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Election 2012: Complete coverage of Hudson Valley races

Electing to send out a thank-you note to supporters rather than give a speech, incumbent Rep. <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Nan Hayworth</a> on Wednesday morning conceded her loss in the 18th Congressional District race to <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> <a href="/topics//Sean_Patrick_Maloney">Sean Patrick Maloney</a>. 
 "The election of 2012 is over, and while the results didn't go our way, nobody could've fought harder or more honorably than our team," Hayworth wrote in an email to supporters that was sent shortly before 10 a.m. 
 "I'll continue to do all I can to serve the cause of individual liberty and opportunity that is uniquely American," wrote Hayworth. 
 She also promised to work with Maloney to ensure a smooth transition. 
 With 613 of 630 precincts reporting results as of early morning Wednesday, Maloney had 52 percent of the vote in the 18th Congressional District, which includes parts of Westchester, <a href="/topics//Orange,_CA">Orange</a>, Putnam and Dutchess counties. Hayworth had 48 percent. The gap was about 8,400 votes. 
 Eight districts were still to be counted in <a href="/topics//Orange,_CA">Orange</a> County and nine in Westchester County. Elections officials in both counties were expected to resume counting Wednesday morning. The vote tallies in Putnam and Dutchess were complete. 
 Orange County election Commissioner Susan Bahren said election officials were unable to count votes from the eight districts Tuesday night -- the districts are scattered out across the county -- because a problem with voting machines rendered them unable to read vote totals. 
 Bahren said officials were going to read ballots later Wednesday morning and said the results would be counted by 3 p.m. 
 Westchester election officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday morning. 
 Supporters who woke up to the news of the upset victory posted condolences on Hayworth's campaign <a href="/topics//Facebook">Facebook</a> page. 
 "This is a tragedy," wrote Claudette LaJam. "Nan was one of the hardest working and smartest members of <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a>." 
 "Nan, you have been a great congresswoman, and I sincerely hope that you will stay active in politics -- we need you!" posted Mary Kate Kirmse Pendergast. 
 Hayworth's congressional and campaign staff didn't immediately return phone calls early Wednesday morning. 
 Maloney sent an email to supporters early Wednesday morning proclaiming victory in the race. 
 "I'm headed to <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a> fired up and ready to help make this country a place where the words 'equality' and 'opportunity' carry serious weight," he wrote. 
 Other U.S. House races 
 In House District 16, 10-term incumbent <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> <a href="/topics//Eliot_L._Engel">Rep. Eliot Engel</a> easily defeated <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> challenger Joseph <a href="/topics//Joseph_McLaughlin">McLaughlin</a>. With 92 percent of precincts reporting Wednesday morning, <a href="/topics//Eliot_L._Engel">Engel</a> had 77 percent of the vote to McLaughlin's 21 percent. 
 In District 17, <a href="/topics//Nita_M_Lowey">Rep. Nita Lowey</a> handily won a 13th term in the House. The Democrat turned back her <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> challenger, Rye town Supervisor Joe Carvin, 64 percent to 35 percent, with 97 percent of precincts in. 
 In District 19, incumbent Republican <a href="/topics//Chris_P._Gibson">Rep. Chris Gibson</a> was projected to win a second term. With 82 percent of precincts in, <a href="/topics//Chris_P._Gibson">Gibson</a> had 53 percent of the vote against his Democratic challenger, Julian Schreibman.

HVNAN07

Hayworth concedes via email; Maloney 'fired up'

Hayworth cropped

Steve Saland's three-decade-long legislative career hung in the balance Wednesday as unofficial results in the hard-fought 41st District state Senate race showed him trailing <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> Terry Gipson by 1,600 votes. 
 With all 269 precincts counted, Gipson had nearly 44 percent to Saland's 42 percent. Conservative candidate Neil Di Carlo won 14 percent of the vote. Still to be counted were 6,000 <a href="/topics//Absentee_(musician)">absentee</a> ballots in Dutchess County, but Gipson's campaign said Wednesday morning that they believed his lead was insurmountable in the three-way high-profile race. 
 "We're moving forward and declaring victory because we have a lot of work to do," said <a href="/topics//Brian_Keeler">Brian Keeler</a>, Gipson's campaign spokesman. "We need to put principle before politics here. The last thing we want to do is have some kind of political maneuvering hold up having a representative in Albany for the people of this district." 
 As of midday, it wasn't clear if Saland would concede and his campaign couldn't immediately be reached for comment. 
 Gipson, 49, is a village of Rhinebeck trustee and owner of a graphic-design company. He campaigned on the idea of bringing a fresh voice to Albany. In a statement to supporters early Wednesday, Gipson declared victory. 
 "I look so forward to working with each and every one of you to reduce the cost of living, to create good jobs here in the Hudson Valley, to improve our education system, to continue to make sure that we all have access to good, affordable health care, and start moving this state forward in a new direction with a new plan," he said. 
 Saland, 68, was one of four <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> senators who broke ranks and voted to legalize <a href="/topics//Same-sex_Marriage">same-sex marriage</a>. <a href="/topics//The_Move_(musician)">The move</a> cost him the Conservative <a href="/topics//Tea_Party_movement">Party</a> endorsement for his re-election bid, but won him an endorsement from Gov. <a href="/topics//Andrew_Cuomo">Andrew Cuomo</a>, a <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a>, before the general election. 
 Following last year's vote, the Conservative <a href="/topics//Tea_Party_movement">Party</a> said it wouldn't back candidates who support <a href="/topics//Same-sex_Marriage">same-sex marriage</a>. 
 Brewster native Di Carlo, 43, works for a Manhattan securities company. He enjoyed the support of the <a href="/topics//Tea_Party_movement">Tea Party movement</a> and other conservative <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a>, almost defeating Saland for the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a>'s nomination in the primary election. 
 Political observers say Di Carlo likely cost Saland the election by siphoning away thousands of conservative votes. 
 The 41st District covers most of Dutchess County and parts of Putnam County. Previously, it had included most of Dutchess and a huge swath of Columbia County. 
 District 40: <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a> leading Wagner 
 Meanwhile, in one of the Hudson Valley's most heated contests, state Sen. <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Greg Ball</a> (R-Patterson) appeared to defeat challenger Justin Wagner with a vote tally of 53,230 to 49,281 with 248 of 278 precincts reporting. 
 "It's been a great race focused on the issues," <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a> said. "I'm happy, extremely happy with my supporters. It's been a good fight. If you are a <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> fighting for working values and blue collar people, you can win." 
 However, Wagner's camp refused to admit defeat. 
 "The race is too close to call," said Wagner's campaign manager Steve Napier in a statement. "While all of the traditionally high-performing <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> areas have been fully counted, results in much of the traditionally Democratic areas of Westchester County have yet to be reported. We will pursue a full and fair count of all ballots." 
 A former Assemblyman, <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a>, 35, won his Senate seat two years ago by a margin of 2,000 votes. Statewide redistricting of legislative seats this year made the 40th District, which sprawls over Putnam County and parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties, slightly more Democratic. 
 <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a> campaigned on keeping the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> majority in the Senate to promote job creation and as a bulwark against tax hikes. Wagner, 31, a Croton-on-Hudson attorney, repeatedly attacked <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a> for floating proposals that he said garnered headlines but weren't realistic, as well as what he called <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a>'s "childish" campaign tactics.

