“It looks like we’re getting redder and redder and redder," said Nassau County GOP Chairman Joseph Cairo on Tuesday night. "It all started here on Long Island."
Cairo went on to laud the neck-neck push President Trump staged against Vice President Kamala Harris within his county. Though Harris would take New York, Trump took Long Island—and then some.
Across both Long Island counties, there was plenty to celebrate for those regularly keen on riding the red wave—despite being denied a four-pronged congressional delegation sweep such as the one they experienced back in 2022. The party largely thrived in its nine senate districts.
“They want to be able to afford to live here, and feel safe when they live here. That’s why we’re having a good night here in Suffolk County for the Republicans,” said Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey. “People couldn’t wait to come out and vote. The early numbers for Republicans are off the chart… they couldn’t wait to come out and you’re seeing those numbers here tonight.”
In Long Island’s 1st Congressional District, incumbent Nick LaLota (R,C) defeated former CNN anchor John Avalon (D, WFP), 56% to 44%.
“I’m so thankful for every one of you. You’ve trusted me, you’ve placed your trust in me. And I’m going to take another oath of office here in just a couple weeks back in Washington D.C. so I can keep fighting for you," LaLota said from the Suffolk County Republican Headquarters stage in Patchogue.
He went on to tout that he's passed more bills than 95% of fellow members of Congress, spoke of his continued championing of a more secured border, the imminent return of the SALT tax deduction, and his desire for the nation to reassert its position on the world stage.
The results of the remaining congressional district face-offs, as of 11:20 E.T. Tuesday night, were as follows:
2nd Congressional District: Andrew Garbarino (R,C) 59% – Rob Lubin (D,WFP)
3rd Congressional District: Mike LiPetri (R,C) 48% – Tom Suozzzi (D,WFP) 52%
4th Congressional District: Anthony D’Esposito (R,C) 50% – Laura Gillen (D) 50%
Tom Suozzi (D, WFP) continues to hold the seat he reclaimed in a Special Election last year when it was vacated by George Santos.
As Democrats tried to hold onto their supermajority in the statewide chamber—41 Democrats, and 21 Republicans, as of November 4, according to Ballotpedia—a little thing called Long Island’s strong Republican showing at the polls happened, and in bulk.
1st District: Anthony Palumbo (R,C) 53% – Sarah Anker (D, CSS) 47%
2nd District: Mario Mattera (R,C) 59% – Craig Herskowitz (D) 41%
3rd District: Dean Murray (R,C) 62% – Michael Conroy (D) 38%
4th District: Monica Martinez (D,WFP) 56% – Teresa Bryant (R,C) 44%
5th District: Steven Rhoads (R,C) 58% – Lisa Linn (D) 42%
6th District: Syela Bynoe (D) 60% – Thomas Philip Montefinise (R,C) 40%
7th District Jack Martins (R,C) 55% – Kim Keiserman (D) 45%
8th District: Alexis Weik (R,C) 68% – Francis R. Dolan (D) 32%
9th District: Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick (R,C) 55% – James Lynch (D) 45%
Martinez barely edged out the Republican/Conservative ticket’s Wendy Rodriguez two years ago, but defeated Teresa Bryant (R, C) by a much larger margin this go around. Syela Bynoe (D) won the June primary after Kevin M. Thomas announced his retirement from the post.
Federally, the Associated Press declared Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand the winner at 9 p.m. The incumbent since 2009 briefly considered pursuing the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 before dropping out.
In being re-elected, Gillibrand defeated former New York police detective and current Town of Oyster Bay resident Mike Sapraicone, who was serenaded at the Hangar Rally in Yaphank just last week—retroactively now made the swan song moment of an unsuccessful bid to become the first Republican to sit in federal New York Senate seat since Al D’Amato in 1994.
As of 9:30 p.m on Tuesday night, Gillibrand had rallied 67% of the state’s votes at over 1.9 million, while Sapraicone had fallen short at 32.6% - totalling slightly more than 950,000 of the votes. Third-party candidate Diane Sare also produced 14,124 votes, good for 0.5%.
Though not their all-time best first Tuesday of November, the GOP’s well-earned and hard-fought gains nevertheless reflect beneficiaries of "the Trump train” effect—rain or shine, for the final time.