All Over Albany

Obama wins second term, NY Senate control in question, Amadore & Tkacyzk both claim victory in 46th, Gillibrand wins 1st full term, confusion at UAlbany polling place

Barack Obama has won a second term. [TU]

Here are election result highlights for Capital Region races. [AOA]

It's not clear which party will control the state Senate because of a handful of close races. In the new state Senate 46th -- which includes the southwest part of the Capital Region -- both George Amadore and Cecelia Tkacyzk have declared victory (they're separated by a little more than a hundred votes). And in the Hudson Valley, Poughkeepsie Republican Steve Saland -- one of four Republicans to break ranks and vote for the Marriage Equality Act -- appears to have lost by a small margin to Democrat Terry Gipson. It could be weeks -- and lots of absentee ballot counting -- before it's clear which party will control the Senate. [YNN] [NYT] [Saratogian]

It appears that Democrats have picked up at least two US House seats in New York State. [NYT]

Voter turnout in the Capital Region was heavy this year. [TU]

A shortage of affidavits at UAlbany resulted in long lines and confusion at the university's polling place, where many students said they were voting because of Andrew Cuomo's last minute executive order allowing voters affected by storm Sandy to vote at any state polling place. The problems could contribute to the delayed result in the Amadore/Tkacyzk race in the 46th state Senate district. [TU] [TU]

Voters in New York City experienced voting problems due to a combination of the aftermath of storm Sandy and new voting machines and confusion over Governor Cuomo's executive order allowing voters displaced by the storm to cast affidavit ballots at any polling site.[NYT]

While declaring victory for her first full term in the US Senate, Kirsten Gillibrand congratulated her opponent Wendy Long, and used the opportunity to focus on the need for assistance to the victims of storm Sandy. [TU][YNN]

Newly elected State Senator Kathy Marchione, who won the Republican primary in the 43rd district over Roy McDonald after McDonald broke ranks to support the Marriage Equality Act, won a pretty easy victory over Democratic challenger Robin Andrews. Marchione said she didn't see her victory as an anti-gay vote, but pro-traditional marriage. [Saratogian] [YNN]

Congressman Bill Owens eked out a victory in the 21st Congressional District, which includes a northern section of Saratoga County. A judge agreed to an Owens campaign request yesterday afternoon, to impound votes for the race -- a request made because of the anticipated close margin. In spite of the close race Matt Doheny conceded around midnight, saying: "This country has been through enough, our district has been through enough." [TU] [TU] [YNN]

Chris Gibson won another term in the newly-drawn 19th district, which now covers 11 counties. Among his priorities next: getting a new farm bill passed. [YNN]

After winning a return trip to Congress in the NY20, Paul Tonko said he thought "the message of empowering the middle class and growing our economy from the middle out, rather than the top down," has been received. [YNN]

Phil Steck, the winner in the 110th Assembly, said he thinks the Republican campaign against him was "95 percent negative and turned off voters." [TU]

Democrat, and former APD spokesman, Jimmy Miller conceded in the 102nd Assembly district to Republican incumbent Peter Lopez, but said he hopes voters will "continue their commitment to hold their representatives accountable." (The 102nd includes a section of Albany County and many counties to the south and southwest.) [YNN]

Saratoga Springs voted to not change the city charter from a commission to a city manager/city council form of government. Only two of the city's 25 districts voted in favor of making the change. [Gazette] [Saratogian]

Voting machines were delivered to the wrong districts in two Washington County towns yesterday -- but election officials were quick to get things back on track. [Post-Star]

In non-election news:

New York State Court of Appeals Judge Theodore T. Jones has died, which leaves Andrew Cuomo with two vacancies to fill on the state's highest court, since Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick will be retiring at the end of the year. [TU]

The Albany County Sheriff's narcotics inspector who continues to collect a paycheck from the department even though he's sold his home in Albany and lives in Florida, is expected to resign soon. [TU]

A Florida tax collection agency that owns liens on a number of properties on which the city of Schenectady is moving to foreclose is now suing the city, arguing the latest round of forclosures will be the "demise" of its business. [TU]

The first snow of the season is headed our way tonight.[TU]

A Schenectady judge has ruled that Ellis Hospital gets control over $700,000 in bequests to the St. Clare's Hospital Foundation in question since St. Clare's and Ellis merged in 2008. [TU]

Officials won't say why, but two Siena basketball players will be sitting out three games to start this season for "violating athletic department policy." [TU]

What it's liketo be a nude model for art classes and software developers. [TU]