HVSSEN07

State Senate: Saland's 32-year political career likely ending

Steve Saland

Democratic U.S. Sen. <a href="/topics//Kirsten_Gillibrand">Kirsten Gillibrand</a>, who filled the seat when <a href="/topics//Hillary_Rodham_Clinton">Hillary Rodham Clinton</a> was picked as secretary of state, has won the seat sought by <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> contender Wendy Long. 
 In her victory speech, Gillibrand thanked <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a>ers from the Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan, where state <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> convened on election night, as her husband and two young sons sat nearby. 
 "I can't thank you enough for the honor and privilege of continuing to serve this state and to fight for <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> families in the United States <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a>," Gillibrand said. 
 She commended her opponent, saying that it was the first campaign in the state where two women ran for a <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">U.S. Senate</a> seat. 
 Gillibrand also spoke about the devastation the state had seen after Sandy, promising that <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a>ers "will rebuild better and stronger." 
 "Sen. Gillibrand has proven herself to be an absolute . . . force in the United States <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a>," said Assemb. <a href="/topics//Keith_Wright">Keith Wright</a>, co-chair of the <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> State <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democratic Party</a>. "Kirsten has delivered by working across the aisle." 
 Earlier in the night, <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican party</a> officials had said Long's campaign -- even if she lost -- will be judged as successful. In a 10 minute speech, Long conceded the race, thanking "allies in the Tea Party." 
 Long said, "I'm disappointed that Sen. Gillibrand never really engaged on the main issues that confront <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> and Americans in this campaign." She cited the national debt, taxes and other economic factors. 
 "Kirsten Gillibrand is put on notice now" that she will be challenged in the future, said David Laska, a spokesman for the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican Party</a> of New York State.

HVGILL07

Kirsten Gillibrand holds onto U.S. Senate seat

US-Gillibrand 2012

Hudson Valley voters who gave <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Barack Obama</a> another four years on the job say they're eager to see him make good on a promise to lift the country out of its economic malaise. 
 At the Alexis Diner in Newburgh on Wednesday, customers sipped coffee and pored over the day's newspapers as they expressed hope that their vote for Obama would translate into the thing the middle class needs most -- a robust economy. 
 "I would like to see an increase in jobs and to see him fight the deficit, things that the average middle-income family could <a href="/topics//Benefit_(designer)">benefit</a> from," said Tony Ranalli, 60, of Highland. 
 Construction worker Drew Novack, 29, also of Highland, was not thrilled with either of the choices for president but said he was willing to give Obama another four years to give it a try. 
 "Four years was really not long enough to climb out of the <a href="/topics//Hole_(band)">hole</a> he was put in," Novack said. "Obama says he created all these jobs? I haven't seen them in <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a>." 
 VOTERS FLOCKED TO THE POLLS 
 Nearly seven out of 10 registered voters in Rockland County and five of 10 in Westchester County went to the polls Tuesday, according to preliminary turnout figures from election officials in both counties. 
 Westchester's numbers could tick upward since only 80 percent of precinct votes have been counted while election workers canvass machines for the final tally. In Westchester, 284,731 of 534,452 registered voters cast a ballot in the presidential race, officials said. 
 Rockland County officials were not sure whether the 70 percent turnout was a record. Of the county's 176,000 registered voters, 116,000 went to the polls and an additional 7,000 voted by <a href="/topics//Absentee_(musician)">absentee</a> ballot or through affidavits created by an executive order issued Monday by Gov. Andrew <a href="/topics//Andrew_Cuomo">Cuomo</a>. 
 "It's a presidential election, and people want to get out and vote," said Louis Babcock, the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> elections commissioner for Rockland. 
 Statewide, the unofficial election turnout for the presidential race was 56 percent of registered voters, with more than 6.1 million casting votes, state election officials said. The preliminary numbers are from 98 percent of the state's precincts and don't include <a href="/topics//Absentee_(musician)">absentee</a> or affidavit ballots, state election officials said. 
 DEMS RIDE WAVE OF VICTORIES 
 Obama led a Democratic charge at the ballot box that spurred a wave of upsets for <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> incumbents. Rep. <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Nan Hayworth</a>, a 52-year-old retired ophthalmologist, lost a bid for a second term to former <a href="/topics//Bill_Clinton">Bill Clinton</a> aide <a href="/topics//Sean_Patrick_Maloney">Sean Patrick Maloney</a>. <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> Assemb. Robert Castelli lost to White Plains Councilman David Buchwald despite an attempt to link himself to Cuomo, the state's most high-profile <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a>. 
 <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> also were claiming victory in the <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> State <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a>, where <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> entered the election with control of the state's upper legislative house by a four-seat margin. 
 <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> George Latimer held off Republican Bob Cohen in a hotly contested battle for the state <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a> seat held by retiring <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> <a href="/topics//Suzi_Oppenheimer">Suzi Oppenheimer</a>. And in Dutchess County, Republican Sen. Steve Saland was upset by Democratic challenger Terry Gipson. 
 Helene Simon, a banker from Port Chester who works in Manhattan, was pleased with Tuesday's national and local election results. 
 "We have Nita Lowey again. I think she has represented us well," Simon said. "And I think George Latimer will do good things. He has a lot of experience from being in the Assembly, and I think that will help him in the <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a>." 
 VOTERS NOT READY FOR 'TEA' TIME 
 Maloney supporters said <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Hayworth</a>'s close ties to the ultraconservative Tea Party hurt her re-election bid in the newly redrawn 18th Congressional District, which includes parts of Westchester, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties. 
 "I didn't like the whole Tea Party thing in terms of women's rights, her stance (opposing) abortion," said Debbie Rinaldi, 51, a court stenographer from Bedford. "Reproductive rights are important to me. I don't think she supported the middle class." 
 Retired nurse Mary Riechers, 68, said <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Hayworth</a> is "too Tea Party for me. I can't go there." 
 As for Maloney, Riechers said she knew little about the 46-year-old gay attorney, who lives in Putnam County. "He just seemed young and fresh to me." 
 Retired lawyer <a href="/topics//Robert_Parker_(musician)">Robert Parker</a>, 66, thought the recent redrawing of <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Hayworth</a>'s congressional district hurt her chances. 
 "There might be more <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> than <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> here, and with the <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> voting for Obama, I'm sure that helped Maloney," said Parker, of Bedford. "I'm not sure why Maloney won. He's a carpetbagger." 
 Other voters said the victors in Tuesday's election need to address shortcomings exposed by Hurricane Sandy. 
 "Getting more work for the economy," said Karen Bonilla, 33, a home health aide who works in New Rochelle. "And gas prices. Get them down a little because since the hurricane, they've been bad." 
 IT'S STILL THE ECONOMY, (STUPID) 
 In the presidential race, Simon believes the best road to economic recovery is with Obama. 
 "I wanted him to be able to move the economy forward, giving it the best chance to recover," she said. 
 Voters, however, were steadfast in demanding that the rival parties end Washington gridlock and find solutions. 
 "I'm so grateful that <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Obama</a> was re-elected," said John Corcoran, 50, of Congers, a clinician at a foster care facility. But the hard work of rebuilding the economy continues, he added. 
 "Both sides of the aisle are in Washington to serve the country as a whole," Corcoran said. "Do the job you were elected to do. Find the consensus." 
 Corcoran was not alone in pressing for an end to partisan bickering. 
 "Somehow we have got to get the two parties together," said Pam Chavez, 62, of Tarrytown, who owns a furniture manufacturing company. "That's the biggest issue. The <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> just don't want to work with Democrats, but they have to." 
 Obama won because Romney "didn't connect with the middle class," Chavez said. 
 The election process was "messy" but it works, said Jan Hilgeman, 51, of Wesley Hills, who is a vice president of a construction company and called herself a political independent. Like others, she pointed to economic issues as the challenge that continues into Obama's second term. 
 "Health care, our financial condition as a country -- the economy, debt, jobs. It's all one package," she said. 
 With Betty Ming Liu, Meghan Murphy and Ron Bittner

