Almost six weeks after Election Day, the counting in the 46th Senate District race is over and has left Republican George Amedore with the lead over Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk.
Amedore claimed victory with a 39-vote lead today as counting of the final disputed paper ballots wrapped up in Greene County. Tkaczyk had a narrow lead on election night and had even declared victory, but that lead was whittled away over the following weeks as absentee ballots were opened. When that process was finished things were still too close to call, so the campaigns have been arguing over the ballots put aside by objections during the absentee count.
`I want to thank the great people of this five-county district that have placed their faith and trust in my candidacy,” said Amedore in a statement. “It has been a lengthy campaign, but I am ready to end this political process and I stand committed to working in a bi-partisan effort to meet the difficult challenges that face all New Yorkers. Let’s transition from politics to governing as the people deserve nothing less. We have much to do and I look forward to serving on behalf of all New Yorkers. In just a few weeks, we will begin the process of addressing the concerns and needs of all New Yorkers to make this great state better and safer for our children and our families.”
It was not immediately clear if Tkaczyk’s campaign would pursue legal avenues to overturn any decisions made by Montgomery County Supreme Court Justice Guy Tomlinson during the process.