Yesterday, Queens residents in the City Council district represented by City Councilman Dennis Gallagher went to the polls to decide who will replace him until a November election. Right now, it seems like Republican candidate Anthony Como is leading, but only 70 votes separate him from Democrat Elizabeth Crowley.

Gallagher is vacating his District 30 seat because his March guilty plea to sexual abuse and forcible touching. In 2007, he was accused of raping a woman and though his grand jury indictment was dismissed, the Queens DA's office indicated it would continue to prosecute the case, so Gallagher opted for a plea deal to avoid stronger sentences. Gallagher was one of three Republicans in the City Council.

The NY Times reports that unofficial reports show Como, a Middle Village lawyer, with 31.7% of the vote while Crowley, Glendale resident and cousin of Queens Democratic Party head Joseph Crowley, has 30.7% of the vote. But apparently 196 absentee ballots "have not yet been tallied, and that there could be additional valid absentee ballots, as long as they are received by next Tuesday."

Photo montage of Charles Ober, Elizabeth Crowley, Thomas Ognibene, and Anthony Como from Gotham Gazette, which broke down the issues in the election