A well-funded, party-backed challenger knocked off indicted State Sen. Malcolm Smith in a Democratic primary Tuesday, ending a 14-year tenure that waned with allegations he paid bribes for a way into last year's mayoral race.
Former City Councilman Leroy Comrie received just over 70 percent of the vote Tuesday, with 80 percent of precincts counted in unofficial results.
Smith took 19 percent of the vote. Queens lawyer Munir Avery tallied 10 percent.
About 11,100 votes were counted as of 11 p.m.
Comrie, 56, served on the city council for a decade.
He had the backing of Mayor Bill de Blasio, U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks and Grace Meng, several powerful unions and the Queens County Democratic Party.
He was already on the Working Families party ballot for the Nov. 4 general election, all but assuring victory.
Comrie gained noticed in 2011 when he proposed banning McDonald's from including toys with its Happy Meals and in 2007 when he appeared on "The Daily Show" to campaign for the end of a racial slur.
Smith, 58, faces trial next year on charges he schemed to bribe Republican leaders so he could represent the party in the 2013 mayoral race.
His first prosecution ended in a mistrial caused in part by the prosecution's late release of more than 70 hours of recordings involving a government informant, including 28 hours in Yiddish.
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A longtime Manhattan assemblyman has survived a popular community activist's Democratic primary challenge.
Herman "Denny" Farrell Jr. received 69 percent of the vote Tuesday, with 62 percent counted in unofficial results. Kelley Boyd took 31 percent of the vote.
The 84-year-old Farrell has been a legislator for 40 years and is chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
Boyd entered the race after feeling Farrell's office ignored her calls for help as she fought her landlord's alleged overcharging. The case wound up in the state's highest court.
Farrell countered Boyd's claims he had become out of touch with the district.
He says he's in the district nearly every weekend at block parties and other events, and has worked to establish affordable housing, with access for people with limited mobility.