In the race for the 41st Senate District, Democrat Terry Gipson has declared victory against incumbent Republican Senator Steve Saland. With all precincts reporting, Gipson is up by about 1,500 votes, however absentee ballots still need to be counted and Saland says he remains confident that he will prevail.

In a statement, Gipson said:

“I am thrilled and humbled by tonight’s victory. First of all, I want to acknowledge the long, distinguished career of Senator Steve Saland. I think I can speak for all the people of Dutchess, Columbia and Putnam counties in thanking him for his selfless dedication and service. A sincere and heartfelt ‘Thank You, Senator.’ We will have a new senator in this district for the first time in decades, and I want to stress to everyone that I look forward to representing ALL the people of our district … Republicans, Conservatives, Independents, Working Families, Greens and Democrats alike. I also want to thank all the people who worked so hard on this campaign and made this victory a reality. This win would not be possible without the incredible support Michelle and I have received over the past 20 months. Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow I will do exactly what I have been doing since the beginning of this campaign; traveling the district and listening to people’s concerns so that I can be an effective voice for them in Albany. We have lots of work to do, and I’m ready to get started.”

Meanwhile, Saland caught up with our John Wagner:

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