Calverton Enterprise Park — as well as many other issues.
“As a double-dipping, conflicted career politician, my opponent’s career has been about her, and not the people,” Jens-Smith said in a statement.
“I am running for the Assembly to ensure that the working people of Long Island get their fair share from Albany. I’m running to bring clean, honest, hard-working representation back to the people…I will be a strong voice for Suffolk County,” Jens-Smith said.
Giglio did not return a phone call seeking comment.
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