Following a count of outstanding absentee ballots, the Niagara County Board of Elections has called the 12th Legislative District contest in Carla Speranza’s favor. Unofficially, that means incumbent legislator Will Collins is out, and further, Speranza has enough of a lead that a recount-by-hand will not be required.
As of the close of polling on Nov. 7, with all early and Election Day live votes and most absentee ballots counted, Speranza, the Democratic candidate, had a 19-vote lead over Collins. A difference of 20 or more votes necessitates a recount. However, after tallying mailed absentee ballots received by the board between Nov. 7 and Nov. 14, Speranza’s lead grew to 28 votes. The unofficial final tally is 1,042 votes for Speranza and 1,014 votes for Collins.
According to Republican election commissioner Jennifer Sandonato, the votes cast in two other contests, in Lockport and Lewiston, will be hand-counted on Friday.
In the city, after a tally of absentee ballots received after Election Day, 2nd Ward alderman candidate Anita Mullane leads the incumbent, Republican Luke Kantor, by five votes; the unofficial final result is 481-476. Mullane, the Democratic challenger, led Kantor by 10 votes on Election Day.
In Lewiston, town board candidates Sarah Waechter, William Burg and Jason Myers are running almost neck and neck in the race to fill two open seats, with 1,274 1,253 and 1,267 votes respectively.
Contacted Wednesday about her win, Speranza said she attended the county legislature’s Tuesday meeting and was given an information packet on the 2024 county budget. She won’t vote on it, since her term doesn’t begin until January, but she said the information will help her prepare to take office. She’s eager to get to work with all legislators, she added.
Collins, the Republican 12th District legislator since 2016 who’s facing a charge of criminal mischief in connection with an Oct. 26 tire slashing incident outside Attitudes bar in the city, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.