HVPOLL07

Hudson Valley voters to Obama: Fix the economy

Obama

Ossining's incumbent Mayor William R. Hanauer had built up an insurmountable lead with more than half of the village's votes counted in tallies Tuesday night. 
 By 11 p.m., Hanauer had 2,268 votes -- almost three times as many as his challenger, Republican Linda Cabral Marrero, according to unofficial results from the Westchester County Board of Elections. 
 The win would give Hanauer, a Democrat, a fourth term as mayor. Previously, Hanauer served as a trustee and a leader of a neighborhood association. He made headlines earlier this year when he married his longtime partner, <a href="/topics//Princeton_University">Princeton University</a> professor Alan Stahl. 
 Marrero, a lifelong Ossining resident, ran on promises to preserve historic aspects of the village and combat what she called urban sprawl. She also appealed to voters by promising to develop the village's waterfront. 
 Hanauer will earn more than $12,000 annually as mayor during his fourth term.

HVLOCL06

Hanauer wins fourth term in Ossining

lgbt

Lack of power and gas didn't keep Hudson Valley voters from heading to the polls. 
 For all the concerns about electricity and readiness heading into Tuesday's election, election commissioners throughout the Hudson Valley reported heavy turnout and few problems. 
 "Considering everything that we've been through, it's going smooth," said Doug Colety, Westchester County's <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> elections commissioner. 
 At the <a href="/topics//Crowne_Plaza">Crowne Plaza</a> Hotel in White Plains Tuesday night, Westchester County's <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> elite were starting to gather for a party featuring candidates in several local races, including 37th District <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a> candidate Bob Cohen, who is running a close race against <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> George Latimer. 
 Supporters milled around, sipping wine and munching on gourmet sandwiches, and the mood was optimistic, both for the presidential race and other contests down the ballot. 
 "We're going to take the White House and the <a href="/topics//U.S._Senate">Senate</a>," said Michael Pap, 29, a Republican from <a href="/topics//Eastchester,_NY">Eastchester</a>. "I'm really confident about our chances." 
 Rockland County <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> were staging a party at the Town and Country catering hall. 
 "I think it's going to be a great night for <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> in Rockland County," said Kristen Stavisky, president of the Rockland County <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democratic Party</a>. "I've been to polling spots all day. It's been a great voter turnout. Some places were running out of ballots. We had to rush ballots over ... In some districts we were at 70 to 80 percent of our numbers from the 2008 election at 5 p.m., which was great, with a few hours of voting to go." 
 However, results from Rockland County were trickling in slowly Tuesday night. Anne Marie Kelly, a county elections commissioner, said results were still coming in, and elections officials were dealing with an uploading bottleneck on their public server. 
 "The slowness could be Sandy-related or it could be many people logging onto the website to check results," Kelly said. 
 In Yorktown on Tuesday morning, election inspectors arrived at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to discover that -- despite Con Ed's assurances -- power had not been restored to the Route 134 polling place, said Town Clerk Alice Roker. 
 Voters were told they could either vote by the affidavit ballots created by Gov. Andrew <a href="/topics//Andrew_Cuomo">Cuomo</a>'s Monday executive order or they could go home and have election workers call them when power was restored. Some took ballots and others came back later, Roker said. 
 By 2 p.m., power was back. 
 Two polling places in Ossining also were without power for the scheduled 6 a.m. opening, according to the state Board of Elections. It was unclear whether power had been restored as of Tuesday evening. 
 Westchester County Executive <a href="/topics//Rob_Astorino">Rob Astorino</a> told News12 that only one of 380 polling locations in the county had to be moved. "It was just a typical Election Day," he said. "Very successful." 
 In White Plains, a steady stream of voters shuffled in and out of the Mamaroneck Avenue School on Tuesday afternoon. Michelle Clark, a poll worker, said turnout had improved ninefold compared with this year's primaries. 
 "A lot more people are coming out to vote, despite the storm and what's going on," Clark said. 
 More than an hour before polls closed, Reginald Lafayette, Westchester County's Democratic elections commissioner, predicted a turnout of 60 percent or more. If Lafayette's prediction holds, turnout could equal or exceed 2008's national election, when more than 59 percent of Westchester County's eligible voters showed up at the polls. 
 Colety said he believed turnout would easily top 60 percent. Only a "handful" of polling sites in Westchester County were depending on power generators, he said. 
 NATIONAL GUARD TO THE RESCUE 
 The commissioner of Rockland County's Board of Elections, Louis Babcock, called in the <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">Army</a> <a href="/topics//National_Guard">National Guard</a> when voters showed up at two school polling sites -- <a href="/topics//Hempstead,_NY">Hempstead</a> Elementary School in Spring Valley and Grandview Elementary in Monsey -- that still did not have power. The Guard came to the rescue, bringing in generators to power voting machines as well as extra heaters and lights. 
 "They've been a tremendous asset having them around," Babcock said. 
