Longtime New York state Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli is in danger of losing his seat after a strong showing from Onondaga County Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown in Tuesday’s primary elections.
According to the latest unofficial results from the Associated Press, the race was too close to call as of late Tuesday with Brown having 3,347 votes to Magnarelli’s 3,262 votes, with 92% of the estimated vote counted.
Magnarelli was first elected to the state’s lower chamber in 1998. He serves as chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee. The incumbent touted his 28 years on the job and said that time produces results while Brown, in the county legislature for three years, says he can bring something new to the table.
There is no Republican candidate in the race and Magnarelli has not faced a Republican opponent in a general election since 2020.
The 129th Assembly District includes parts of the city of Syracuse, the town of Geddes, the town of Van Buren and part of the village of Baldwinsville.
Further to the south, Binghamton attorney Dan Norton won the Democratic primary in the race to succeed Donna Lupardo in New York’s 123rd state Assembly District, AP declared, defeating Dan Livingston.
Norton is an Endwell native and partner at the law firm Hinman, Howard & Kattel. He previously served as president of the Broome County Bar Association. Norton had the support of Broome County Executive Jason Garnar and Planned Parenthood. Lupardo instantly endorsed Norton to be her successor upon her announcement of her retirement.
Broome County has shifted from a reliably Democratic county to more purple since the time Lupardo first came into office. Local Republicans might see an opportunity to flip the seat for their candidate, small business owner and community advocate Lynn Parker, who either Norton or Livingston will face in the fall.
The 123rd state Assembly District includes the city of Binghamton and the towns of Vestal and Union.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.