ELECTION: Maziarz, Thompson coast to victory locally.

STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Republicans were beating back Democratic challenges in key races Tuesday and appeared poised to retain control of the state Senate.

Early results showed Republicans were on track to hold their 35-27 majority, helped by an easy win by State Sen. George Maziarz in the 62nd District.

Buffalo Common Council Member Antoine Thompson, a Democrat, easily defeated the one-year incumbent in the 60th state Senate District, which includes Niagara Falls.

Despite a few close races, Democrats appeared to stay firmly in control of the 150-member state Assembly, where they held 104 seats.

“We’re holding the majority,” Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said.

“You talk about phenomenal here,” he said, referring to the Republican victory in the face of a Democratic sweep of statewide offices.

Unofficial results indicated Maziarz, R-Newfane, earned more than 70 percent of the vote in his defeat of challenger Christopher Srock.

Maziarz’s district covers most of Niagara County, all of Orleans County and parts of Monroe County.

In Niagara County, Maziarz earned

72 percent of the vote with all but 2 percent of districts reporting.

Maziarz received 33,212 votes to 12,945 for Srock in Niagara County.

In Orleans County, Maziarz’s win was even larger. Srock only earned 23 percent of the vote to Maziarz’s 77 percent.

Monroe County results were not available late Tuesday.

Srock, who has failed in a run for public office twice before, resides in Wilson.

Maziarz has represented the 62nd District, which includes most of Niagara, all of Orleans and part of Monroe counties, since first winning a special election in 1995.

Thompson defeated Marc Coppola, who was running on the Independence Party line.

Thompson earned 73 percent of the vote, while Coppola received 27 percent, according to unofficial results from the Erie and Niagara county boards of election.

The 60th District includes the cities of Niagara Falls and Tonawanda, part of the city of Buffalo as well as Grand Island.

In Niagara Falls, Thompson earned 71 percent of the vote, while Coppola received 29 percent. Thompson, 36, won the Democratic Party line in September in a three-way primary race, which included Coppola.