Republican state Senate candidate Dan Stec gives a victory speech to a crowd at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls Tuesday night. (Provided photo — Christopher Lenney, Watertown Daily Times)

Two days after being elected to represent the state’s 45th Senate District, Assemblyman Dan Stec is focused on the North Country.

Stec, R-Queensbury, spent months campaigning throughout the sprawling district, meeting voters any way he could in a bid to succeed the retiring Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury, who had represented the sprawling district since 2003. The district covers all of Warren, Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties and parts of Washington and St. Lawrence counties.

After many Zoom conferences and small, socially distanced rallies, Stec earned more than 60% of the in-person vote Tuesday night, giving him a 27,450 vote advantage over his Democratic opponent, Clinton County Treasurer Kimberly Davis.

Davis formally conceded the race with a short phone call Wednesday afternoon, Stec said.

“We’re very happy with the results,” he said. “I think it’s indicative of how hard we worked, not just on this campaign, but the eight years I’ve been in the Assembly.”

With the election behind him, Stec is now focused on his new role in the state Legislature and ensuring his successor in the 114th Assembly District has the tools needed for a smooth transition.

Horicon Supervisor Matt Simpson, a Republican, will be replacing Stec in the 114th, which Stec has represented since 2013.

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Uploading, downloading

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“Now we’re just getting ready to upload from Sen. Little and her staff things that I need to transition and be prepared to hit the ground running. … Similarly, I also got to turn around and start downloading to Matt Simpson,” Stec said.

Republicans had a stronger than expected showing Tuesday night after losing their Senate majority two years ago.

The party has jumped out to an early lead in several state Senate races, but with millions of absentee ballots still left to be counted, it remains unclear just how much ground the party will gain.

Stec said the early results are a combination of a strong Republican slate and a rejection of the progressive ideas that have been proposed since Democrats took control of state government.

“I think that’s an indicator that the electorate in general is rejecting the far-left policies that we’ve been getting out of New York ever since the Senate flipped to Democrat control,” he said.

Still, Republicans will remain the minority party in the Legislature, regardless of how the absentees play out.

Stec said he remains steadfast in pushing his agenda and has already spoken with Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, about committee positions.

Stec said he is hoping for a spot on the Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee, as well as the Crime and Correction Committee, because they focus on issues important to his district, which includes most of the Adirondack Park and numerous prisons.

Having spent time in the military, Stec is also hoping for a spot on the Veterans Committee.

“They’re going to put me where they need me, but those are three that I have expressed my interest in,” he said.

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Pandemic priorities

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Stec said the Legislature will likely spend a bulk of the upcoming session focused on addressing the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, which has created an estimated $15 billion budget shortfall.

Slashing needless spending and eliminating costly economic development programs that have failed to deliver promised results are particular areas of focus for Stec, who said he hopes the Democratic majority will look to do the same.

The Legislature must also find a way to reopen the state’s economy as safely as possible, Stec said.

“We do need to find a way to reopen the economy in a balanced way so that we’re cautious with COVID,” he said.

On a more regional level, Stec said he will push for expanded broadband access and cell service throughout the North Country, where significant investments have been made but a dearth of service remains.

The emergence of telehealth services and remote learning because of the pandemic has shown just how important broadband is, Stec said.

“I don’t think we needed a COVID pandemic to understand the value of broadband, but in case some did, I think that COVID has really highlighted and underscored that broadband has to be everywhere,” he said.

Stec also said he would like to address overcrowding in the High Peaks, which has been a growing problem in recent years.

“It’s a smaller, narrower interest, but it’s very important in the Adirondacks and the High Peaks,” he said.