Big Republican wins on the North Shore

The 2022 midterm elections nationwide did not conclude with a red wave as predicted. But on the North Shore, where the majority of the races were won by Republicans, the unofficial results indicate there is a red wave.

Results from the election nationwide will decide which party will control the chambers of Congress for the next two years with Republicans only needing a net gain of five seats to win back control of the House.

Republican George Santos won his bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives replacing Democrat Tom Suozzi, who ran unsuccessfully for governor.

Santos, 34, of Queens, is the son of immigrants, a member of the LGBTQ community, and a Wall Street financier and investor. Robert Zimmerman, the democrat who ran against him, is also gay. The race is the first that had two openly gay men as candidates.   

Democrat incumbent Assemblyman Charles Lavine won his race against political newcomer Ruka Anzai by a wide margin. For him the win was bittersweet.

“One side is sadness because Robert (Zimmerman) would have been an extraordinary representative,” he said. “But all democracy can do, all American democracy can do, is give us a forum in which we can debate the issues. And we did that. And this time we lost but next time we won’t lose.”

Republican political newcomer Jake Blumencranz won the race for Assembly against Democrat Amanda Field. His coverage area will include East Norwich, Locust Valley, Oyster Bay, Glen Head and Glenwood Landing.

Blumencranz, 26, said he sees his win as an opportunity to fight for his generation. “We’re going to give a voice to the younger generation here on Long Island,” he said. “We’re really going to put Long Island first, in the way we legislate.”

Referring to his win as a “referendum” on past legislators, he promised to put Long Island as his top priority. “Now we really get to work to make Long Island a better place and a more prosperous place,” he said.

Jack Martins, of Mineola, beat incumbent state Senator Anna Kaplan handedly. Martins, a former mayor of Mineola, served in the state Senate from 2010 to 2016.

“What an honor for me, this year especially, when you think of where the state was going,” Martins, 55, said. “We all knew this is the year where we would draw the line in the sand and stand up to make sure we protect our community, keep our family safe, and send a message to Albany that enough is enough.”

Additional reporting by Roksana Amid, Will Sheeline and Jordan Vallone.