The hand recount of ballots in the New York 50th Senate District race starts Tuesday, and the process could take up to two weeks
At last count, incumbent Democrat John Mannion led the race with 51 votes against his Republican challenger Rebecca Shiroff. Mannion's previous run for the seat was also close. He said the redrawn district made it more challenging this time.
"I had 15 towns and parts of two cities; I lost parts of both of those cities," Mannion said. "And I lost 10 of the 15 towns, so in a way, I had to introduce myself to some folks. But listen, it's close. It's very close, and I just think it's reflective of how we are in this district and in this region."
Mannion entered the race with the benefit of name recognition, but he said Republicans and Conservatives have a 5,000 registered voter advantage.
Mannion's opponent Shiroff declined an interview, but, in an email, she says through a spokesperson that she has complete confidence in the system and both the Onondaga and Oswego County Boards of Elections. Staff began hand counting 124,000 ballots Tuesday.
