Board of Elections

District Attorney race result still in the balance

Fans of Livingston County District Attorney candidate Steve Sessler have a week yet before they can celebrate victory — and that victory might still fall to his opponent in the Sept. 13 Republican Primary, former First Assistant DA Eric Schiener.

Last night, with a record 3,565 Republican votes cast, Sessler finished 19 votes ahead of Schiener. But the Livingston County Board of Elections have 220 sealed absentee ballots to count — and potentially dozens more on the way.

According to county election officials, absentee voters had to postmark their ballots by Sept. 12. The votes will be counted next Wednesday.

With a margin this close, neither candidate can be sure of victory until those 200-some votes get counted.

After the Livingston County Republican Party endorsed Schiener this spring, Sessler launched an independent campaign — and later landed the endorsement of the county’s Conservative party. “I think the voters of Livingston County understand the way you choose a candidate is in a primary election,” the candidate said, through his Facebook page.

“What a rollercoaster last night. I’m not ready for the ride to stop just yet,” said Schiener, of last night’s indecisive total. “All results are unofficial until the last vote is counted.”

The eventual nominee will face Democratic District Attorney incumbent Greg McCaffrey. Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed McCaffrey to the job in May, displacing Schiener who was acting as DA following the election of former DA Tom Moran to the New York Supreme Court’s Seventh Judicial District.

If Schiener wins, Sessler’s name will still appear on the ballot under the Conservative line. If Sessler wins, Schiener’s name will appear under the Law and Justice line — however, Sessler’s campaign has challenged the validity of Schiener’s extra line and is waiting for a decision from the Livingston County Board of Supervisors.

McCaffrey also has the nomination of the county’s Independence party.