McCarthy remains ahead as ballot count goes on

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kathleen Moore

Schenectady Acting Mayor Gary McCarthy, the Democrat, remains ahead today, the fourth day of ballot counting in the close race for Schenectady mayor.

But challenger Roger Hull, the Alliance Party founder, is only 60 votes behind with 118 ballots left to be examined. Another 174 ballots have not been opened because Hull or McCarthy’s attorney filed an objection.

Both sides believe they will get through the last 118 ballots today, but the race may still be too close to call. In that case, they said, they will either go to court on Tuesday or next week.

In that case, State Supreme Court Judge Vincent Reilly would decide which objections to uphold and which ballots to open. Reilly came to the ballot count himself this morning to ask the attorneys if they intended to take the case to court, and to warn them not to call him at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Both attorneys assured him they wouldn’t do that.