ALBANY (AP) -- The fight for control of New York's Senate is coming down to just a few hundred votes, with Republicans already declaring they seized control in Tuesday's elections.
Even Democratic Gov. David Paterson said Thursday that Republicans probably seized control of the Senate, where Democrats won a 32-30 majority two years ago.
Counting thousands of absentee ballots, recounts and any legal action are expected to take weeks. Court action has begun in Erie and Nassau counties that could result in a full recount. In recent years, some close Senate races weren't decided until January and February.
The legislative session begins Jan. 1. The party that controls the Senate will control the redistricting process next year, which redraws election district lines every 10 years. Historically, redistricting favors the party in power by framing often oddly shaped districts so they are packed with their party's voters or carve up the opposition's strongholds.
The still unofficial vote shows Republicans appear to have gained a majority by defeating Democratic senators Brian X. Foley and Sen. Darryl Aubertine in northern New York and apparently beating Craig Johnson on Long Island. But Democrats defeated Republican Sen. Frank Padavan in Queens, and appear to have narrowly taken the vacant former Republican seat in the 38th District in the Hudson Valley.
Now the parties are focused on the 37th District in Westchester and the 60th District in Erie and Niagara counties.
In the 37th, Democrat Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer has a 180-vote lead over Bob Cohen with more than 66,000 votes cast, according to unofficial results and pending the absentee ballots.
In the 60th, Republican Mark Grisanti led by 468 among almost 62,000 votes cast in the unofficial vote with all precincts reporting, but absentee ballots yet to be counted.
"We've said that we believe that Republicans have won at least 32 seats, possibly 33, depending on the outcome of the Cohen-Oppenheimer race," said Republican Senate campaign spokesman Scott Reif.
"That's enough to put us in the majority," Reif said.
However, about 2,000 absentee ballots will be counted from Erie County where Democrats have a 3-to-1 enrollment advantage.
"Press releases don't trump actual votes," said Austin Shafran, spokesman for the Senate Democrats' campaign committee.
"Once every vote has been counted, it will be clear Democrats retained the majority," Shafran said. "We are dispatching teams of lawyers to these races to conduct robust voter protection efforts in these districts. ... We have every confidence about victory."
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