Palumbo Beats Ahearn in Race For LaValle’s Seat

New York State Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) beat Democrat Laura Ahearn in the race to replace retiring longtime state Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson).

Palumbo declared victory a month after Election Day once his lead in the early unofficial returns tallied from the in-person vote at polling places held up after Suffolk County Board of Elections officials counted the unusually large amount of Democrat-leaning absentee ballots mailed in due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The honor to stand here to succeed Senator LaValle is almost unspeakable,” Palumbo told reporters Wednesday during a news conference at Suffolk County Republican Committee headquarters in Medford.

Palumbo will be the new representative for the 1st State Senate District, which includes the East End of Long Island and eastern portions of the Town of Brookhaven, beginning in January.

The former Suffolk prosecutor won the seat over Ahearn, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Parents for Megan’s Law and the Crime Victim’s Center, whose campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Riverhead Town Councilwoman Jodi Giglio (R-Baiting Hollow) won the Assembly seat Palumbo vacated so he could run for state Senate. Giglio will be the new Assembly member representing the 2nd Assembly District, which covers the entire North Fork.

This story first appeared on LongIslandPress.com.