Griffo Wins Re-election to 53rd Senate District
Incumbent state senator Joseph A. Griffo defeated Democratic challenger Drake in the November 3, 2026 General Election.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Incumbent State Senator Joseph A. Griffo won re-election to the 53rd Senate District, receiving 67.13% of the vote against Drake's 32.29%. Unofficial results were tallied by the New York State Board of Elections during the General Election on Tuesday evening.
Why it matters
Griffo's victory keeps him in a seat he has held since 2023 and continues his long run in New York state politics, including his tenure as deputy minority leader of the state Senate. The margin and line-by-line vote totals show how his support was distributed across the Republican and Conservative lines.
Griffo's 67.13% share of the 53rd Senate District vote came from 62,904 Republican and 7,539 Conservative line votes, while Drake's 32.29% came from 30,549 Democratic and 3,441 Working Families line votes. These are unofficial tallies, and the source does not address when they will be certified.
The players
Joseph A. Griffo
Griffo is a Republican state senator who has served in the New York State Senate since 2007 and currently serves as deputy minority leader, with earlier service as mayor of Rome and Oneida County Executive.
New York State Board of Elections
The state agency responsible for administering elections in New York and for tallying and reporting General Election results.
The details
The 53rd Senate District includes all of Madison and Oneida counties and parts of Chenango and Herkimer counties. Four Madison County Assembly districts also reported unofficial results, with Republican incumbents and a Democratic Assembly winner.
Timeline
2007 to 2022: Griffo represented the 47th Senate District.
1992 to 2003: Griffo served as mayor of Rome.
2003 to 2006: Griffo served as Oneida County Executive.
2023: Griffo began representing the 53rd Senate District.
Tuesday evening, November 3, 2026: General Election votes were tallied unofficially.
Political Context
Griffo's re-election extends a Senate career that began in the 47th Senate District, which he represented from 2007 to 2022 before moving to the redrawn 53rd District in 2023. Opposition from the Democratic line, which drew 30,549 votes for Drake, remained well below Griffo's total across both his Republican and Conservative lines.
Voters in the 53rd Senate District, which covers all of Madison and Oneida counties and parts of Chenango and Herkimer counties, now have Griffo as their state senator. The results are unofficial, so final totals may still change before certification.
The takeaway
Unofficial results show Griffo carrying the 53rd Senate District by a wide margin across both Republican and Conservative lines. Readers can track certified totals as they are released.
Further reading
For more on state races, see Elections coverage across New York.
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