OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Judith Einach spends time with supporters at the First ward Falcon Club on Tuesday as they wait for the results.

It was a somber scene among Democrats gathered at Dunkirk’s First Ward Falcon Club Tuesday night, as Republican incumbent Andy Goodell trounced Democrat Judith Einach in the race for the State Assembly seat representing the 150th district.

Preliminary results from the Chautauqua County Board of Elections showed late Tuesday night that Goodell won with 69 percent of the vote to Einach’s 31 percent.

Einach arrived at the Falcon Club to a round of applause about 9:30 p.m. and addressed the crowd.

“Apparently, my opponent — not my opponent anymore after tonight — thinks it’s a privilege to be able to misrepresent the law, to be able to delude the public about what’s true and not true, et cetera,” she said. “Ours is the party of principles. And we now know across this county who we are, there’s no question about it … we know what we have to do to keep this thing going and flip everything we need to flip.

“I have no idea how this election’s going to turn out. I know what I think it’s going to be, and honestly, I don’t think we’re going to make it,” she added.

Data from the Board of Election Web site, projected on a screen, confirmed her fears. As Goodell’s already large lead grew some more, numerous people stood before the screen, groaning, “That’s not good.”

Einach shook her head. “My God, it gets worse and worse,” she said.

At about 10:30 p.m., she told the OBSERVER, “It’s definitely over for me in this race. It’s disappointing that the margin is so large. It’s pretty sad.

“I’m very worried for the county because if the state Senate flips to Democrats, then we have two minority party members representing us, and the outcome for that might not be so good,” she added.

“I’m sorry the voters haven’t been more strategic in their thinking about the county’s future,” she concluded.