1980Final results
1980 election for New York Senate District 53
New York State Senate · New York
John D. Perry (D) won with 50.4% of the vote, defeating Stephen May (R) by 4.2 points.
John D. PerryDemocrat · winner · incumbent
50.4%62,957
Stephen MayRepublican
46.2%57,702
David E. HalterConservative
1.8%2,195
Nancy A. CoonRight to Life
1.6%1,937
124,791 votes
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1980
Races before and after
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET
The candidates
John D. Perry (D)Stephen May (R)
Also on the ballot: David E. Halter (Conservative), 1.8%; Nancy A. Coon (Right to Life), 1.6%