Democrat Gabriella Romero easily bested Republican Alicia Purdy to take over for now-state-Senator-Elect Patricia Fahy in the 109th Assembly District of New York state. 

Romero received 15,968 votes, about 72 percent, to Purdy’s 5,122 votes, approximately 23 percent. 

Tuesday’s outcome was never really in doubt considering Democrats have garnered a minimum of two-thirds of all votes cast in 109th District general elections — pre- and post-redistricting  — dating back to 2012, Fahy’s first run for the seat. 

Democrats outnumber Republicans in the 109th by a margin of over 5 to 1, about 47,800 to 8,800, with another 22,000 in the district either choosing against a party affiliation or registering with one of the few remaining minor parties that still has automatic ballot access. 

The district covers the city Albany, New Scotland, and Guilderland save for approximately 15 square miles in the northeast corner of town bounded by the Duanesburg, Princetown, and Rotterdam to the north, Colonie to the east, Route 20 to the west, and the intersection of Route 20, Foundry Road and Willow Street to the south.

The real race for who’d represent the district took about five months, when Romero topped five other Democrats in a competitive party primary that included Jack Flynn, former chairman of the Albany Democratic Party, and Andrew Joyce, who led the Albany County Legislature from 2018 to 2023. 

Romero, a public defender who represents Albany’s Sixth Ward on the city’s Common Council, also trounced Purdy, a journalist, when it came to fundraising. 

According to state Board of Elections filings, Purdy only took in about $5,000 in the two years since she last ran. Contrast that with Romero, who received about $90,000 in contributions during the same period while also being able to take advantage of the state’s public-funds program, which meant another $220,000 for her campaign.