David Valesky celebrated his narrow lead Tuesday night against 20-year incumbent Nancy Larraine Hoffmann for the 49th district state Senate seat. But just as the presidential election stands undecided, it is not over yet.

The race for the 49th district was too close to call, with Valesky receiving 45 percent of the popular vote. Hoffmann took 44 percent and Conservative and Independence party candidate Tom Dadey, whom Hoffmann defeated in the Republican primary, received 11 percent, making it mandatory to count the absentee ballots.

The district includes parts of Oneida and Onondaga counties, all of Madison County, and much of Cayuga County.

Hoffmann conveyed her feelings of uneasiness due to the close results of the race.

‘This is too close to call,’ Hoffmann said in her speech at the Sheraton. ‘There are many, many questions still remaining here.’

Hoffmann said she thought Dadey’s 11 percent win would have been very helpful to her campaign. Nevertheless, she remained positive about the outcome of the race.

‘I have faith in the system and faith in our voters,’ she said. ‘I’m confident that once the absentees are counted, we’ll be victorious.’

Valesky said the one of the reasons he was able to achieve his lead on Election Day was due to his opponent’s switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, which impeded her ability to push reform in the Senate.

‘This campaign has been about change,’ Valesky said in his speech to the local Democratic Party. ‘It’s been a great night.’

Like many candidates in Central New York running for state Assembly or state Senate, reform was at the forefront of Valesky’s campaign. He also said that being part of the Democratic minority in the state Senate would not hurt his ability to push for reform.

Valesky ran on a platform of reforming New York’s Rockefeller drug laws and state Medicaid, as well as making drugs more available for senior citizens.

Originally discounted from the election, Valesky gradually gained prominence through his television advertisements and as an alternative choice to more conservatively slated candidates Hoffmann and Dadey.

However, Hoffmann – once a Democrat and undefeated incumbent – holds many socially liberal views, such as support for same-sex marriages, abortion, and labor rights.

‘Nobody wants to be in limbo on election night,’ Hoffmann said.

Published on November 2, 2004 at 12:00 pm