Miller poses at his campaign headquarters, Tuesday night (Hilary Levin)
Don Miller won the 121st Assembly race Nov. 19 when incumbent, Al Stirpe conceded the race. Miller led by 953 votes.
The winner is still unclear in the race for the 121st Assembly District seat.
Vying for the seat are incumbent Democrat Al Stirpe and Republican challenger Don Miller.
At the Doubletree Hotel in East Syracuse, Miller took a philosophical approach to the cliff-hanger. “No matter who wins or loses tonight, the real winners ought to be the families, the taxpayers and small business owners,” said Miller as he gathered on Tuesday with a small group of friends and family to watch the vote results.
As of 11:18 p.m., with 100 percent of the vote counted, Miller had 21,853 or 51 percent, according to unofficial totals from the Onondaga County Board of Elections. Stirpe had 21,013 or 49 percent.
Stirpe has held the 121st Assembly District seat since 2006. The 121st State Assembly district includes the towns of Cicero, Clay, Manlius, Lafayette, and Pompey.
This was Miller’s first run for elected office. Previously, he has worked on campaigns for a diverse group of Republican politicians including Ronald Reagan’s 1984 presidential campaign; New York Giants football player Phil McConkey’s Congressional campaign in 1990; and the 1993 campaign of the late Bernie Kraft, legislator from Onondaga County’s 2nd District.
At the polls on Tuesday, some voters expressed disapproval with the incumbents and a desire for change, but showed some concern for Miller’s lack of experience.
At Lafayette Commons Office Building polling place, Tom Krakua praised Stripe for his previous business experience. “Even though he is a big business person, he’s also creating job opportunities for men and women,” said Tom Krakau, 61, a retired union president, of LaFayette.
At his party on election night, Miller was joined by his wife Tracy and two young daughters, Evangeline, 4; Charity, 2, as well as 18 other guests in a private gathering next door to the main GOP celebration. The walls of the 40-by-30-foot room were decorated with Don Miller campaign signs and Don Miller t-shirts and bumper stickers served as the center pieces of two round tables.
“No matter what happens tonight, I want to thank everyone that is here,” said Miller. “You are all very important to this campaign stuff, but more importantly to me.”
(Hilary Levin is a senior broadcast journalism major.)
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