Gaughran declares victory, bringing Senate Democratic majority to at least 39
By Bill Mahoney
11/18/2020 12:57 PM EST
ALBANY — Democrats are proclaiming Sen. Jim Gaughran the victor in his bid for a second term on Long Island.
Gaughran trailed Republican Ed Smyth by 13,844 votes after in-person ballots were counted. With a majority of absentees factored in, he now leads by 183.
At a news conference outside the Nassau County Democratic Committee’s headquarters on Wednesday afternoon, Gaughran noted that before his initial victory two years ago, the last time a Democrat held the seat, Harry Truman was president. “And so winning reelection in a presidential year, we always knew was going to be a very difficult feat, but we did it," he said.
Smyth conceded soon after Gaughran spoke.
“I encourage all residents who voted for me to support him as well to make Senate District 5 and the State of New York the best it can possibly be,” he said in a statement.
The current numbers: Democrats won 40 seats in 2018 and were seeking 42 victories this year.
They came out of election night with 36 assured wins and eight undetermined races.
If Gaughran’s win holds, and is coupled with declared victories for Kevin Thomas and Elijah Reichlin- Melnick earlier in the week, they'll have 39 certain wins.
Democrats are optimistic that they’ll have definitive good news in Sen. Andrew Gounardes’ campaign very soon. “We continue to have victories, I think we’re about to announce another one in Brooklyn later today,” Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris said at Gaughran’s news conference.
Counting is underway in the Hudson Valley district where Democratic Sen. Jen Metzger trails Republican Mike Martucci, as well as in the neighboring seat where Democrat Michelle Hinchey is running against Republican Richard Amedure. Westchester County, home to the vast majority of voters in the race between Democratic Sen. Pete Harckham and Republican Rob Astorino, is expected to start counting on Friday.
Tallying in the Syracuse-area race between Democrat John Mannion and Republican Angi Renna is on hold until after Thanksgiving due to a Covid outbreak.