Assemblymember Rebecca Seawright (D-Upper East Side, Yorkville, Roosevelt Island) easily won reelection against Yorkville doorman Lou Puliafito (R) in one of the most competitive races in Manhattan Tuesday night.
With 80 percent of the voted tallied, the incumbent won with 55.1 percent of the vote to Puliafito’s 44.9 percent.
Courts disqualified Seawright from running as a Democrat due to errors in filing her paperwork, forcing her to run under the “Rise and Unite” party and giving Puliafito a boost as the only major party candidate on the ballot in the 76th Assembly District Race.
“This was a long journey. We went from the deepest valley to the highest mountain top,” said Seawright. “The voters found us on the ballot and honored us with their support. We will continue to fight for the best interests of our community as we rise and unite to combat the impact of the pandemic in every way.”
But Puliafito has yet to concede, vowing to wait until officials count absentee ballots.
“Two words come to mind right now: Apathy and Money,” he said. “We have voter apathy in our neighborhood. Seawright is buying the election. Looks like she will be spending around $500K on this race.”
A third candidate, Democratic Socialists of America activist Patrick Bobilin (I) dropped out before Election Day due to residency issues.