 Some Rockland residents left homeless by Sandy cast their ballots at the New City Library, even though they do not live in the library's district. Cuomo issued an order permitting people displaced from Hurricane Sandy to vote where they're presently residing. 
 At a news conference Tuesday, the governor urged residents to "go vote. This is important ... who's in charge matters." 
 <a href="/topics//Orange,_CA">Orange</a> County Elections Commissioner Susan Bahren said there was confusion from voters over Cuomo's executive order allowing voters displaced by the storm to cast affidavit ballots at any polling site. Unlike Westchester and Rockland counties, <a href="/topics//Orange,_CA">Orange</a> County wasn't declared a federal disaster area, and Bahren said some people who are helping relatives in <a href="/topics//Nassau_County,_NY">Nassau</a> County have tried to vote there instead of Orange County, which Cuomo's order doesn't permit. 
 "There's a lot of people who weren't affected by the storms who think they can vote anywhere," she said. 
 She said about 20 voters from affected areas and displaced by the storm who are staying with relatives in Orange County have voted with affidavit ballots, per Cuomo's eased voting regulations. 
 Dutchess County Republican Elections Commissioner Erik Haight reported "no major problems" in voting regarding Cuomo's order and heavy turnout. "We've had a couple calls, but no problems," he said. 
 At the New City Elementary School, the gymnasium was transformed into a makeshift polling site to accommodate people who normally vote at Wood Glen Elementary, which was severely damaged by the hurricane. 
 Despite the glitches, longtime poll inspectors told Roker that they had "never seen it (voter turnout) this heavy, even in a presidential election." 
 In West Nyack's District 3, 245 voters -- half the district's total registered voters -- had cast a ballot at West Nyack Elementary School by 5 p.m. In District 34 in West Nyack, 450 of the district's 800 registered voters had been to the polls, workers there said. 
 "It's been smooth and very steady since we opened," said Maria Rossi, an elections worker since 2003. 
 JOBS, ECONOMY GET VOTERS OUT 
 Voters said the two issues that had taken center stage on the presidential campaign trail -- jobs and the economy -- got them to the polls, no matter what storm-related issues they were contending with. 
 The neck-and-neck race between <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Barack Obama</a> and Republican nominee Mitt <a href="/topics//Mitt_Romney">Romney</a> split states, regions and families and sometimes proved vexing for individual voters. 
 "My ideal would be in the middle of the two of them," said Andrea Juliano, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom from Piermont. 
 In the end, she said, her vote was going to Romney. "It's a tough call." 
 At the Piermont polling site, near where Hurricane Sandy caused some of the worst destruction in the Hudson Valley, voting went smoothly. The same was true throughout much of the region. 
 Across the river, at Grace <a href="/topics//Episcopal_Church">Episcopal Church</a> in Nyack, Negra Gomez came out to support <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a> for what she described as his more inclusive policies. 
 The 62-year-old state worker from Nyack said <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a> won her support because "the middle is continuing to struggle, (and) the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> are for big banking and are not going to <a href="/topics//Benefit_(designer)">benefit</a> the 99 percent." 
 The incumbent could have done more in his first term, she said, "but I think he was hindered by the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a>' refusal to help him." 
 If Dixville Notch, N.H., is any indication, the presidential election could be a nail-biter. Voters in the tiny village, where polls opened at midnight, cast five votes for Obama and five for Romney. 
 LOCAL RACES, NATIONAL ISSUES 
 In one of the most hotly contested local races, 32-year-old Margaret Speedling of Newburgh said she was casting her ballot for incumbent U.S. Rep. <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Nan Hayworth</a>, a Republican who is trying to fight off the challenge of <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> Sean Patrick Maloney in a contest to represent the 18th Congressional District. 
 "For me, it's more of looking into issues of women's choice and protecting life," she said of <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Hayworth</a>'s anti-abortion stance. 
 Speeding and another Newburgh resident, Jacqueline Ciccone, 66, both said they were voting for Romney in the general election. 
 "He's a true Republican conservative," Ciccone said of the former Massachusetts governor. 
 At the Meadow Hill Elementary School in the Town of Newburgh, social worker Patricia Lukaczyn and her husband, Peter Lukaczyn, a veteran and retiree, both 65, were voting the Democratic line, including Maloney. 
 "It's more voting against <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Nan Hayworth</a>, who has done nothing, especially for veterans," Patricia Lukaczyn said. 
 In other key Hudson Valley races: Veteran Rep. Nita Lowey is seeking to fend off a bid by Republican Joe Carvin, Republican Bob Cohen is battling Democratic Assemb. George Latimer of Rye for the 37th State Senate District seat and Democrat Justin Wagner is seeking to oust incumbent Republican state Sen. Greg Ball in the 40th District. 
 Some were voting for the first time. 
 "It's really exciting," said Melissa Salgado, a 23-year-old native of Honduras who lives in West Nyack and studies at Rockland Community College. "I've been here for one year and I know it's so important to do it. I want to vote, and I want to be important, too." 
 With Betty Ming Liu, Sarah Armaghan, Kari Granville and Christian Wade

