Democrat Alice Cancel beat out three other challengers to win the state Assembly seat vacated by disgraced former Speaker Sheldon Silver. Michael Scotto filed the following report.
A fired-up Alice Cancel emerged as the winner Tuesday in the nasty fight to replace Sheldon Silver in the state Assembly.
"You elected me and you wanted me to be your representative and your voice in Albany, to clean up the corruption, and that's what I'm going to do," Cancel said.
Cancel fought back a tough challenge from Yuh-Line Niou, an insurgent who ran on the Working Families Party line and managed to get the backing of many elected Democratic officials.
Cancel had the support of Silver's old political allies, leading to charges that she was too close to the former Assembly speaker, who was booted from office after being convicted on federal corruption charges. Her victory, though, does show the old political clubs still have power.
Cancel, still smarting from the campaign, said she'd work with the people who didn't back her.
"It's hurting me. But as a district leader, I will certainly, as an assemblywoman, will have to work with them just as well," she said.
Cancel will not have much time to enjoy her victory. That's because this election only allows her to serve out the remainder of Silver's term. Voters will again go to the polls this fall to decide whether to elect Cancel to a full term in Albany.