Close race called for incumbent Councilmember Ulrich in CD32, Simon not conceding

By Maggie Hayes  Wednesday, November 6th, 2013 1:09 AM EST

Votes were counted down to the bitter end before a winner was declared in City Council District 32, and Councilmember Eric Ulrich has reclaimed his seat.

“This race was a real nail biter,” Ulrich said in front of family and friends on election night.

As votes trickled in, Ulrich and his Democratic opponent, Lew Simon, were nearly 50/50 on votes.

However, both candidates took to the mic and declared victory to their respective crowds.

“It appears that we have won,” Lew Simon said in Rockaway.

Meanwhile, in Howard Beach, Ulrich assured his constituents that he had “the most up-to-date information” and that he had a “very strong lead.”

“I’m confident that when every ballot vote is counted, we will still be ahead and be able to continue the good work we started four and a half years ago,” said the incumbent. “Many of you have been with me since the beginning, and this is not going to end.”

When Ulrich caught wind that Simon too had called the race in his own favor, he responded, “Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated.”

However, Simon’s camp responded and accused Ulrich of adapting the ways of the Tea Party where “losing is winning and less is more.”

As of election night, Simon and his team were still “status quo,” said Doug Forand, spokesperson for Simon. The group plans to wait until all paper ballots are counted and will respond to those results.

According to unofficial results, Ulrich came out on top with 53 percent of the vote and was declared the winner by both the New York Times and the Associated Press.

“I was re-elected by my constituents, and I have a lot of work to do,” Ulrich said.

He said he will work with the newly elected administration in a bipartisan way, and looks forward to finding out what role he can play in the City Council after a new Speaker is elected.

He also hopes to revamp the Republican “brand” and work to restore the public’s faith in his party line.

As Ulrich wound down his victory speech, he raised his hands one last time.

“Go to bed tonight and know we kicked Lew Simon’s ass. Let’s have a drink.”

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