Democratic incumbent Rachel May is claiming victory in the race for New York's 53rd Senate District.

Accoridng to the Associated Press, May currently leads Republican opponent Sam Rodgers by about 9 points as absentee ballots continue to be counted. The two candidates finished roughly even last Tuesday with early vote and in-person vote totals.

May's campaign expects her margin to continue to expand as the final votes are counted.

“I am so grateful to the Central New Yorkers who voted decisively to trust me with a second term in Albany,” said May in a statement Thursday. “This has been an election year unlike any we’ve ever seen, and the fact that so many people voted, whether by absentee ballot, early voting, or in person on Election Day, gives me hope for the future of our democracy. I look forward to rejoining my colleagues in Albany, to welcoming many new senators from across upstate, and to continuing the progress we have worked so hard to achieve.”

There has been no response from the Rodgers campaign as of Thursday afternoon.