OTIS DEFEATS CAMERON

 

Yes, you read that right. The 7,015 absentee ballots from the June 23 Democratic Primary have finally been counted and on July 15 incumbent Assemblyman Steve Otis declared victory over Meg Cameron, chair of the Rye Democratic Committee. After the polls closed on Primary Night, Cameron was leading by a 564-vote margin and seemed on the verge of an upset.

 

In a message to supporters, Otis wrote, “The mail-in ballots have been counted and the result fulfills the saying that good news is worth waiting for. I am pleased to report that my re-election campaign has been successful. We await certification of the election results declaring our campaign to be the official winner.”

 

Assemblyman Otis noted that this was the first time in history that most votes were cast by absentee ballots rather than voting machines. According to the State Board of Elections, 4,499 people cast their vote at the polls.

 

Otis said he was proud to have run a positive campaign that was based on his record of service and results for Westchester and New York State.

 

Before the paper went to print, Cameron sent us a statement: “I lost by 83 votes out of a total of 11,523. This was not unexpected: absentee voters skew older, white, and male, and therefore more likely to vote for my opponent. I want to congratulate Assemblyman Otis and thank my supporters, volunteers, campaign team, and my husband, who is relieved that he won’t have to eat alone four nights a week.”