Jury still out on Legislator Anker’s re-election bid
By Desirée Keegan & Giselle Barkley
Voters may have to wait a little longer for 6th Legislative District election results.
As vote tallies poured in on Election Day, it appeared Suffolk County Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) had edged out Republican challenger Steve Tricarico by just one vote — literally. But with absentee ballots still being counted, according to Nick LaLota, the commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections, the final results may not be available until after Thanksgiving.
According to LaLota, the board began counting the more than 550 absentee ballots on Nov. 12.
Although the margin between the two candidates is slim — Anker squeezed past Tricarico with 5,859 votes to Tricarico’s 5,858 — Anker hopes she can continue the work she’s been doing.
“I love doing my job,” she said.
Tricarico did not return calls for comment.
Anker said she’s been able to win support from a lot of Republican voters in the past, which she attributes to being active and having a presence in the community.
For now, she is not giving up on the projects she is working on, like addressing traffic safety on Route 25A and drug addiction throughout the county — while staying within the budget.
“I am fiscally conservative,” she said. “What I try to do is take our resources and make the most of them without spending additional money.”
“I’m very honored to be able to — hopefully when the count is official — to continue the work I do,” Anker said. “To get by, by one vote … Every vote counts. I’m hoping we can resolve the final count and I can continue the work I love to do.”
