Suozzi, Braunstein take lead in vote
BY JACOB KAYE
Two Queens lawmakers
who faced Election Day vote
count deficits against Republican
challengers have both taken
the lead in their respective
races after absentee ballots began
to be tallied last week.
Congressman Tom Suozzi
and New York State Assemblyman
Edward Braunstein both
have received the vast majority
of absentee votes in their
districts as of Monday, Nov. 16.
While neither race has been
formally certified by the New
York City Board of Elections,
both lawmakers appear to
be headed back to their posts
come January.
In Suozzi’s race against Republican
George Santos in the
Third Congressional District,
the incumbent took an approximately
13,000-vote lead in the
count, after trailing by 4,171
votes after Election Day.
“I’m very happy that I’m going
to be returning to my position,”
Suozzi said on Monday.
“I’m even more confident now
then I was then.”
While only around 30 percent
of the absentee ballots
cast in Suozzi’s district have
been counted, he’s so far won
about 79 percent of the absentee
votes counted. With about
60,000 absentee ballots left
to count in Queens, Suffolk
County and Nassau County,
Suozzi predicts he’ll win the
race by 20,000 votes.
“I’m not declaring victory
TIMESLEDGER |4 QNS.COM | NOV. 20-NOV. 26, 2020
just yet. I just think that I
will win once all the votes are
counted,” Suozzi said.
Santos conceded to the incumbent
on Tuesday, Nov. 17,
as the ballots continued to be
counted.
“There may be more announcements
coming from me
in the near future regarding
next steps, but for right now,
I would like to congratulate
Congressman Tom Suozzi,”
Santos said in a statement.
“We wish him well going forward
for the benefit of our district
and constituents.”
The absentee ballots cast
in the congressional race will
likely be fully counted by the
end of the week. While Queens
and Nassau began counting
the ballots in the race on
Wednesday, Nov. 11, Board of
Elections workers in Suffolk
began counting the ballots on
Monday, Nov. 16.
In northeast Queens,
Braunstein trailed Republican
John-Alexander Sakelos by
1,791 votes following the Election
Day count.
While the results are yet to
be certified, the absentee ballot
count is finished in Assembly
District 26 and the incumbent
leads by approximately
5,000 votes.
“Now that the absentee
ballots have been counted, I
am proud to report that I have
won re-election and will continue
to represent the people
of the 26th Assembly District,”
Braunstein, who won 75 percent
of the absentee votes,
said in a statement. “I want to
thank the residents of northeast
Queens for supporting
our positive campaign and
giving me the opportunity to
continue serving our community
in Albany.”
Sakelos did not respond to
QNS’ request for comment before
press time.
Congressman Tom Suozzi (L), Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (R). File photos
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