The Capital's Next Legislator, Anton Konev

ALBANY—There were no state-level races on the ballot last night, but there was one victor in the capital: Anton Konev.

Konev, 25, serves as a senior legislative aide for Assemblyman Peter Rivera and Tuesday night won the Democratic primary to represent the city's 11^th Ward in the Albany Common Council.

"The campaign was very hard fought. There were four candidates in the race, I believe is a lot of personal interaction with voters," Konev told me by phone, saying that he "delivered over 300 birthday cards personally" and tried to meet voters at least four times. Lots of people who know Konev said he worked doggedly, and that it probably put him over the top.

Konev joins quite the coterie of legislative staffers (of both parties, and my list is by no means comprehensive) who hold elected office around the Capital Region: State Senate Majority staffers Chris Higgins and Bryan Clenahan are Albany County legislators; Bob Farley (in Senator Leibell's office) and Phil Fields (Assembly Wasy & Means) serve in the Schenectady County Legislature; Nicole Criscione-Szesnat (Legislative Bill Drafting) serves on the Colonie Town Board; Matt Nelligan (Senate Minority) is a candidate for the Guilderland Town Board and Richard Conti (in Assemblyman Gottfried's office) serves on the Common Council.

As a legislator, Konev said he will focus on quality-of-life issues and more after-school programs. Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia (he speaks fluent Russian), Konev went to high school in Forest Hills, Queens and graduated from the University at Albany. In addition to his work for Rivera, he was an early and active volunteer for Barack Obama's campaign in the Capital Region.

The City of Albany is overwhelmingly Democratic, so Konev's primary victory should put him on easy street in the general election—he also holds the Independence Party Line. But Luke Gucker, who Konev defeated in the Democratic primary, remains on the Green and Working Families Party lines.