An automatic recount will take place in Central New York's 50th state Senate district after unofficial vote tallies show Democratic incumbent John Mannion leading his Republican challenger Rebecca Shiroff by only 27 votes. 

The race is one of a handful of unresolved elections in the state Senate, where Democrats hold a supermajority over Republicans. If Mannion is victorious, Democrats could retain 42 seats in the 63-seat chamber. 

Mannion in a statement on Wednesday was confident he would remain in the lead after the recount. 

“Today we surged ahead and have strong confidence we will seal a victory in the upcoming hand recount," Mannion said. "It is absolutely vital to our democracy that every vote is counted and the results are honored and respected.”

Mannion was first elected in 2020 to a seat that was vacated in 2018 by longtime Republican state Sen. John DeFrancisco. He first ran in 2018 and lost narrowly to Republican Bob Antonacci."

“When I announced my campaign for the state senate against John Mannion, I knew this would be a tight race. Today’s unofficial results confirm that," Shiroff said in a statement. We look forward to the hand recount where every ballot will be thoroughly reviewed and tallied. I’m hopeful that at the end of that process I will be in a position to serve the people of Central New York as their next state senator.”

The race is one of the closest state Senate results in years. A decade ago, Democratic candidate Cecilia Tkaczyk defeated Republican George Amedore in a race that was ultimately decided by the difference of 19 votes between the two candidates.  

A victory for Democrat for Iwen Chu her campaign announced Wednesday evening would put the party of within a seat of maintaining its supermajority in the state Senate.