The blue wave taking shape across the country found less traction in the Finger Lakes on election night, where Republicans held the advantage in six of eight regional Senate and Assembly contests.
As Democrats gained momentum nationally in their push to take control of Congress, the region’s legislative returns offered a different picture: Republican leads ranging from several thousand votes to nearly 30,000. The Associated Press reported a strong night for Democrats nationally as voters registered dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.
Pam Helming and Tom O’Mara led their state Senate contests, while Mark Benjamin, Andrea Bailey, George Dobbins and Jim Weatherup were ahead in their Assembly races.
Democrats Rachel May and Ian Phillips held the other two leads, with Phillips’ 1,492-vote advantage making the 126th Assembly District the closest contest among the eight.
The figures came from the state Board of Elections’ 11:10 p.m. Tuesday tally and covered entire legislative districts. Results remained unofficial, with substantial reporting still outstanding in several races.
Helming and O’Mara build substantial advantages
Pam Helming led Democrat Michael Mills by 16,676 votes in the 54th Senate District.
Helming, running on the Republican and Conservative lines, had 64,126 votes against Mills’ 47,450. The tally included 205 of 247 election districts, or about 83%.
In the 58th Senate District, Thomas O’Mara held the largest numerical advantage among the eight regional legislative contests.
O’Mara, also running on the Republican and Conservative lines, had 64,996 votes to Democrat James Bobreski’s 35,573 — a margin of 29,423 votes.
Reporting was less complete there, with 147 of 271 election districts included, or about 54.2%.
Democrat Rachel May led Richard McCarron Jr. in the 48th Senate District, but most election districts had yet to report.
May, who also appeared on the Working Families line, had 41,330 votes. McCarron, running on the Republican and Conservative lines, had 33,589, leaving May ahead by 7,741 votes.
Reporting stood at 114 of 285 election districts, or 40%.
Republicans lead four Assembly contests
Mark Benjamin held a 5,753-vote advantage over Phillip Fleming in the 131st Assembly District, where nearly all election districts had reported.
Benjamin, on the Republican and Conservative lines, had 28,458 votes to Democrat Fleming’s 22,705. The tally included 113 of 116 election districts, or about 97.4%.
In the 133rd Assembly District, Andrea Bailey led Democrat Gladys Flores by 13,213 votes.
Bailey, running on the Republican and Conservative lines, had 33,743 votes against Flores’ 20,530. Reporting stood at 85 of 97 election districts, or about 87.6%.
Jim Weatherup had 29,301 votes to Democrat Timothy Allers’ 17,150 in the 120th Assembly District, a margin of 12,151 votes.
All 116 election districts were listed as reporting. Weatherup appeared on the Republican and Conservative lines.
George Dobbins led the three-candidate race in the 130th Assembly District with 19,793 votes.
Democrat Carl Fitzsimmons had 16,164 votes, while Common Sense candidate Joseph Lamanna had 1,169. Dobbins, running on the Republican and Conservative lines, led Fitzsimmons by 3,629 votes.
Only 59 of 104 election districts had reported, or about 56.7%, leaving a substantial portion of that contest outstanding.
Phillips holds narrow Democratic lead
The 126th Assembly District provided the closest contest in the regional tally.
Ian Phillips, running on the Democratic and Working Families lines, had 25,319 votes against Republican and Conservative candidate John Lemondes Jr.’s 23,827.
Phillips’ advantage stood at 1,492 votes, with 86 of 104 election districts reporting, or about 82.7%. Eighteen districts remained unreported.
The national Democratic momentum had not translated into a broad sweep of these Finger Lakes legislative contests in the available returns. But the regional picture remained provisional: reporting percentages describe election districts reporting, rather than the share of all expected votes counted, and none of the totals were certified.
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