HUDSON–Democrat Didi Barrett holds a 154-vote lead over Richard Wager, her Republican opponent, in the unofficial results for the 103rd Assembly District special election.
The 103rd Assembly District includes the city of Hudson and the towns of Ancram, Austerlitz, Canaan, Claverack, Copake, Ghent, Greenport, Hillsdale and Stockport in Columbia County and 12 Dutchess County towns, including Red Hook, Milan, Millerton and Pine Plains and most of the eastern side of that county stretching south to the Putnam County border.
Ms. Barrett, who ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2010, won convincingly in Columbia County in this election, winning by 1,960 votes to 1,464 for Mr. Wager, a 50.6% share to the vote. She lost to Mr. Wager in Dutchess County, but the gap between her 3,844 votes and his tally of 4,186 was small enough to give her the victory in the unofficial count.
The final results for the election, which was called by Governor Cuomo earlier this year after the incumbent, Marc Molinaro, resigned to become the Dutchess County executive, will not be known until all the votes are certified by the election boards in both Dutchess and Columbia counties and any challenges are resolved.
Assuming she prevails in the certified count, Ms. Barrett would hold the seat until the end of this year. She could run again for the Assembly, but the 103rd Assembly District will no longer include Columbia County after redistricting takes effect in the next election.