State Sen. Dave Valesky (D-Oneida) retained his seat in the 53rd District with 54,667 votes. Valesky, who was first elected to office in 2004, ran unopposed this year.

“We’re going to continue the fight for middle-class men and women and strong Central New Yorkers to make New York state the best place to live,” Valesky said at the Onondaga County Democratic Committee gathering at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, formerly the Hotel Syracuse.

The 53rd District includes all of Madison County, the Oneida County towns of Augusta and Kirkland, and the towns of Cicero, Salina, LaFayette, Pompey, Tully and Fabius and parts of the city of Syracuse in Onondaga County.