Newcomer Emily Essi has won the job of Onondaga County clerk over incumbent Lisa Dell after a hand recount was completed today, according to Dustin Czarny, an Onondaga County Board of Elections commissioner.
Essi, a Democrat, won by 298 votes, according to today’s results.
Final vote counts aren’t available until the certification is complete later this week, Czarny said. In all, about 90,000 ballots were cast.
The victory is a first for Essi, a 33-year-old senior grant writer and data specialist at Home HeadQuarters.
She’ll replace Dell, 58, who’s held the position since 2016. Dell served as a Baldwinsville police officer from 1989 to 2009. She was also Lysander town clerk from 2010 to 2015 before starting her stint as county clerk.
Essi’s win is an example of Democrats making inroads in county government, where Republicans have ruled for decades.
Toby Shelley won the sheriff’s race last year in a bid for an open seat. Marty Masterpole won re-election as county comptroller in November. Four years earlier, he was the first Democrat elected to the position in the county’s history. (Before that, the last Democrat to win countywide was in 1987.)
On election night, Essi was ahead by just 83 votes. The results were so tight they automatically qualified for a hand recount. Election law calls for an automatic recount when the difference is less than 0.5%.
The hand count started Nov. 28,
Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com