LI voters had a lot to say

There's more to mine from Long Island's Election Day results. So, let's dig right in:

Virgin territory

Rep.-elect Lee Zeldin, a Republican, toppled incumbent Tim Bishop, a Democrat, in the 1st Congressional District. Even in defeat, however, Bishop's got nothing to be ashamed of. He's the longest-serving member of Congress in memory from that district -- which is unlike any other on Long Island, as well as a rarity in New York State and, indeed, the country.

In an era where congressional districts are sliced and diced with precision enough to render most of them politically monolithic, the 1st Congressional District has never been gerrymandered.

Which makes for a grab-bag constituency defined solely by geography rather than political convenience. On the East End, for example, sizable chunks of residents would support a representative who polled very conservative on gun control -- and very liberal on the environment.

"Other districts are gerrymandered to the point where re-election is almost guaranteed, and where, as a result, representatives can put party over their constituents," said Michael Dawidziak, a political consultant who is working on a book about gerrymandering.

"On the East End, national party leaders know that if they want to keep that seat, they have to give the representative freedom to let constituents come first," he said. "It would be wonderful, and it would clear up the logjam in Washington, if every district was that way."

Zeldin, who represented a portion of the region in the State Senate, called the region a gem, saying he was looking forward to representing residents in Washington. "The East End, the district, is special," he said. "It should stay together, exactly the way it is."

King for president?

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) handily won re-election in a newly reconfigured 2nd Congressional District -- despite ribbing from congressional Democrats that he might have a hard time because his newest constituents represented a variety of races, ethnicities and political parties.

"I spent a lot of time out there, and I think it showed," he said. Indeed, it did, with King -- who went against his own party leadership to get disaster-related funding for Long Island -- tallying up big margins in areas affected by superstorm Sandy. And while King didn't win the mostly minority communities of Brentwood, Bay Shore and Central Islip, he didn't exactly lose them either because Democrats did not bloc vote against him. In Nassau, mostly minority communities used bloc votes to help push Rep.-elect Kathleen Rice, a Democrat, into office.

Will King's very public fights with party leadership over Sandy aid hurt him come January, when Republicans increase power in the U.S. House of Representatives? "I'm going to be fine," King said. Will sending a second Republican congressman, Lee Zeldin, to Washington help Long Island? "His voice, his conservative credentials will help us within the Republican conference ," King said.

And what about King's quest for the presidency, which began last year with several visits to New Hampshire, Ohio and other states? "I think there has to be a counterbalance to isolationist Republicans," King said. "I can help steer the conversation in another direction as a blue-collar Republican, who is conservative, and also practical about the need for the party to open up, to labor, for example."

Will he make the run? "That means time, that means money," King said. "It also means looking for an opening."

Suffolk surprise

Yes, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, easily won a second term. But in Suffolk County, he lost to Republican challenger Rob Astorino. It was the first time in memory that Suffolk, one of the most politically important counties in New York State, turned a slim thumbs-down Election Day on a winning, incumbent gubernatorial candidate.

A spokesman for County Executive Steve Bellone said he believed the lack of Democratic turnout nationally was to blame.

And Richard Schaffer, head of the county's Democratic Party, last week noted that results -- which gave Astorino a lead of slightly more than 1 percent -- were not final until absentee and affidavit votes were counted.

OK, but let's say the margin ends up standing. What comes next for Suffolk? We didn't hear back from a Cuomo spokesman, but recent history may offer some clue: During his first run, Cuomo lost Erie County, which includes Buffalo -- and spent the next few years working hard to win it back.

And while Schaffer believes that Cuomo is already working hard for Suffolk, he also believes the region now will get even more attention.

"After an election, candidates will do a careful scan of the map to see how they fared and where they could have done better," he said. "Then, you concentrate on the weak spots."

And that already may be happening. Last week, the governor's office announced that Suffolk would receive additional aid to help recover from Nemo, one of last year's winter storms.

Party on

Third-party leadership on Long Island took a beating in the months leading up to the election. There were skirmishes between Nassau Independence Party chairman Rick Bellando and Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs. And Newsday reported that Bellando -- despite state court rules barring heads of political parties from fiduciary appointments -- received payment for managing a commercial property in foreclosure.

In Suffolk, meanwhile, Conservative county chairman Edward Walsh, a lieutenant in the county correction department, is among the targets of a federal investigation into whether sheriff's office employees collected wages for hours they did not work.

And Islip's Conservative Party leader Michael Torres has pleaded not guilty to charges of concealing criminal convictions on a town job application form.

Did it make a difference in the election? Nope, according to unofficial election returns. In fact, the Conservative line on the ballot helped send Republicans Lee Zeldin to Congress and Tom Croci, the Islip Town supervisor, to the State Senate.

"Walsh and the other party leaders weren't on the ballot," said Richard Schaffer, Suffolk's Democratic Party chairman. "People voted for candidates whose principles they support, and if the Conservative candidate reflects those principles, that's where the vote goes."

Said Croci, "In any election, you are proud to have the voters vote for you on any line. You are proud to have that voter support, whether it be Republicans, Conservatives, blanks or whatever."