Democrat replaces Vito Fossella in NYC

NEW YORK, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- A Democratic New York City councilman won the House seat being vacated by Rep. Vito Fossella, leaving the city with no Republican representatives in Congress.

Michael McMahon defeated Republican Robert Straniere, a former state assemblyman, the New York Daily News reported. The 13th district includes part of Brooklyn and all of Staten Island, the one city borough that tends to be Republican.

Fossella, who was first elected in 1997, was arrested on a drunken driving charge in May in the Virginia suburbs of Washington. The married congressman was eventually forced to admit he was on his way to see his mistress and that he had a child with her.

He is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of DUI.

In another twist in the race, a Republican candidate who ran for the seat before Straniere, Frank Powers, died of a heart attack in June.