HVPOLL06

Election 2012: Local voting 'smooth and very steady'

ROCVote

A major political upset appeared to be in the offing in the Hudson Valley on Tuesday night as <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> <a href="/topics//Sean_Maloney_(politician)">Sean Maloney</a> stood well ahead of <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> Rep. <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Nan Hayworth</a> (R-Bedford) in the vote count. 
 With 609 of 630 precincts reporting results as of early morning Wednesday, Maloney had 52 percent of the vote in the 18th Congressional District, which includes parts of Westchester, <a href="/topics//Orange,_CA">Orange</a>, Putnam and Dutchess counties. Hayworth had 48 percent. The gap was about 8,400 votes. 
 When Hayworth spoke to supporters at Anthony's Pier 9 in Newburgh at 12:25, she did not concede, but didn't declare victory, either. Instead, she said she'd wait until the morning until all the votes in the district were fully counted before making any decisions. 
 "We're just going to be grateful for your support, grateful for all the people, the hundreds of friends, thousands of supporters who have brought me as your servant in <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a> to this moment," she said. "We're going to wait until the morning to see what all the numbers show and where we stand. Thank you all and we'll see you again tomorrow morning." 
 The crowd was somber. 
 "It was not a good day for <a href="/topics//Orange,_CA">Orange</a> County <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a>," said Phil DeProspo, the county's <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> chairman. 
 In Rock Tavern, Maloney supporters watching a live feed of Hayworth's speech booed when she didn't concede. 
 The crowd, filled with union members drinking beer from redplastic cups, exploded in rapturous applause when Maloney addressed them. 
 "The Hudson Valley voted for change," said Maloney. "The people have settled this debate. They told us in a clear voice to put the people first and put partisan politics second." 
 Antonella Pechtel, who was holding a Maloney sign and cheering as the candidate began his speech, said Hayworth's defeat would be crucial to protecting hard-fought progressive gains in <a href="/topics//U.S._Congress">Congress</a>. 
 "Oh my God, I think that this will save Medicare and Medicaid," she said. "This is going to save Social Security. This is going tosave women's rights. That's what this was all about." 
 Assemblyman Frank Skartados (D-<a href="/topics//Poughkeepsie,_NY">Poughkeepsie</a>) beamed a the thought of Congress losing a conservative lawmaker. 
 "The Tea Party is over," said Skartados. "It's a new day." 
 Hayworth spokesman Michael Knowles said important precincts, including Kiryas Joel, had yet to report results. They could tip the scales in Hayworth's favor, he said. 
 The Tea Party's short-lived momentum at the polls helped vault Hayworth to Congress in 2010. Since then, the 52-year-old retired ophthalmologist has supported conservative policies that reflect the movement's goals, including repeal of the health care reforms pushed through by <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a> in 2010 and <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> vice presidential nominee <a href="/topics//Paul_Ryan">Paul Ryan</a>'s controversial proposed overhaul of Medicare. 
 A resident of Cold Spring in Putnam County, Maloney, 46, is an attorney and former adviser to President <a href="/topics//Bill_Clinton">Bill Clinton</a> and to Govs. <a href="/topics//Eliot_Spitzer">Eliot Spitzer</a> and David A. Paterson. He supported the president's call for higher taxes on wealthy households and talked about a federal infrastructure bank that would attract private financing for public projects like the proposed $5.9 billion replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge. 
 On the campaign trail, Hayworth criticized Maloney as a carpetbagger because he had moved from Manhattan to the newly created district. 
 Maloney has depicted Hayworth as a radical whose economic and social values are out of touch with voters. 
 But Maloney's attacks didn't make much of a dent in Hayworth's support. Going into the election, a Siena College poll said the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> had a lead of seven percentage points over her Democratic challenger. 
 Campaign donations played an important part in the race, financing barrages of aggressive TV ads for both sides. Democratic and Republican super PACs poured money into the district. Hayworth came out on top in fundraising with $2.73 million to spend as the campaign entered its final phase. Maloney had $1.6 million, according to Federal Election Commission reports. 
 <a href="/topics//Nita_M_Lowey">Lowey</a>, Carvin and Morganthaler 
 Running for her 13th term, <a href="/topics//Nita_M_Lowey">Rep. Nita Lowey</a> (D-Harrison) proudly ran on her record of bringing federal spending to the Hudson Valley. 
 The 75-year-old lawmaker defeated Republican Joe Carvin, 58, a Rye town supervisor, and independent Frank Morganthaler, a retired FDNY lieutenant who lives in Hawthorne. 
 Carvin, a hedge fund manager, touted his business acumen during the campaign, suggesting it would help him get legislation that would support jobs. His wealth helped him compete with <a href="/topics//Nita_M_Lowey">Lowey</a>'s fundraising operation -- he loaned his own campaign $1 million, and had more cash on hand than <a href="/topics//Nita_M_Lowey">Lowey</a> as the campaign entered its final phase -- but it wasn't enough to unseat the veteran <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a>. 
 <a href="/topics//Eliot_L._Engel">Engel</a>, <a href="/topics//Joseph_McLaughlin">McLaughlin</a> and Diferia 
 It was little surprise when <a href="/topics//Eliot_L._Engel">Rep. Eliot Engel</a> (D-Bronx) defeated his Republican challenger, <a href="/topics//Joseph_McLaughlin">Joseph McLaughlin</a>, and Green Party nominee <a href="/topics//Joseph_(designer)">Joseph</a> P. Diferia. 
 "It feels great," <a href="/topics//Eliot_L._Engel">Engel</a> told News12. "It's the first time I'm going to have a majority of my district being Westchester. In areas I never (represented) before, I did very strongly. It's quite an honor and I'm very excited to be Westchester's congressman." 
 Riverdale attorney <a href="/topics//Eliot_L._Engel">Engel</a>, 65, is a fixture in the politics of New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley, having served Bronx and Westchester County constituents in the 16th Congressional District for more than two decades. 
 Bronx native <a href="/topics//Joseph_McLaughlin">McLaughlin</a>, 44, is a commercial real estate developer and former financier who has worked at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York and for the Chicago Board of Trade. 
 Yonkers native Diferia, 51, is a college instructor in politics and government. 
 Gipson and Schreibman 
 <a href="/topics//Chris_P._Gibson">Rep. Chris Gibson</a> (R-Kinderhook), who won a seat in Congress in 2010, was ahead of Democratic challenger Julian Schreibman at midnight. With 588 of 653 precincts reporting, <a href="/topics//Chris_P._Gibson">Gibson</a> had 54 percent of the vote compared with&nbsp;Schreibman's 46 percent. 
 A retired <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">Army</a> colonel and former <a href="/topics//United_States_Military_Academy">West Point</a> Military Academy instructor, <a href="/topics//Chris_P._Gibson">Gibson</a> also supported Ryan's Medicare plan and other conservative proposals. 
 Kingston attorney Schreibman, a 39-year-old <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a>, is an ex-prosecutor and counsel for the Central Intelligence Agency. He also served as chairman of the Ulster County Democratic Committee in the past.

