Blue Wave Washes GOP Out of Congress, Dems Take State Seats

Republicans on both the state and national levels weren’t able to overcome voter angst over fuel prices and affordability, leading to a Blue Wave that washed down to long-held local seats.

A Long Island sweep by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman did not materialize in his bid to oust Gov. Kathy Hochul in an election that also saw state Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli return to office.

The island’s congressional delegation looks to remain the same in unofficial results, with GOP Reps. Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota holding onto their seats, along with Democrats Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen.

The same couldn’t be said for the rest of Congress, where Republicans lost control of both the House and the Senate, with stunning Democratic upsets in traditionally GOP strongholds, including Texas, South Carolina, Kansas, Ohio and Iowa.

The sweeping reversal deals a major political setback to President Trump and threatens to derail his legislative agenda during the final two years of his presidency. Some Democrats have already promised impeachment proceedings against the president and members of his administration.

The state Legislature will remain solidly in Democratic hands, with the party posting upsets as Josh Slaughter outpolled Assemblyman Joe DeStefano and E. Christopher Murray took out Senator Anthony Palumbo.

Republican Senators Mario Mattera and Dean Murray retained their seats, as did Assembly members Mike Fitzpatrick, Jodi Giglio, Tommy John Schiavoni and Doug Smith. Senator Alexis Weik did not seek reelection, and her 8th District seat will be filled by Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo. His 7th District seat will stay in GOP hands with the election of Dawn Marie D. Kuhn.

In the 4th District, Republican Will Sussman came up short against one-term incumbent Rebecca Kassay.

“I think all of these races were a lot closer than people expected, and I blame that on national politics,” Senator Murray said. “The Democrats made it about Donald Trump, and that was it. Kathy Hochul mentioned him something like forty-seven times in a one-hour debate against Blakeman.”

Senator Mario Mattera agreed. “People look at President Trump as a businessman, yet they wonder, ‘How could he let the fuel prices skyrocket?’ I personally think our president is preventing a nuclear war by going after Iran, but at the pump, and now with fuel oil, especially with last year's winter, they're all frightened. They're like, ‘I can’t afford this.’”

Running countywide, Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro eked out a victory for Suffolk comptroller over Jonathan Estreich, who refused to back out of the race as part of a cross-endorsement deal between party leaders.

Taking the deal was Brookhaven Democratic Party Chairman Anthony Portesy, who quit the race for county clerk, leaving incumbent Vincent Puleo to skate across the finish line.

In the races for eight State Supreme Court seats covering Suffolk and Nassau, three cross-endorsed candidates were assured victory, while the remaining five seats were split between the parties. Democrats Mary E. Porter, John Kelly and Eric Sachs joined Republicans James A. McDonaugh and Karen M. Wilutis among the top eight vote-getters.

Across the country, Democrats scored major upsets in traditionally Republican strongholds, with former Ohio health director Amy Acton defeating Trump-backed Vivek Ramaswamy for governor, ending nearly 16 years of Republican control.

In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa stunned three-term incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott, while former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms captured Georgia’s governorship and Rob Sand prevailed in Iowa.

Republicans held onto the governor’s mansion in Florida, where Trump-backed Congressman Byron Donalds narrowly won.

The Democratic surge also extended to the U.S. Senate, where James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas and former Sen. Sherrod Brown reclaimed a seat in Ohio, contributing to the Republican loss of Senate control.