Republican medical marijuana activist Melissa Miller won a surprise victory over Democratic Long Beach city councilman Anthony Eramo in the race to fill an open New York State Assembly seat, results show.
Miller, a 52-year-old stay-at-home mom from Atlantic Beach and an advocate for children with special needs, won 47 percent of the vote in the 20th district to beat Eramo, 42, and 33-year-old Green Party candidate Joseph Naham, also of Long Beach, according to unofficial results tallied by the state Board of Elections.
On the North Shore of Nassau County, Democrat Anthony D’Urso, a 76-year-old former North Hempstead town councilman from Port Washington, won 46 percent of the vote to beat 25-year-old Michael Varvaro, a former legislative aide from Port Washington, in the race to replace outgoing state Assemb. Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck) in the 16th district.
The other 20 state Assembly members that represent Long Island all won re-election—ensuring Democrats retained their supermajority in the 150-member chamber.
“I am proud that we have been able to grow our majority to 107 members and our conference remains the most diverse legislative body in the country, including 41 women,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) said.
Deputy Assembly Speaker Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead), 77, won her 15th term representing the 18th district by the largest margin of any local Assembly race with 80 percent of the vote over Cornelius Todd Smith, a 47-year-old banker and perennial Republican candidate from Lakeview.
Assemb. Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor), 63, won his 11th term representing the first district with 55 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Heather Collins, a 40-year-old elections clerk from East Quogue who sought a rematch from two years ago.
Assemb. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), 46, won his third term representing the second district with 61 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Michael Conroy, a 57-year-old union leader from Manorville.
Assemb. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue), 52, who represents the third district, was re-elected with 56 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Gregory Schoen, a 30-year-old elections worker from East Patchogue. Murray won his seat in a 2010 special election, was re-elected once, got unseated four years ago, and then recaptured his seat in a ’14 rematch.
Assemb. Steven Englebright (D-Setauket), 71, won his 13th term representing the fourth district with 53 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Steven Weissbard, a 52-year-old attorney from Stony Brook.
Assemb. Al Graf (R-Holbrook), 56, won his fourth term representing the fifth district with 56 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Deborah Slinkosky, a 60-year-old former Sachem school board member from Holbrook, and Libertarian challenger James Smith, a 25-year-old veteran and college student.
Assemb. Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood), a retired Suffolk County police detective who was named deputy Assembly majority leader last year, ran unopposed for his eighth term representing the sixth district.
Assemb. Andrew Garbarino (R-Sayville), 32, won his third term representing the seventh district with 60 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Nicholas Gambini, a 22-year-old pizza delivery driver who is reportedly the youngest Assembly candidate in state history.
Assemb. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-St. James), 59, won his eighth term representing the eighth district with 63 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Richard Macerello, a 64-year-old perennial candidate from Kings Park.
Assemb. Joseph Saladino (R-Massapequa), 53, won his seventh term representing the ninth district with 62 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Brendan Cunningham, a 23-year-old Babylon Town spokesman from West Babylon.
Assemb. Chad Lupinacci (R-Huntington), 37, won his third term representing the 10th district with 53 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Edwin Perez, a 59-year-old elections board staffer from Huntington.
Freshman Assemb. Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Wyandanch), 32, won her second term representing the 11th district with 53 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Shawn Cullinane, the 63-year-old Lindenhurst village clerk-treasurer.
Assemb. Andrew Raia (R-East Northport), 48, won his eighth term representing the 12th district with 59 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Spencer Rumsey, a 63-year-old Northport resident who is senior editor at the Long Island Press.
Assemb. Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove), 67, won his sixth term representing the 13th district with 56 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Jeffrey Vitale, a 32-year-old Sea Cliff resident who is an Oyster Bay Town employee, and Green Party challenger Jeffrey Peress, a 44-year-old custodian from Glen Cove.
Assemb. Dave McDonough (R-Merrick), 79, won his eighth term representing the 14th district with 56 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Michael Reid, a 55-year-old paramedic from Merrick.
Assemb. Michael Montesano (R-Glen Head), 62, won his fourth term representing the 15th district with 50 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Dr. Dean Hart, a 58-year-old optometrist from Glen Head.
Assemb. Thomas McKevitt (R-East Meadow), 45, won his sixth term representing the 17th district with 56 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Matthew Malin, a 24-year-old elections clerk from Seaford.
Assemb. Edward Ra (R-Garden City South), 35, won his fourth term representing the 19th district with 55 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Gary Port, a 54-year-old attorney and perennial candidate from West Hempstead.
Assemb. Brian Curran (R-Lynbrook), 47, won his fourth term representing the 21st district with 51 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Travis Bourgeois, a 31-year-old elections clerk from Merrick.
And finally, Assemb. Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont), 31, won her third term representing the 22nd district with 62 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Robert Bogle, a 24-year-old law clerk from Valley Stream.
