PLATTSBURGH — Incumbent Assemblyman D. Billy Jones received a nice 48th birthday present Tuesday in the form of a solid win in the 115th Assembly District race.

Jones, a Democrat from Chateaugay Lake, outpaced Republican Stephen Chilton III of Ellenburg by an unofficial count of 25,945 votes to 15,376 after the polls closed Tuesday night for a margin of about 60% to 40%.

“I’m very happy,” Jones said from his campaign headquarters in Malone Tuesday night.

“I’m happy with the effort my team put in. We ran a good positive campaign. and you know what, I’m just happy the voters responded, especially in a year like this where, you know, things are a little topsy turvy. So yeah, I’m very happy.”

A former state corrections officer, farmer, mayor of Chateaugay and chair of the Franklin County Legislature, Jones won his fourth term in the Assembly. He was first elected in 2016 when he beat Franklin County Sheriff Republican Kevin Mulverhill in a close race.

Chilton was the first opponent for Jones since that 2016 race. He was unavailable Tuesday night after the results came in.

Jones said he would like to continue with the work he’s done the past six years in the Assembly, focusing on issues that most affect North Country residents.

“Everything we’ve been working on, honestly, you know, we’re trying to get more money in people’s pockets. That’s the number one concern that I hear,” he said.

“Housing affordability is huge. Broadband and cell service is huge, and to continue what we’ve done for the last six years and that’s, you know, responding to people’s concerns, constituent services. My team does an excellent job with them. And, you know, that’s what I hang my hat on.”

Although he is a member of the Democratic majority in the Assembly, Jones has voted against such measures as HALT, which limits the use of solitary confinement in state prisons and he has been critical of the state’s latest gun control measures.

He also has spoken out against changes to the overtime thresholds for farm workers, lowering the standard from 60 to 40 hours a week.

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County results

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The district includes all of Clinton and Franklin Counties and five towns in Essex County.

In Clinton County, Jones tallied unofficially, 16,729 votes to Chilton’s 8,931 with 49 of 51 districts reporting.

In Franklin County, Jones got 5,411 votes and Chilton got 4,543 with 20 of 29 districts in.

In Essex County, Jones got 3,805 and Chilton tallied 1,902 with all districts reporting.

The unofficial total had Jones with 25,945 and Chilton with 15,376.

“It’s been a good, good, good evening,” Jones said.