Staten Island voters decided yesterday to send the borough’s first openly gay lawmaker to the state Assembly.
Democrat Matthew Titone won the 61st Assembly District seat with 49 percent of the vote in a special election to replace Democrat John Lavelle, who died of a stroke in January.
Republican Rose Margarella had 32 percent and Independence Party candidate Kelvin Alexander garnered 19 percent.
In the 62nd Assembly District, also on Staten Island, Republican Louis Tobacco beat Democrat John Mulia in the race to replace Republican Vincent Ignizio, who was elected last month to the City Council. With 99 percent of precincts counted, Tobacco had 70 percent to Mulia’s 30 percent.
In Nassau County, Democrat Michelle Schimel won 86 percent of the vote to defeat Republican Ryan DeCicco and replace Tom DiNapoli in the 16th Assembly District. DiNapoli, a Democrat, was chosen by the Legislature to replace Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who resigned amid scandal.