Republicans Lead Six of Eight Finger Lakes Races
Election-night returns show Republicans ahead in most regional Senate and Assembly contests, though results remain unofficial.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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Republicans held the advantage in six of eight regional Senate and Assembly contests on election night, with leads ranging from several thousand votes to nearly 30,000. The results come from the state Board of Elections' 11:10 p.m. Tuesday tally, and substantial reporting remains outstanding in several races.
Why it matters
The early returns show how the regional Senate and Assembly map is shaping up in New York's Finger Lakes as Democrats push to gain ground nationally. Because the figures are unofficial and many districts were still reporting, the final lineup of legislative seats in the region remains open.
The 58th Senate District showed the largest lead, with Thomas O'Mara ahead of James Bobreski by 29,423 votes while only 54.2% of districts had reported. Because the 11:10 p.m. tally is incomplete, the final vote margins in the eight contests have not been confirmed.
The players
Pam Helming
Helming is a Republican state senator who led Democrat Michael Mills by 16,676 votes in the 54th Senate District.
Thomas O'Mara
O'Mara is a Republican state senator who led Democrat James Bobreski by 29,423 votes in the 58th Senate District, the largest margin among the races reported.
The details
Republicans led in six of the eight regional Senate and Assembly contests tracked on election night. Democrats led in the remaining two: Rachel May in the 48th Senate District and Ian Phillips in the 126th Assembly District, the latter by 1,492 votes.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Election night returns, including the state Board of Elections' 11:10 p.m. tally, showed Republicans ahead in six of eight regional contests.
Season Trajectory
The results come as Democrats gained momentum nationally in their push to take control of Congress. Republican leads in most Finger Lakes contests show the regional picture diverging from that national trend on election night.
Whether Republicans hold their election-night leads determines which party controls each of these Senate and Assembly seats in the Finger Lakes region. Those seats shape the state legislation that affects residents across the area.
The takeaway
Election-night leads are early and unofficial, so readers should wait for final certified counts before drawing conclusions about who will hold these seats. Watching updates from the state Board of Elections will show how the margins change as remaining districts report.
Further reading
Follow the latest on Legislative Policy in New York as these races continue to be counted.
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