HVCONC06

Maloney looks like upset victor over Hayworth

Maloney---CROPPED

George Latimer celebrated a win Tuesday night that earned him a trip back to <a href="/topics//Albany,_NY">Albany</a>, this time as a state senator. 
 The newly elected <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> beat challenger <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> Bob Cohen in a race marred by mudslinging and negative campaigning. Cohen conceded the race just before midnight. Latimer had received 47,862 votes 54 to Cohen's 39,771 with 260 of 318 precincts reporting as of 1 a.m. 
 "I was called a lot of things in this race," Latimer said during a rousing speech to jubilant crowd at the Colosseum in White Plains. "I was called public enemy No. 1. I was called a guy who missed meetings and didn't do his due diligence. But you know what? You can call me senator from now on." 
 Earlier in the day, Latimer had asked a White Plains judge to impound county voting machines in case the race was close enough to require a recount. Granted by the judge, <a href="/topics//The_Move_(musician)">the move</a> is considered a precautionary measure to make sure the machines are ready in case either candidate challenged poll results. 
 Latimer and Cohen were running to succeed retiring state Sen. <a href="/topics//Suzi_Oppenheimer">Suzi Oppenheimer</a>, a <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> who is stepping down after a 28-year stretch in the Legislature's <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a>-controlled upper chamber. 
 "We have all worked so hard because we know George is the best person to serve," said state Sen. Andrew Stewart-Cousings, speaking to News12. "We had to make sure George got out there, told his story." 
 Cohen, 58, arrived to a <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> event at the <a href="/topics//Crowne_Plaza">Crowne Plaza</a> in White Plains shortly after 10:30 p.m. with his wife and children. He was greeted by supporters and others who crowded around him in the ballroom, where about 200 <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> had gathered. 
 But after the results showed the race slipping away, his optimism faded and supporters consoled him as the crowd thinned out. 
 Cohen, a New Rochelle resident, was making a second run at the seat. On the campaign trail, he has said he wants to reduce property taxes by eliminating unfunded state mandates and reforming Medicaid and other government programs, themes similar to those during his 2010 run for state Senate, when he came within 700 votes of beating <a href="/topics//Suzi_Oppenheimer">Oppenheimer</a>. 
 Latimer, 59, of Rye, is a veteran lawmaker backed by <a href="/topics//Suzi_Oppenheimer">Oppenheimer</a> and other Westchester County <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a>, including <a href="/topics//Ken_Jenkins">Ken Jenkins</a>, the county's legislative chairman. He has said that he also wants to reduce the financial burden of mandates. 
 <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a> and <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> have targeted the race with both big money and resources as part of a battle for control of the state Senate, where the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> has a 33-29 advantage. Both campaigns have hammered away at each other in TV ads, robocalls and direct mailings, and third-party electioneering groups also have entered <a href="/topics//The_Fray">the fray</a>. 
 Throughout the campaign, Cohen has criticized Latimer for voting against Gov. <a href="/topics//Andrew_Cuomo">Andrew Cuomo</a>'s 2 percent property tax cap and pension reform legislation as a state assemblyman representing southern Westchester County. Latimer defended his votes, saying the reforms didn't provide enough relief for schools and local governments. 
 Latimer also defended his 2009 vote to approve the unpopular <a href="/topics//Metropolitan_Transportation_Authority">Metropolitan Transportation Authority</a> commuter tax -- part of a bailout package to save the cash-strapped commuter rail system -- which Cohen has strongly criticized on the campaign trail. 
 <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a> responded with attacks on Cohen's record as a real estate developer, resurrecting claims made during his run for the Senate seat in 2010 that he is a "slumlord" who has been sued by <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> City and his residents. 
 Both campaigns filed complaints against each other, alleging negative and misleading ads, with the 15-member Westchester Fair Campaign Practices Committee. It ultimately dismissed the complaints as normal "campaign rhetoric." 
 <a href="/topics//Suzi_Oppenheimer">Oppenheimer</a> has represented the 37th Senate District for more than 28 years. Like most other legislative districts in <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> State, the 37th was reconfigured in the recent redistricting process and now consists of Bedford, Eastchester, Harrison, Mamaroneck, North Castle, Rye City, Rye Town, White Plains, parts of <a href="/topics//Yonkers,_NY">Yonkers</a> and New Rochelle. 
 District 38: Carlucci and Castaldi 
 Sen. David Carlucci (D-Clarkstown) won a second term representing the 38th District, which covers Rockland County and the Town and Village of Ossining in Westchester County. As of 1 a.m., he had 68,926 votes with 187 of 262 precincts reporting, compared with <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> challenger <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> Janis Castaldi, who had 28,709 votes. 
 "The things I said I would accomplish two years ago, I've done," he told News12. "We have to make sure there are quality jobs available in <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> State. And that's what I'm working for." 
 At 31, Carlucci is the youngest lawmaker in the Republican-controlled state Senate. He's one of four members of the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference, which had criticized the chamber's Democratic minority for infighting and gridlock. 
 "It's been really exciting to see how many people came out to vote today. It just goes to show the resilience of the Hudson Valley," Carlucci said. "I'm just really blessed and honored to represent them and do everything to focus on policy and get them what they need when it comes to fair property taxes and jobs." 
 Self-described fiscal conservative Castaldi, 59, argued that Carlucci didn't have sufficient business experience. But the former deputy mayor and trustee in the Village of Ossining's arguments failed to sway voters. 
 Carlucci had raised $275,000 at the end of September, according to campaign finance reports. That dwarfed the $12,000 in Castaldi's campaign account, which doesn't include a $25,000 personal loan she gave her own campaign. 
 District 40: <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a> and Wagner 
 In one of the Hudson Valley's most heated contests, state Sen. <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Greg Ball</a> (R-Patterson) appeared to defeat challenger Justin Wagner with a vote tally of 53,230 to 49,281 with 248 of 278 precincts reporting. 
 "It's been a great race focused on the issues," said <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a>. "I'm happy, extremely happy with my supporters. It's been a good fight. If you are a Republican fighting for working values and blue collar people, you can win." 
 However, Wagner's camp refused to admit defeat. 
 "The race is too close to call," said Wagner's campaign manager Steve Napier in a statement. "While all of the traditionally high-performing Republican areas have been fully counted, results in much of the traditionally Democratic areas of Westchester County have yet to be reported. We will pursue a full and fair count of all ballots." 
 A former state Assembly member, <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a>, 35, won his Senate seat two years ago by a margin of 2,000 votes. Statewide redistricting of legislative seats this year made the 40th District, which sprawls over Putnam County and parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties, slightly more Democratic. 
 <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a> campaigned on keeping the Republican majority in the Senate to promote job creation and as a bulwark against tax hikes. Wagner, 31, a Croton-on-Hudson attorney, repeatedly attacked Ball for floating proposals that garnered headlines but weren't realistic as well as what he called Ball's "childish" campaign tactics. 
 District 41: Saland, Gipson and Di Carlo 
 As of 1 a.m., no one seeking the Senate seat in the newly drawn 41st District in Dutchess and Putnam counties had a majority of the vote. 
 <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> Terry Gipson had 44 percent, with all of 269 precincts reporting. Incumbent Sen. <a href="/topics//Stephen_Saland">Stephen Saland</a> (R-<a href="/topics//Poughkeepsie,_NY">Poughkeepsie</a>) had 42 percent. And conservative challenger Neil Di Carlo had a 14 percent share. 
 A respected lawmaker in <a href="/topics//Albany,_NY">Albany</a> for 32 years, Saland, 68, broke ranks with his party and voted to approve same-sex marriages. As a result, he lost the Conservative Party's endorsement to Di Carlo. 
 <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> Gipson, 49, is a Village of Rhinebeck Trustee and owner of a graphic-design company. He was a newcomer running hoping to bring a fresh voice to <a href="/topics//Albany,_NY">Albany</a>. 
 Brewster native Di Carlo, 43, works for a Manhattan securities company. He enjoyed the support of the tea party movement and other conservative <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republicans</a>, almost defeating Saland for the <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a>'s nomination in the primary election. 
 With Meghan E. Murphy and Sarah Armaghan

