Gianaris Declares Victory With Thousands Of Ballots Uncounted

ASTORIA, QUEENS — State Sen. Michael Gianaris declared victory Tuesday night in his bid for reelection, even as thousands of absentee ballots have yet to be counted.

Gianaris claimed what he called a "resounding victory" just after 10 p.m. as he led his primary challenger, Iggy Terranova, by thousands of votes.

Preliminary election results as of 11 p.m. showed Gianaris with 74 percent of the vote, leading with about 11,500 votes to Terranova's 4,000 votes.

“This election was unlike any we’ve experienced and I am thrilled that thousands of Queens residents delivered our campaign a resounding victory affirming our progressive vision for change," Gianaris said in a statement Tuesday night.

"Thank you to all my supporters for their hard work and commitment as we worked through unprecedented challenges. I look forward to continuing our fight on behalf of working people for a fairer and more just society.”

Those tallies don't include the 9,000-some absentee ballots from Gianaris' Senate district that were mailed in to the NYC Board of Elections as of Tuesday.

About 36,000 voters requested absentee ballots in the district.

Thank you pic.twitter.com/hU35vm99sp
— Sen. Mike Gianaris (@SenGianaris) June 24, 2020