Bayside District 19 Election Results Still Pending

This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 3rd. Refresh for the latest results.

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Election Day is behind us, but voters in Bayside's District 19 still do not officially know who won the race to represent them in City Council.

Three nominees were named on the general election ballot for the 19th District Council seat to succeed term-limited City Council Member Paul Vallone: Tony Avella, the Democratic choice, Vickie Paladino, the Republican nominee, and John-Alexander Sakelos, who lost the GOP primary nomination but ran on the Conservative party line.

Paladino has narrowly led the race since late Tuesday night, with 49.8 percent of votes and 100 percent of all precincts reporting, according to NY1. The NY Times also made a similar prediction, but neither outlet has called the race; since it is still too-close-to-call, official results will likely come down to mail-in ballots, which weren't counted on Election Day.

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Avella was considered a favorite in the general election, and his loss would be an upset for the district, which Democrat Paul Vallone has represented since 2013.

Vallone might have suffered his own shocking upset on election night, after he trailed Republican candidate Joseph Kasper in the race for Civil Court Judge of the 3rd Municipal District as of Wednesday. Vallone comes from a long line of legislators and judges, whereas Kasper is known for running — and losing — judicial seats over the past several years.

Avella, however, remained confident throughout a contested primary race, too. He came up against two other Democrats, Richard Lee and Austin Shafran who led the district's fundraising and endorsement race for the weeks leading up to the election, but remained confident in his campaign.

He told Patch that his time as a politician — most recently as a State Senator representing northeast Queens — gave him an edge in a field of first-time political hopefuls; a point that ultimately proved true.

"Experience matters. None of the other candidates have ever served in public office, nor do they have my extensive knowledge and experience in City and State government or knowledge of the district," he told Patch regarding what differentiates him from other candidates.

Paladino's primary race was contested, too, but ultimately she beat Sakelos by a few hundred votes to secure the GOP nomination.

Whichever candidate the race will take office at the beginning of 2022 for a two-year Council term, not the usual four years that members serve, because of a city mandate to allow for redistricting after the census.

The race for City Council isn't the only one that neighbors in Bayside voted on this Election Day: locals also weighed in on the race to replace Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Queens Borough President race, and five ballot measures.

Find out more about these races, and all the ones that Patch is following, here.