NEW YORK HOLDS SPECIAL VOTES

New York City residents voted Tuesday in two special congressional elections. In the Bronx, Democratic-Liberal State Assemblyman Jos'e Serrano won the 18th District seat, which opened up when Democrat Robert Garcia quit after being convicted for accepting bribes.

Although the Bronx is 55 percent Afro-American, Mr. Serrano - who is Puerto Rican - defeated an Afro-American candidate, Republican-Independent Simeon Golar.

``Party loyalty was the factor, not race,'' says Serrano consultant Norman Adler.

On Staten Island, Republican-Conservative Susan Molinari defeated Democrat Robert Gigante and will fill the gap left by her father, Guy Molinari, who gave up his seat for the post of Staten Island borough president.