GOSHEN – Political newcomer Mike Martucci, a Republican, was leading incumbent Democratic 42nd District State Senator Jen Metzger early Wednesday, according to the State Board of Elections. In the early morning hours he declared victory.
With most of the Tuesday votes counted, Martucci has 52 percent to Metzger’s 43 percent.
Martucci was cautiously optimistic.
“This race has tens of thousands of absentee ballots out, so unfortunately I don’t think any of us will know tonight for sure who won this race, but right now I feel good. We had a tremendous amount of energy in this campaign,” he said.
Metzger, meanwhile, noted there are about 25,000 absentee ballots to be counted, but Martucci said in order for the incumbent to overcome her deficit, she would have to carry ever third party and non-affiliated vote cast by mail by a margin of three to one, which Martucci said a mathematical impossibility.