Number of uncontested Assembly races down

The number of uncontested General Assembly races in 2010 is 10 percent lower than in 2008, according to a news release from Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz.

Only 54 of 187 races for State Senate or State House lack either a Democratic or Republican candidate this year, compared to 60 unchallenged contests in 2008. With about 29 percent of races uncontested, this year is the lowest since 1998, when slightly under 27 percent of races were unchallenged.

 Bysiewicz attributed at least some of the trend to candidates taking advantage of the public financing mechanism of the Citizen’s Election Program law.