On Election Night, three of the four incumbent New Scotland Democrats facing Republican challengers were still facing uncertain futures as a number of absentee ballots had yet to be counted. But the Democrats breathed a collective sigh of relief on Nov. 17 after the release of the absentee-ballot counts. However, the recanvass results recently released by the Albany County Board of Elections should give Democrats pause as they show that Republicans — there are six for every 10 Democrats in town — are becoming more competitive.

The four Democrats who all held leads on their four Republican or GOP-backed challengers on Nov. 2 continued to do so after Nov. 17, when the absentee ballot counts were released by the Albany County Board of Elections. 

In the hotly contested six-way race for two town board seats, Christine Napierski was still the top vote-getter by a substantial margin, according to results posted on Nov. 17 by the Albany County Board of Elections.

With absentee ballots counted, Berne Republicans are still victorious, now by an even wider margin; Democrat Russell Pokorny is still the supervisor-elect in Knox; and Westerlo incumbent justice Ken Mackey has kept his seat.

Four Democrats turned back challenges from Republicans seeking to win the supervisor’s job, the town clerk’s position, and two seats on the town board. But the Republicans aren’t ready to concede anything just yet, claiming there are still a number of absentee ballots to be counted, enough to turn Tuesday’s unofficial results. 

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Several positions were open for election in Westerlo this year, but only the town justice seat was contested — and now the race is too close to call. Democratic incumbent Ken Mackey is ahead of Republican Stuart Elderd by two votes with absentee ballots yet to be counted. 

Knox Democrat Russell Pokorny has a lead of 27 votes in the race for supervisor over his Republican-backed opponent, Kregg Grippo, in the unofficial election results, which don’t count absentee ballots. Those same results suggest that the Republican incumbents up for election are staying put.

GUILDERLAND — “It’s a big-tent party,” said Guilderland’s unchallenged Democratic supervisor, Peter Barber, addressing the crowd that had gathered at the Italian American Community Center on Election Night.

Unofficial election results show that the Berne Republicans swept away their Democratic competition in all contested races, and the absentee ballots are likely to boost their advantage, thanks to Highway Superintendent and county GOP chairman Randy Bashwinger’s solicitation of many of those ballots.