Democrat Scott Murphy saw his lead nearly double to 167 votes during the latest round of absentee ballot counting in New York’s still-unsettled 20th district special election. As of Thursday morning, the New York State Board of Elections showed Murphy with 79,404 votes to 79,237 for Republican James Tedisco.Despite making gains in Saratoga County this week, as Republicans predicted he would, Tedisco continues to run behind Murphy in absentee ballots in seven of the remaining nine counties in the 20th district, and the former state Assembly Minority Leader is running out of areas to make up ground. Absentee ballots remain out in Columbia, Dutchess and Warren counties, but Murphy is leading in each of those counties. The counting of military and overseas ballots began on Tuesday and totals remain out in Rensselaer, Essex, Dutchess and Columbia counties.The race to replace Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in the House appears to be weeks away from resolution.