After an official canvassing of voting machines in Queens, Republican State Senator Frank Padavan leads his Democratic challenger, City Councilman Jim Gennaro, by 502 votes, according to a spokeswoman at the city’s Board of Elections.
Yet to be counted are 8,063 votes cast by paper (absentee ballots, emergency ballots, etc.).
Veteran political consultant Jerry Skurnik, for one, isn't surprised at how close the race is.
"I said to people I knew privately that Gennaro has a shot," Skurnik said.
Skurnik cited Gennaro's upset victory in a crowded 2001 City Council race, and the fact that the State Senate district "is trending Democratic, like every other district in the state."
