Republican leaders from the six counties that are in the 54th State Senate district bet all their chips that Canandaigua Supervisor Pam Helming would keep the district in GOP hands. That bet — and Helming — turned out to be a winner.
Helming took 55 percent of the vote to defeat Democrat Kenan Baldridge and Floyd Rayburn, and will succeed Michael Nozzolio, who didn’t seek re-election because of health issues.
Even with the GOP’s blessing, it wasn’t an easy path to victory for Helming. First, she had to endure a five-candidate primary that was decided by absentee ballots. She edged out Rayburn by 210 votes. Rayburn then decided to run on the Reform Party line, forcing a three-way race in the general election.
Nozzolio, R-Fayette, has held his seat since 1992, and is the second-longest serving member of the state Senate and also served in the state Assembly for 10 years prior.
The 54th State Senate District covers all of Wayne and Seneca counties, along with parts of Monroe (town of Webster), Ontario, Cayuga and Tompkins counties.