GARDEN CITY - Gov. Eliot Spitzer scored an early victory for his reform agenda Tuesday when voters on Long Island elected Democratic county legislator Craig Johnson to the state Senate in a special election made necessary when the governor appointed the Republican incumbent as his homeland security chief.
Johnson turned back a spirited challenge from Republican county clerk Maureen O'Connell in what could be the most expensive legislative race in state history.
The victory also moves the Democrats closer to taking control of the Senate, where the GOP now has a 33-29 advantage following Johnson's election.
“As Democrats, we are on our way to a new majority in the state Senate,” Johnson said in a victory speech. “As Long Islanders, we are heading towards property tax reform that will help our seniors and overburdened middle class.”
With all precincts reporting, Johnson had 26,452 votes, or 54 percent, to O'Connell's 22,929 votes, or 46 percent, in the race for the 7th Senate District seat in northwest Nassau County. The results do not include absentee votes, which can trickle in until a Feb. 13 deadline.
The campaign attracted a remarkable amount of attention for a local legislative race. On the eve of the election, two presidential hopefuls - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani - made appearances on behalf of the candidates.
Giuliani attracted a crush of reporters during his appearance - not because of the O'Connell endorsement but because it happened on the same day he took another step toward a presidential candidacy, filing a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.
Spitzer also counted the election as a triumph for his reform agenda. Spitzer, breaking with a gentleman's agreement in Albany to remain silent in this type of race, taped television and radio commercials on behalf of Johnson.
The victory also moves the Democrats closer to taking control of the Senate, where the GOP now has a 33-29 advantage following Johnson's election.
“As Democrats, we are on our way to a new majority in the state Senate,” Johnson said in a victory speech. “As Long Islanders, we are heading towards property tax reform that will help our seniors and overburdened middle class.”
With all precincts reporting, Johnson had 26,452 votes, or 54 percent, to O'Connell's 22,929 votes, or 46 percent, in the race for the 7th Senate District seat in northwest Nassau County. The results do not include absentee votes, which can trickle in until a Feb. 13 deadline.
The campaign attracted a remarkable amount of attention for a local legislative race. On the eve of the election, two presidential hopefuls - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani - made appearances on behalf of the candidates.
Giuliani attracted a crush of reporters during his appearance - not because of the O'Connell endorsement but because it happened on the same day he took another step toward a presidential candidacy, filing a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.
Spitzer also counted the election as a triumph for his reform agenda. Spitzer, breaking with a gentleman's agreement in Albany to remain silent in this type of race, taped television and radio commercials on behalf of Johnson.
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