The race for the 24th Congressional District has proven to be a tight one, with Republican challenger Richard Hanna trailing U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, by only about 2,000 votes at about 10:20 p.m., out of a total of about 165,000 cast in the district's 10 counties, election results show.

With a portion of the votes counted, Hanna held a slight lead in Oneida County and Broome County, and was only 14 votes behind in Seneca County. Hanna led by about 500 votes in Herkimer County and was ahead in early returns in his home county of Otsego. Arcuri held a significant lead, however, in Cortland County.

"I'm not surprised it's so close," Hanna said at his gathering at Hotel Utica. "We actually have known about a week that's it was going to be a close race. This will be a long night."

Arcuri, a longtime former Oneida County district attorney, is a first-term congressman running in a year when many factors have favored Democrats nationwide. Hanna is a Cooperstown-based construction firm owner running for office for the first time.