James Gennaro is joined by Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr. (l.) and State Sen. Toby Stavisky (r.).At 9:40 p.m. on Election Night, a deafening roar could be heard filtering throughout the First Edition bar and restaurant on Bell Boulevard in Bayside, where Democratic Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) was holding his election party.
The early results of the State Senate race had just been splayed across six TV monitors set up in the upstairs space and the results – Gennaro was leading State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) by a few votes – sent a shockwave of hope throughout the room.
But as the night wore on, Gennaro supporters realized their official victory party would have to be postponed for at least a few more days. As of Wednesday afternoon, the results showed Padavan had secured 50.4 percent of the vote and Gennaro had 49.6 percent of the vote. All absentee and paper ballots are counted a week after the election, said a spokesperson at the NYC Board of Elections. The final results of the District 11 State Senate race may not be announced until early next week.
On Wednesday, Padavan chose not to elaborate on his feelings about the race, saying he and his supporters would just have to wait to get closure.
“When all of the absentee ballots are counted next week, then we’ll have a definitive answer,” he said.
Gennaro issued the following statement on Wednesday afternoon: “I’m gratified by the tremendous support that I received in every corner of this district, and am confident that when all of the ballots are counted we will be victorious. There is serious work to be done: fixing New York’s economy, closing record budget deficits, and reforming state government. I look forward to working with the new Senate Majority Leader, Malcolm Smith, to help tackle these challenges. For the time being, the race remains extremely close and it’s critical that we respect the thousands of voters whose voices – and ballots – still must be counted.”
Dianne Smith, a family friend and volunteer for the Gennaro campaign, said she was thrilled to be there to show her support. She has been a longtime supporter of Gennaro’s policies, specifically those pertaining to his environmental record.
“This man comes to my home, takes water from my faucet, and drinks it,” Smith said. “When it comes to the environment, he really practices what he stands for.”
While most supporters kept an upbeat attitude, chitchatting about the fact that no other candidate had ever come so close to challenging Padavan’s 36-year Republican incumbency, others were clearly worried.
“I was sure Gennaro was going to take this by a landslide,” one man said.
And then, at 11:30 p.m., Gennaro made his entrance with wife Joanne and his two children. He flung off his suit jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and assured the crowd that they were missing three percent of the vote and there were still paper and absentee ballots to count. With Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) and State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) by his side, Gennaro reminded supporters of all the new voters they had registered for this election – voters who were excited about the change Gennaro’s seat would mean to the Senate.
“We’re going to pull through this,” he said. “The end of the contest is not written. At the end of the day, this kid is going to the Senate.”
After thanking his family, campaign team, and backers, whom he called “the greatest supporters in the world,” Gennaro invited Stavisky and Vallone to say a few words.
“Jim is going to be joining me in Albany in two months,” Stavisky said. “We have a good future ahead of us with a new president and we’re going to have a new state senate as well.”
Vallone, who has supported Gennaro and praised his environmental record since the Democrat’s initial bid for State Senate, was also adamant that the race was not over.
“I am so proud of everyone in this room for doing what no one thought they could do – make Jim a State Senator,” he said.
