Democrats have flipped a seat in the Syracuse area that has long been held by Republicans in Central New York, solidifying their supermajority in the chamber. 

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins in a statement declared victory for Democrat John Mannion who ran for the open seat against GOP candidate Angi Renna. Renna conceded later Monday evening.

"John will be a strong voice for his constituents and joins a large group of Senators representing upstate New York residents," Stewart-Cousins said. "John’s experience and life-long commitment to his community will be invaluable as the Senate Democratic Conference moves forward helping our entire state emerge from this pandemic and economic crisis stronger and better prepared for the future."

According to the Associated Press, Mannion moved ahead Republican opponent, Angi Renna, by about 1,200 votes as of 4 p.m. Monday with roughly 13,000 absentee ballots left to be counted in Onondaga County. Democrats are anticipating Mannion to expand his lead with those remaining absentee ballots.

"It’s been a long, hard-fought campaign, in the middle of a pandemic and I want to thank every person on my team, every volunteer and every person who came out to vote for me from the bottom of my heart," Renna said in a statement. "Unfortunately, our efforts have fallen short after holding a lead on Election Day."

"I want to extend my congratulations to John Mannion, as he heads to the Senate in January," Renna said in a statement. "Our work for this district doesn’t stop. I encourage everyone to continue to be vocal about reviving our economy, supporting our small businesses and keeping our communities safe."

Mannion narrowly lost a race against Republican Bob Antonacci in 2018; Antonacci resigned to take a judgship before completing the two-year term. The district was long represented by Republican Sen. John DeFrancisco, who retired in 2018.

“This isn’t just a victory for my campaign, it’s a win for the hardworking residents of this community and for our entire region," Mannion said. "For too long, we have been left behind, and I look forward to working with my Senate Democratic Majority colleagues to ensure this community and communities throughout Upstate receive the state support and investment we deserve. I am grateful to my family, our campaign team, and everyone who helped achieve this win, and I am excited to hit the ground running and get to work.”