Many New York state Senate races have not been called, and might not be for weeks, until the record number of absentee ballots cast this year are counted.
This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, all eligible voters were allowed to cast mail in ballots, and they have not yet been counted, and may not be for several days.
The results of early voting and in person voting favor Republicans in five contested seats, on Long Island, the lower Hudson Valley and New York City, and Democrats in three districts in the Rochester and Buffalo areas.
Three Long Island first-term Democrats, Monica Martinez James Gaughran and Kevin Thomas are all trailing their GOP challengers.
Democrats had hoped to pick up a two seats to achieve a supermajority in the Senate, with power to override any vetoes issued by Governor Andrew Cuomo. But they, along with everyone else, will have to wait until the absentee ballots are all counted.
