TROY – Rensselaer County Democratic Elections Commissioner Edward McDonough sliced open the final three absentee ballots Wednesday, counted the votes and announced that Second District Councilman Mark McGrath had come from behind to win re-election by a single vote, 458 to 457.

The three votes had been challenged by Democratic candidate Cindy Blakely. Blakely had led McGrath, an enrolled Conservative running as the Republican candidate, by two votes 457 to 455.

Blakely’s lawsuit failed Tuesday when Acting State Supreme Court Justice Gerald W. Connolly ruled that three ballots cast by enrolled Republican should be counted. They were the only uncounted ballots left in the county.

McDonough opened the first two ballots – one voted for McGrath on the Conservative line, the other on the Republican line.

“And the vote that counts,” McDonough said opening the ballot to be cast countywide in the 2017 elections.

“The winner is Mark McGrath. And it’s Republican,” McDonough said.

This is the sixth time McGrath has been elected to represent the Second Council District, which encompasses the North Central and South Lansingburgh neighborhoods. McGrath served four two-year terms, then left the council for two years as required by the city charter’s term limits. He returned to the council winning the 2015 election.

“I’m grateful. I’ve always been grateful to serve the people,” McGrath said.

This was the closest the city Democrats have come to beating McGrath. The councilman said the Democrats had managed to turn out new voters.

“It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride,” Blakely said. Blakely had trailed McGrath on election night, passed him in the counting of absentee ballots then lost the election when the final three were counted.

“The people have to understand that every vote counts, particularly in local elections,” Troy Democratic Chairwoman Carole Weaver said after the count concluded.

McGrath’s re-election leaves the Democrats with a 4-to-3 majority on the City Council. This is the first council to be elected under the new city charter. Two at-large seats were eliminated from the council leaving the council president as the only at-large seat. The remaining six seats each represent a district.