Southern Tier Election Night Unofficial Results Paint a Divided Regional Map
Election night across New York and the Southern Tier brought a wave of decisive legislative victories, tight municipal races, and shifting leadership in county government. As ballots rolled in late into the night, WSKG reported that unofficial results began clarifying who will represent local communities in the State Senate, Assembly, and county chambers. While some incumbent lawmakers secured comfortable margins, others faced steep challenges that highlighted deeply regional political splits.
In the race for New York’s 52nd State Senate District, Democrat Lea Webb declared victory over Republican challenger Mike Bolles. Spanning Tompkins and Cortland counties alongside parts of Broome, the district backed Webb with 59 percent of the vote as 216 out of 217 districts reported by 12:24 a.m. Webb, who first won the seat in 2022, currently chairs the Senate Women’s Issues committee.
Meanwhile, the neighboring 51st State Senate District saw Republican Chris Tague claim victory Tuesday night. Stretching from the Southern Tier into the Catskills—including all of Delaware and Otsego counties alongside sections of Broome and Chenango—Tague captured roughly 52 percent of the vote against Democrat Michele Frazier, with 289 of 292 districts reporting by 12:26 a.m. Tague has served as a state Assemblymember representing the 102nd Assembly District since 2018. That open Senate seat materialized after current 51st District State Senator Peter Oberacker announced a bid for New York’s 19th Congressional District, a race he ultimately lost Tuesday night to Democratic incumbent Josh Riley, as tracked by WRVO.
Incumbents Hold Ground While Open Seats Draw Fierce Competition
Further west in the 58th State Senate District, Republican Tom O’Mara has retained his seat on the New York State Senate. Securing 63 percent of the vote, O’Mara maintains a district encompassing Tioga, Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Yates, and Steuben counties, plus parts of Allegany County, continuing a tenure that began in 2010.
In the State Assembly, the 123rd District elected Democrat Dan Norton following longtime Assemblymember Donna Lupardo’s decision not to seek reelection. Norton secured nearly 57 percent of the vote in a contest against Republican Lynn Parker and Independent candidate Heather Micha. As of 12:29 a.m, 83 of 84 districts were reporting.
Executive Shakes and Legislative Majorities at the County Level
Municipal and county contests brought equally sharp drama. In Chemung County, a high-stakes executive race pitted Mark Margeson against incumbent Chris Moss. Moss stayed in the race by running on the Conservative Party line. At present, Margeson runs a private insurance agency, presides over the legislature and Industrial Development Agency, and holds the District 5 Chemung County Legislator seat. Across races featuring challengers, the Chemung County Legislature’s Republican members successfully defended their majority by securing victories in six districts.
Down in Schuyler County, the electoral picture remained razor-thin in local legislative races. Unofficial tallies show Republican Charles Scaptura ahead of Democrat and “Common Sense Schuyler” candidate Scott Burnside by 328 votes, or 68 percent of the votes. Based on preliminary reports, District 6 sees Democrat Craig Bond holding a 60-vote advantage over Republican Louis Perrazini. Sections of the village of Watkins Glen, alongside portions of the towns of Reading and Dix, make up this district.
With thousands of mail-in, absentee, and affidavit ballots still awaiting processing across the region, election officials emphasize that all tallies remain unofficial until certified. Regional tracking platforms including the Times Union note that final certification will determine whether narrow margins trigger automatic recounts under state election law.
