NY Sen. Kevin Thomas Takes Lead, Declares Victory In District 6

LEVITTOWN, NY — After trailing by about 8,000 votes on Election Day, New York State Sen. Kevin Thomas, a Democrat from Levittown, has declared victory over Republican opponent Dennis Dunne Sr. in District 6.

As Patch previously reported, Thomas' vote total stood at just under 57,000 on Election Day to Dunne's nearly 65,000. Libertarian candidate Jonathan Gunther also garnered 646 votes.

But updated vote totals on Tuesday showed Thomas ahead of Dunne by about 2,500 votes following a week of counting absentee ballots. In a statement to media outlets Monday evening, Thomas said he was "deeply honored" to win re-election.

"Following a very close election in 2018, I am thrilled to have won a larger margin this year, and I know that is because of my hard work fighting for this community, Long Island, and all of New York State," Thomas said. "I look forward to continuing my efforts to build a stronger, fairer, more prosperous Long Island and New York State, and I thank the voters for their support."

District 6

• Kevin Thomas (D, Incumbent): 75,749 (50.57 percent)
• Dennis Dunne, Sr. (R): 73,169 (48.84 percent)
• Jonathan Gunther (Libertarian): 848 (.57 percent)

Dunne didn't immediately respond to an email message seeking comment. He told Newsday in a statement that the Senate race was a "hard-fought contest," and he was proud of his campaign.

"I addressed the issues that are important to neighbors on Long Island and across our state, including public safety and taxes," Dunne said. "At the same time, the voters have spoken, and I respect their decision. I extend my best wishes to Kevin Thomas as he embarks upon his second term in the New York State Senate."

The district includes some or all of the following communities: West Hempstead, Wantagh, Uniondale, Seaford, Salisbury, Plainedge, Old Bethpage, Massapequa, Malverne, Levittown, Lakeview, Island Trees, Hicksville, Hempstead, Garden City South, Garden City, Franklin Square, Farmingdale, East Meadow and Bethpage.

Thomas immigrated to the United States at 10 years old. Prior to winning election two years ago, he served as an attorney and civic leader. Thomas was also an appointee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to the New York State Advisory Committee.

Upon his election in 2018, Thomas became the first Indian-American in New York history to serve in the state Senate. He currently serves as chairman of the Consumer Protection Committee and sits on the Judiciary, Finance, Banking, Aging, Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committees.

Dunne, also of Levittown, is a Town of Hempstead council member for District 6. He was appointed to the Town Board three years ago after serving over two decades as a Nassau County legislator. Dunne was an original member of the Legislature when it was formed in 1996.