Democrat Chris Ryan declared victory and Republican Salina Town Supervisor Nick Paro conceded the close race for New York's 50th state Senate District, both campaigns said Friday afternoon following more counting of absentee and affidavit ballots a week and a half after Election Day.

"I am deeply honored by the trust the people of the 50th State Senate District have placed in me. With the majority of ballots scanned and the margin greater than than the outstanding ballots remaining, I am proud to declare victory," Ryan said in a statement Friday. "Throughout the campaign, I listened to your concerns and hopes for our future. You’ve called for a senator who will fight for good-paying jobs, quality schools, health care access, safe and affordable communities, and smart economic investments for the future. Now, I am ready to get to work delivering on these issues."

As of Friday afternoon, Ryan was leading Paro 50.4% to 49.6%, or by about 1,400 votes, according to the latest unofficial results from AP, which has not yet declared Ryan the victor. At this time, Ryan's margin is outside the 0.5% margin that automatically triggers a hand recount by state law.

Paro said in a statement he would "like to extend my sincere congratulations to Senator-Elect Chris Ryan. As I always say, my door is open and my phone will be turned on and I remain ready to give feedback on the priorities of the thousands of Central New Yorkers who put their faith in me during this election cycle."

"I am honored to have had the support of over 80,000 residents who continue to believe in me and my candidacy, and have made it onown that Public Safety and Affordability are issues that must be tackled in the upcoming legislative session. We may not have won, but we know that this was a race of remarkable achievements," Paro added.

Ryan served on the Geddes Town Board before being elected to the Onondaga County Legislature in 2011. He currently serves as minority leader in that chamber.

"As a lineman who fought to save hundreds of jobs as a local union president, I know the challenges our communities face. I will never forget the sacrifices made by our working families and will fight every day to uplift and support them," Ryan said.

Ryan’s victory keeps a Democrat in the Central New York seat. Initially seen as a crucial path for Democrats maintaining their supermajority status in the state Senate, that was broken earlier this month with the GOP flipping a seat in New York City. Democrats will still hold a majorty, 41 seats, in the Legislature's upper chamber.

Held by John Mannion since 2021, Mannion vacated the 50th state Senate District seat this year to run for Congress. The district was long held by Republican John DeFrancisco before his retirement in 2018.

It has been one of the few competitive districts in the state Senate over the last few cycles, with the result not being known for days if not weeks after Election Day. In 2020, Mannion's win wasn't certified until the end of November, and in 2022, Mannion won reelection by just 10 votes.

Ryan will begin his new job in Albany in January.

The 50th state Senate District includes Syracuse’s northern, western and eastern suburbs, as well as Central Square and the cities of Fulton and Oswego.