Stunning wave of Democratic victories comes to New York

WASHINGTON — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s reelection on Tuesday accented a stunning series of Democratic election victories across the nation, a political shift that saw the party capture control of both the U.S. House and Senate.

Widely seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump, the war in Iran, inflation, tariffs and other Republican policies, the election delivered wins for party moderates and democratic socialists alike. Democrats even scored surprising victories in conservative states like Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.

Long Island's targeted incumbent House Democrats, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), won their races easily, despite Republican attempts to tie them to the left wing of their party as a liability. Instead, it was the two incumbent Republicans, Reps. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), who were thought to be safe but narrowly survived.

In New York, Democrats chalked up historic victories in the State Legislature to secure the largest majorities in  history in both the State Senate and Assembly.

The blue wave hit Nassau County Republicans particularly hard as they contend with losses to incumbents thought to be among their most secure, washing away some of the party's gains since 2021. Democrat Joe Scianablo defeated Republican Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti in a stunning upset in the Nassau GOP's power base. Democratic challenger Joylette Williams was leading longtime Republican Town Clerk Kate Murray as of Wednesday evening.  

Democrats also were locked in a close race to pick up a seat on the Nassau County Legislature in a district that borders Queens. Democrat Juleigh Chin and incumbent Republican Scott Strauss were in a dead heat. Her win would narrow the Republican majority on the legislature to 10-9, a power balance not seen in more than a decade in Nassau. 

In Suffolk, where Conservative, Republican and Democratic Party leaders have historically traded endorsements to guarantee judgeships, voters selected three Democratic judicial candidates who were not cross-endorsed.

While Democrats failed to win an upstate congressional district now held by GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is retiring, they did score a huge pickup with a victory in a high-profile lower Hudson Valley contest, with Cait Conley, of New Castle, defeating Rep. Mike Lawler (R-Pearl River).

And progressive victories in New York City, while unsurprising, served to remind of a brewing generational shift, as well.

It was the party’s old guard, though, personified by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, that engineered what was only months ago widely believed to be a quixotic, if not impossible, effort to flip the U.S. Senate’s GOP majority.

Still, Schumer himself nodded Tuesday night at "a generational remake of the Senate map that is going to change America now and on into the future."

And Hochul, in a speech after winning her second full term as governor by defeating Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, offered, "Together, New York Democrats are leading the way for a country that is hungry for progress and we’re giving people a reason to believe again."

Trump, meanwhile, reacted in a series of posts on social media, from posting a photo of a single red MAGA hat with the word "VETO," to blaming Fox News for the losses. Trump accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of losing his race to Democrat Gina Hinojosa because he said during the last six months, Abbott turned into a "RINO" — a Republican in name only.

Earlier Tuesday evening, as the situation started to look bleak for Republicans, he posted, "I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE!"

But where do Democrats in New York and nationally go ahead of the 2028 presidential election?

The next few months will reveal whether the party’s political and generational factions can come together. A key question will be how much the party should investigate Trump and administration officials as opposed to trying to work with him to pass legislation.

For now, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn) — who stands to be elected the nation’s first Black speaker — said the election results meant, "America is back!"

"This is a change election," Jeffries added. "And we understand as House Democrats we need to deliver dramatic change."

Newsday's Lorena Mongelli contributed to this story.