HVSSEN06

State Senate: Latimer defeats Cohen; incumbents cruise

Latimer-cropped

More than 100,000 people across the Hudson Valley are still without power, riverfront communities in Westchester and Rockland counties have been inundated by floodwaters and people are lining up for gas and dry ice to keep food from spoiling. 
 It's not exactly a great time to go knocking on doors, pressing the flesh for votes or staging campaign fundraisers. 
 With the general election on Tuesday, incumbent politicians and their challengers know they are walking a fine line as they try to balance active campaigning against participation in recovery efforts. 
 "Any smart elected official, whether they are running for office or not, the first priority right now is what they can do for their constituents to help them through this terrible time," said Evan Stavisky of the Parkside Group, who works mostly with <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrats</a>. "If your first thought is about how this will affect the election, that's not smart politics." 
 For candidates who are challengers -- as opposed to incumbents -- the situation is especially complicated, political consultants say. 
 "It's a delicate walk to seek attention at times like this, unless you're an incumbent executive clearly in charge of damage recovery," said <a href="/topics//Bill_O'Reilly">Bill O'Reilly</a>, a <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> consultant who is advising several candidates this election cycle. "But for the average candidate running, all you can do is try to be helpful, while otherwise staying out of the way. This is no time for Machiavellian campaign schemes." 
 All of that is just fine with voters like Shawn LaPerch, a 34-year-old construction worker from <a href="/topics//Yonkers,_NY">Yonkers</a>. The last thing he wants is a politician to come knocking. He lost power in the storm and has been staying with his mother, whose car was damaged by a bough falling out of a tree. On Thursday, LaPerch was waiting in line to get gas for his generator. 
 "They should all be out in the streets, helping clean this mess up," he said. "So they know what's really going on." 
 Stavisky pointed out that it isn't the first time <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a>'s electoral process has been disrupted by disaster. He recalled the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that prompted a postponement of the state primary and effectively ended most political campaigns. 
 Stavisky said it is unlikely that TV ads and mailers from candidates will be pulled before Tuesday's election, as they were after the Sept. 11 attacks. Most campaigns already have bought airtime and sent out their mailers, Stavisky said. 
 He praised <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">President Barack Obama</a>'s decision to tour <a href="/topics//New_Jersey">New Jersey</a> with <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> Gov. <a href="/topics//Christopher_J._Christie">Chris Christie</a> on Wednesday instead of coming to <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> City, where a presidential visit could put a drain on city police and other resources needed for recovery. 
 "He's focused first and foremost not on showing up for the photo op, but on actually working with the governors in the affected states to ensure that the disaster response is operating properly," Stavisky said. 
 Tony Sayegh, a <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> political consultant, said he expects some elected officials, including <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a>, to leverage the recovery efforts in their favor, but said they should be wary of upsetting voters by "politicizing" the disaster. 
 "They're all going to be walking on pins and needles until the election," he said. 
 Some campaigns scaled back their efforts in the aftermath of Sandy, canvassing only neighborhoods that weren't hit hard by the storm, canceling phone banks and postponing fundraising activities. But as Election Day approached, politicking of a sort revved up again, with candidates staging events that blended campaigning and recovery efforts. 
 On Sunday, Democratic U.S. Sen. <a href="/topics//Kirsten_Gillibrand">Kirsten Gillibrand</a>, U.S. <a href="/topics//Nita_M_Lowey">Rep. Nita Lowey</a> (D-Harrison) and other local candidates visited the United Way call center in White Plains and downtown Piermont to praise volunteers and survey damage. Gillibrand and the others said they'd effectively suspended their campaigns. "I've been focusing solely on disaster relief for the past five days," Gillibrand said. 
 But, of course, the politicians also have been meeting potential voters throughout their travels in their respective districts. Gillibrand shook hands with United Way volunteers, never mentioning the election but nonetheless making contact with constituents. 
 Gillibrand faces <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> candidate and attorney Wendy Long on Tuesday; <a href="/topics//Nita_M_Lowey">Lowey</a> is on the ballot against Rye Town Supervisor Joe Carvin. 
 <a href="/topics//Nita_M_Lowey">Lowey</a> said she sought to cancel her election night party, but district leaders implored her to go ahead with it anyway because they wanted a celebration in tough times. So, asking her supporters to bring food and other supplies that her campaign could then donate to local groups, <a href="/topics//Nita_M_Lowey">Lowey</a> said she'd tone down the festive aspect of the evening. "We'll call it a gathering," she said. 
 U.S. Rep. <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Nan Hayworth</a> (R-Bedford), who faces the biggest challenge of her political career from <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> <a href="/topics//Sean_Patrick_Maloney">Sean Patrick Maloney</a>, has been especially active, preparing before the storm and touring damaged areas across the Hudson Valley since the storm hit. 
 Maloney has criticized <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Hayworth</a> over what he called a lackluster response to tropical storms Lee and Irene last year. This time, <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Hayworth</a> took care to get out in front on recovery efforts. 
 Days before Sandy hit, the freshman lawmaker sent a letter to <a href="/topics//Barack_Obama">Obama</a> in support of Gov. <a href="/topics//Andrew_Cuomo">Andrew Cuomo</a>'s request for a federal disaster declaration ahead of the storm. Her staff enthusiastically distributed the letter and other correspondence to federal officials. 
