In the most widely watched local race, African-American David Soares won the general election for District Attorney, defeating Republican challenger Roger Cusick by 10,000 votes. Soares ran on a campaign to repeal the Rockefeller Drug Law in defeating incumbent and former boss Paul Clyne in a hard fought democratic primary. Clyne only recently dropped out of the race to endorse Cusick. The campaign was one of the nastiest in recent history, with all of the candidates having been found to have violated the Campaign Fair Practices Pledge. In addition, a local judge ruled that the Working Families Party violated state election law in backing Soares in the Democratic primary; that case is on appeal.

Soares built a strong community coalition among the African-American community, progressives and drug reform advocates.

Democrat Bob Reilly narrowly defeated incumbent Bob Pentriss for State Assembly in Albany County (109th Assembly District) While Pentriss had long been considered reactionary, leading the fight for instance against raising the state minimum wage, in recent years he has supported community clean up efforts related to depleted uranium at NL Industries in Colonie. Pentriss went to Reilly's victory party to give a gracious concession statement.

In the Albany County State Senate race, incumbent Neil Breslin (democrat) easily defeated Albany County Comptroller Mike Connors. Breslin is a former social worker with a strong liberal record. Connors, son of long time Democratic state assemblymember Dick Conners, switched parties and ran with the financing of Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno. Connors still has three years in his term as County Comptroller.

In Columbia County, Pamela Joern narrowly lost (51 to 49%) to incumbent Paul Czajka in the race for County Court Judge. Ms. Joern, questioned the high numbers of children in out-of-home placements made in Columbia County during her opponent's tenure.  Ms. Joern said that the county's high rate of children in foster care reflected a failing by the court to embrace alternative approaches to families in crisis.

Most other incumbents easily won re-election, including Cong. John Sweeney and Mike McNulty.