Tuesday, December 10, 2024
In a wave of victories Tuesday night, Democrats reclaimed influential seats across Long Island, marking significant wins in Congress, the State Legislature, and local government. Democratic challenger Laura Gillen declared victory over incumbent Congressman Anthony D’Esposito, potentially securing her first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, earning 51 percent of the votes to 49 percent.
“I am so humbled an honored to be your new Congresswoman,” Gillen said at the Democratic rally at the Garden City Hotel. “The coordinated campaign that we put together — we knocked on 300,000 doors. We made over 600,000 phone calls. We put out a campaign that was a winning campaign that we will emulate in the years.”
In the race in New York’s 6th State Senate District, Nassau County Legislator Siela Bynoe, the Democratic candidate, defeated Republican challenger Thomas Montenfinise, earning 60 percent of the votes. In State Senate District 9, Republican incumbent Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick won, retaining her seat with 55 percent of the vote to 45 percent for Democrat James Lynch.
On the Assembly side, State Assemblyman David McDonough, also a Republican, won re-election with 64 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Ellen Lederer DeFrancesco.
In the race in New York’s 20th Assembly District, Republican incumbent Ari Brown won re-election, defeating Democratic challenger Tina Posterli, with 62 percent of the vote to Posterli’s 37 percent. Republican Assemblyman Brian Curran was defeated by Democrat Judy Griffin, who successfully reclaimed her seat. Griffin, who had previously served in the Assembly, campaigned on health care access, women’s rights, and economic development.
Prop 1, which aimed to add protections against discrimination to the state Constitution, won approval by 79 percent of voters.