 "As you know from press updates, the congresswoman and our legislative team have been in constant contact with federal, state and local officials, as well as emergency organizations and utility companies, to make sure we are prepared to help them throughout the storm and during recovery," Terence Michos, <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Hayworth</a>'s spokesman, said in a recent email. 
 <a href="/topics//Nan_Hayworth">Hayworth</a>'s campaign postponed a star-studded fundraiser headlining former <a href="/topics//New_Jersey">New Jersey</a> Gov. <a href="/topics//Christine_Todd_Whitman">Christine Todd Whitman</a> and former <a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a> first lady Libby Pataki, scheduled for Thursday night. The event has been rescheduled for Monday at noon. 
 Maloney sent out a news release to supporters on the day after the storm that praised the work of first responders and offered condolences to victims. The next day, however, his campaign sent another email asking for money to keep his TV ads on the air. 
 "We're really under the gun here," Maloney's campaign said in an email blast seeking last-minute funds. "If there's any chance you can help us out, now's the time. In a few hours, there'll be nothing more we can do to reach voters on TV." 
 Some elected officials have been critical of delays in restoring power to storm-weary residents. 
 After initially calling a news conference last week to lambaste utility companies over the projected seven- to 10-day span projected for the completion of repairs, state Sen. <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Greg Ball</a> (R-Patterson) hastily canceled the event and said he would spend the day touring affected areas instead. The <a href="/topics//U.S._Republican_Party">GOP</a> lawmaker still took a swipe at the utilities. 
 "This is absolutely unacceptable. Ten days is too damn long," he said in a fiery news release. "At the highest level I am asking the utilities to heighten expectations and do whatever it takes to make the solution a matter of hours or days, not weeks. We have seniors and families that simply cannot go that long without adequate shelter." 
 <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a> is facing a major challenge from <a href="/topics//U.S._Democratic_Party">Democrat</a> Justin Wagner, a lawyer from Croton-on-Hudson who has criticized him for allegedly ignoring the needs of towns and villages in his district, which includes Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties. 
 Wagner's campaign issued a statement in response to <a href="/topics//Greg_Ball">Ball</a>'s criticism of the utility response, pointing out that he also lost power in the storm at his Croton-on-Hudson home. 
 "But I'm thankful my family and I got through the storm safely, and our thoughts are with the Con Ed and NYSEG workers who, from what we can tell, are working around the clock to get the lights back on for the more than 80,000 residents in the district who are without power," the statement said. 
 With John Dyer

HVPOLS04

In wake of Sandy, campaigning politicians walk thin line

gillibrand piermont cropped

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The state Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection was meant to reimburse people who had money stolen by dishonest lawyers. With payments in those cases now surpassing $100 million over the fund's history, the fund is struggling. Newsday investigative reporter Joshua Solomon reports.

State fund that reimburses victims more often can't pay in full

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NYU researchers are surveying the Eastern box turtle population to better understand how they are faring against habitat destruction, roadways and global warming.`

Turtle-sniffing dogs searching LI for science

Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. spoke with NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa about what life is like for the Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann in jail.

Rex Heuermann's life behind bars

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is back for a second stint with the Giants. Head coach John Harbaugh on Wednesday said Beckham seems healthier and Beckham said he is looking forward to making the most of the opportunity.

Odell Beckham Jr. back with the Giants

Recently passed state auto insurance reforms could help lower car insurance rates as much as 10% for New York drivers, according to some estimates. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

NYS takes crack at lowering auto insurance premiums. Here's what that means for LI.

NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits the Long Island Game Farm for an inside look at the incredible hands-on wildlife encounters there.

Out East: What's new at the Long Island Game Farm

If approved, it would be the first new hospital on Long Island since 1980. Newsday business reporter James T. Madore has more.

NYU Langone plans new hospital in Melville 

NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano visited Main Event, an entertainment center that recently opened in Deer Park.

Arcade, bowling and giant claw machine at Main Event 

Newsday food writer Erica Marcus helps make a strawberry crunch ice cream at Coyle's Ice Cream in Islip.

Making ice cream at Coyle's in Islip

Rockville Centre's Lavert Henderson-Hobbs has been a Knicks' season-ticket holder since 1969.

Rockville Centre's Lavert Henderson-Hobbs a Knicks' season-ticket holder since 1969

NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa visits Chubs Meats in Medford to try The Brunson, a sandwich inspired by the New York Knicks' star player.

Trendy Bites: Trying a Jalen Brunson-inspired sandwich

<a href="https://www.newsday.com/video/newsdaytv-top-stories">Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories</a>

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On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Gregg talks with Michael Sicoli and Tess Ferguson about county champs crowned in boys and girls lacrosse, and Jared Valuzzi reports on the Long Island flag football championship.

Sarra Sounds Off Ep 36: Champs crowned in lax and flag football

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