State Assemblywoman Grace Meng won the Democratic primary in the open 6th district tonight.

She was strongly backed by Rep. Joe Crowley, chairman of the Queens County Democratic Party. His power and prestige in the district will be boosted from this victory, which he worked hard to make sure happened.

Meng, backed by most establishment political figures, including retiring Rep. Gary Ackerman, beat state Assemblyman Rory Lancman and New York City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, the Congressman’s cousin.

With 63 percent of precincts reporting, Meng had 53 percent to Lancman’s 28 percent and Crowley’s 15 percent.

The Queens-based district is safely Democratic, and if, as expected, Meng takes the oath of office in 2013, she will become the first Asian-American elected to Congress from New York.

Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D) easily dispatched her primary opponent in the 7th district. According to the Associated Press, with 65 percent of precincts reporting, she had 62 percent to New York City Councilman Erik Dilan’s 22 percent.

In the 8th district, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries easily dispatched New York City Councilman Charles Barron in a Democratic primary. With just under 50 percent of precincts reporting, Barron was up by more than 45 points, according to the AP.

In the 18th district, attorney Sean Patrick Maloney won the Democratic nomination to take on freshman Rep. Nan Hayworth.

Statewide, Rep. Bob Turner lost his bid for the GOP nomination for Senate to attorney Wendy Long, according to the AP.

With 58.8 percent of precincts reporting, Turner only had 34.4 percent to Long’s 55 percent. Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos came in third with 10.5 percent.