 Thompson subsequently decided to run for the New York Senate seat in the November general election . Marc Coppola won the special election by a 56 – 44 % margin in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 6 : 1 . Thompson opposed incumbent Senator Marc Coppola as well as his cousin Former State Sen. Al Coppola in the September 2006 Democratic Primary for a full two @-@ year term in the Senate . Thompson defeated both with 53 % of the vote . He then defeated Marc Coppola again in the General election where Coppola ran as an Independent . 
