Anthony Palumbo Declares Victory In Senate Race

NEW SUFFOLK, NY — Republican Anthony Palumbo on Wednesday declared victory in the race for a 1st Senate District seat held by retiring state Senator Kenneth LaValle for 44 years.

Palumbo faced off against Democratic challenger Laura Ahearn, executive director of the Crime Victims Center.

"I am truly honored to have the trust and support of the majority of residents on the East End and the Town of Brookhaven in my effort to represent them in the New York State Senate," Palumbo said in a statement. "As our new senator, I will work hard every day to continue the legacy of retiring Senator Ken LaValle and build upon his strong record of protecting the environment, supporting our schools and fighting for taxpayers.

"As we face a second wave of the COVID pandemic, it is more critical than ever that we end the partisan politics and come together to provide our first responders, hospitals and frontline workers with the tools and resources they need to support our community as we confront and combat this urgent crisis."

When the votes were tallied on election night, Palumbo had 74,289 votes to Ahearn's 55,554; the following weeks were spent counting absentee ballots.

Ahearn released a statement: "With all the votes counted, it appears that our campaign to turn SD1 from red to blue for the first time in over 100 years will come up just short," she said. "Though disappointed by the result, I am heartened to know that our work over these past months will ensure that the issues facing our community will continue to be front and center as we all strive to make Suffolk County the best place it can be. I am very proud of the work we all did together as we were just 2.7 percentage points away from flipping this seat, by far the closest this race has been in decades."

Ahearn congratulated senator-elect Palumbo on his victory and pledged to work with him for the betterment of communities during difficult times.

"I would like to thank my voters for their support, my campaign staff, donors, interns and volunteers for their dedication and commitment, and all the participants in this race for their hard work and determination to advance our shared values," she said. "For now, I look forward to spending the holiday season with my family, who have been through so much during this remarkable time to run for public office. And of course, there is still much work to be done as we continue to help those who need it most. No matter what the future holds for me, I will never stop fighting for our community and will always advocate for you, my friends and neighbors."

Palumbo said the time has come to "retool and reinvigorate our economy while providing additional help and assistance to Long Island’s struggling restaurants and other small businesses. Lastly, the state legislature must stop the negative rhetoric and misguided policies that have hurt law enforcement and made our communities less safe. Our men and women in uniform need and deserve our full support in helping them to reduce crime and make New York State the safest large state in the nation once again."

Palumbo said the win is "the honor of a lifetime" and he thanked voters for their trust.

On Tuesday, Nick LaLota, Republican commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections, said it was a "mathematical certainty" after the absentee votes were counted that current Riverhead Town Board member Jodi Giglio, a Republican, won a race against former Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith, a Democrat, to fill Palumbo's New York State Assembly seat.

On Wednesday, Suffolk County Republican Chairman Jesse Garcia also announced the victory of GOP candidates and incumbents in four of Suffolk’s state Senate seats, including Palumbo's.

“These hard fought victories during a difficult year are a resounding rejection of Democratic one-party rule and their far left policies that have made our families less safe, raised our taxes and driven away good jobs that have hurt our economy,” Garcia said. “These four candidates overcame a number of challenges and, despite Andrew Cuomo attempting to weaponize COVID and our very election system, they emerged victorious.”

In their first act of the 2021 state legislative session, the Suffolk GOP state its delegation will file a taxpayer protection and law enforcement package that will reinstate the STAR rebate checks canceled by Gov. Cuomo and state legislature Democrats. Garcia said the cancellation cost Suffolk County families a minimum of $700 a year.

Garcia said the delegation will also call for a "full repeal of the failed elimination of bail program that resulted in a 'catch and release' of criminals" and a "repeal of the $7 billion in taxes imposed by Democrats over the past year."

Peter McGreevy, Southold Town Republican Party Committee chair, said Palumbo's victory in the campaign "is a clear endorsement of his pro-law enforcement, pro-taxpayer message, and a rejection of the progressive policies offered by his opponent. Anthony's success shows that voters on both sides of the aisle recognize that he fights for the people of his district first, their families, their jobs, and their quality of life."

McGreevy congratulated Palumbo, the members of his campaign team "and the dozens of hardworking GOP committee members who contributed to this outstanding result."

The 1st Senate District covers the five East End towns and the eastern portion of Brookhaven Town.