Democrat Anna Kelles of Ithaca was uncontested for re-election to a second term in the 125th Assembly District, getting 30,808 votes in complete but unofficial results.
In Cortland County, she received 4,954 votes.
She has introduced state legislation to improve broadband service and improve care for people who have opioid addictions in her first term in the Assembly.
Kelles chairs the Agriculture Committee's subcommittee on agricultural production and technology and is a member of the Agriculture, Corrections, Environmental Conservation, Housing, Local Governments, Mental Health committees, the Legislative Women’s Caucus and the Task Force on Women’s Issues.
She was a Tompkins County legislator for five years. She is also an environmental and human rights activist and an epidemiologist.
The district includes Tompkins County and the Cortland County communities of Cortland, Cortlandville, Virgil, Harford and Lapeer.
Gallahan unopposed in 131st
Redistricting has placed much of Cortland County in the 131st Assembly District, where incumbent Republican Jeff Gallahan was unopposed for his second two-year term, garnering 34,934 votes with 104 orf 109 districts reporting.
In Cortland County, Gallahan got 3,618 votes with 11 of 16 districts reporting.
Gallahan got his first taste of public service in Ontario County as a Manchester town councilman for four years then town supervisor for 11 years, according to his Assembly biography.
He worked as a journeyman machinist at the General Railway Signal Co., then Cutting Tool Sales and various manufacturers, moving up the ranks to eventually serve in management roles. Gallahan and his wife, Lynn, founded CR7 Food Trailer and Catering in 2017.
His district includes all of Cayuga County, and Cortland County except the city of Cortland and towns of Cortlandville, Virgil, Harford and Lapeer.
Tenney has strong lead in 24th District
Claudia Tenney, a Republican and Conservative from Oneida County, had a large lead late Tuesday night over Democrat Steven Holden in the 24th Congressional District, which includes Cayuga County.
With 477 of 720 districts reporting, Tenney was ahead 147,805 to 79,627. In Cayuga County, in complete bu unofficial results, the tally was 15,833 to 10,203.
Tenney, who is not a resident of the 24th District, now represents the 22nd District, which includes Cortland County. She was a member of the state Assembly from 2011 to 2017, and was elected to Congress in 2016, but lost to Democrat Anthony Brindisi in 2018. She defeated Brindisi in 2020.
Holden, of Camillus, is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and chief financial officer of an organization that helps veterans receive government contracts He also teaches finance and mergers and acquisitions to federal government employees.
The district includes Cayuga, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Oswego, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, Yates and parts of Jefferson, Orleans and Niagara counties.
On the other side of the ballot
Voters in the greater Cortland area decided the fate of a number of referendums on Tuesday. Here is their fate, in unofficial tallies:
Statewide — A referendum asking whether the state should borrow up to $4.2 billion to fund environmental protection, natural restoration, resiliency and clean energy projects was on its way to approval, 2.7 million votes to 1.3 million with 10,131 of 14,296 districts reporting. In Cortland County the vote was 7,282 to 5,297 with 46 of 51 districts reporting.
Cortland County — A referendum to eliminate the elected position of county treasurer and fold those tasks into the county's finance director position was on its way to approval, 7,282 to 5,297 with 46 of 51 districst reporting.
Cortland — City voters had two referendums to decide. One to extend the office of council members to four years instead of two starting with the 2023 election, was approved, 2,026 to 1,228.
The other would extend the mayor's term to four years instead of two, also starting with the 2023 election, was approved 2,155 to 1,108.
Marathon — Marathon voters had five additional questions on the ballot:
Four would extend the terms of office to four years from two for town supervisor, highway superintendent, town clerk and tax collector. All four were approved in complete but unofficial results — 424-291, 460-261, 450-266 and 442-275.
The fifth, to allow the town to opt out of allowing cannabis retail dispensaries and consumption sites in the town was defeated, 319-399.
Cayuga County — Cayuga County voters had a referendum on reducing the size of the Cayuga County Legislature to 11 legislators from 15. It was barely approved, 12,044 to 12,009.
