Madeline Singas declared victory in the race for Nassau County district attorney late Tuesday night.

She offered many thanks, including to her family, Democratic officials, her mentor Kathleen Rice and Islanders fans during a victory speech.

The race was expected to be very close. The latest News 12/Newsday/Siena College poll, taken prior to Election Day, showed former Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray edging out a tight lead against Singas, with 46 percent and 45 percent respectively.

Murray, fighting for a job that's closely related to the Nassau County Police Department, had received coveted police union endorsements earlier in the race.

The Singas campaign has touted her 24 years of experience as a prosecutor. She was the county's chief assistant district attorney in 2011 and later became acting DA.

Singas has been acting district attorney since the former county prosecutor, Kathleen Rice, left after her election to Congress.

Murray's campaign had said the job entails more than just prosecuting ability. She said the job involves the ability to manage a big department, which is something she said Hempstead and the DA's office have in common.

"I'm not running for the head of the litigation bureau," Murray said during a debate on News 12. "Bottom line, I'm running to be the visionary, the leader."

Singas disputed Murray's notion that experience in management qualifies her to manage the DA's office.

"I understand what the job of prosecutor is," Singas said later in the race. "And I've said it before and I'll say it again, you can't manage what you don't understand."