Incumbent Sen. Roy McDonald (R-Wilton) will keep his seat in the 43rd Senate District after beating out Saratoga Springs Supervisor Joanne Yepsen. Unofficial results showed McDonald leading Yepsen with 61,222 votes to 43,742, with 99 percent reporting.
I chose a long time ago to run a positive campaign, I chose to make issues the relevancy of the campaign, to talk about unemployment, jobs, to talk about people working, talk about the economy. I came from a poor family and that was pertinent in our life; it was critical in our life and we did not run a negative campaign and showed people across the state that you can win by being a decent, positive campaigner, said McDonald, who was joined by his wife and two daughters at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs.
`I feel so much support for change and making New York State better. The 43rd Senate District deserves the very best representation to create jobs, lower taxes and a promise to work together in the Senate on behalf of the middle class and for equality throughout our great state. I thank every volunteer and voter who supported me for a better future. I look forward to being the best public servant possible,` said Yepsen in an emailed statement to The Spotlight.
During his time in the legislature, McDonald worked to create the Saratoga-Washington on the Hudson open space preservation and co-authored Patriot Plans I, II and III to increase benefits and opportunities for veterans. He said this time around, he planned to address the budget by calling on the legislature to return and re-open the budget process. He also said he would promote job growth and creation in the region by taking advantage of the opportunities it already has, citing academic institutions, projects like Luther Forest and RPI Technology Parks, and reducing mandates to attract more companies.
McDonald has said that to accomplish what needs to be accomplished, upstate legislators needs to hold their ground with downstate legislators.
`We’re going to stand up to the crowd down in the city. No more thugs,` said McDonald. `I want to thank each and every one of you. Buckle up. We’re not going take anything, we’re going to get it, but we’re going to do it the right way.`
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