This is what drove GOP victories in Nassau on Election Day

Nassau County Republicans swept all countywide offices last Tuesday despite an uptick in Democrats going to polls this cycle, election data shows. 

Of the 1,010,025 registered voters in the county, 31% cast ballots in the 2025 election either in-person during nine days of early voting, on Election Day or by absentee ballot, according to numbers the county Board of Elections provided to Newsday.

That is a slightly higher percentage of eligible voters in the county who participated this year than the last time Republican Bruce Blakeman was on the ballot, when he defeated incumbent Democrat Laura Curran by a slim margin in the 2021 county executive race. In fact, it’s higher participation than in local balloting for the last three general elections. In 2017, when Curran faced Jack Martins in the county executive race, 32% of the county’s registered voters turned out.

Unofficial election results for Nassau County executive race on Nov. 4. Source: Nassau County Board of Elections. Credit: Newsday/Karthika Namboothiri; Newsday/TC McCarthy

Four years ago, 27% of registered Democrats voted in the county races compared with 32% this election cycle. In 2021, 40% of the county's registered Republicans cast ballots, dipping this year to 39%.

So how did Blakeman and the Republicans do it? More voters unaffiliated with a political party came out and — unlike most other places in the nation — broke toward the Republicans in Nassau. Those unaffiliated voters in Nassau made up 19% of the vote in 2021 and 20% of the total in 2025. 

"Whatever the Republicans were selling, the independent voters were buying," said Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University in Hempstead. "Outside forces that really have nothing to do with the running of the county and who would be running it had a potentially strong impact on the outcome." 

As Democrats across the nation celebrated victories last week, hoping to sustain the momentum for next year's midterm elections, Republicans in Nassau have a proven track record with swing voters, so much so that Blakeman ended a long tradition of the county selecting an executive opposite the party of the sitting U.S. president. 

Nassau's proximity to New York City, where Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblyman and democratic socialist, quickly ascended to victory in the June primary over Andrew M. Cuomo, provided a new platform for Republicans. They spent millions on mailers and television ads tying Blakeman's Democratic challenger, Seth Koslow, to the urban brand.

Residents no matter political party are "happy with what Republicans have done," said Joe Cairo, chairman of the Nassau Republican Party. 

"Our message is appealing to all voters. The 'R' or 'D' after your name doesn't mean anything anymore," Cairo said.

Of the 313,868 people who voted countywide, more than half — 172,473 — were in the Town of Hempstead, according to unofficial numbers obtained from the Board of Elections last Thursday. Both Blakeman, of Atlantic Beach, and Koslow, of Merrick, reside in the town.

But a contentious race for town supervisor likely drove voters to the polls there in larger numbers. 

Democrats flipped one seat on the county legislature with a win in District 14, where 30% of registered Democrats voted. Democrat Cynthia Nuñez defeated Republican Sheharyar Ali in that district, which includes the communities of Valley Stream and Lynbrook, located in Hempstead Town.

Unofficial election results for Long Island legislative district races on Nov. 4. Sources: Nassau and Suffolk County Board of Elections. Credit: Newsday/Karthika Namboothiri; Newsday/TC McCarthy

 

In Suffolk, where there were only two countywide, uncontested elections for district attorney and sheriff, Democrats beat back a Republican supermajority. Republicans control the 18-member county legislature in Suffolk 11-7.

Democrat Greg Doroski defeated Republican incumbent Legis. Catherine L. Stark, flipping back a long-held Democratic seat. Before Stark was elected in 2023, Democrat Al Krupski Jr., now Southold Town supervisor, held the seat for a decade. The district includes Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southold and part of Brookhaven.

On the Suffolk-Nassau border, incumbent Legis. Arnold Drucker (D-Plainview), who Nassau Republicans had been eyeing to flip managed to win 53% percent of the vote, according to preliminary results, over his challenger, first-time candidate Jennifer Pravato Gallub. 

Nassau CountyMinority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) said there was "solid turnout and real enthusiasm" among Democratic voters this year and credited Nuñez for running "a strong, community-centered campaign that energized new voters." 

"The results speak for themselves — our caucus gained a seat and maintained the balance needed to ensure meaningful negotiation and oversight of the Blakeman administration," DeRiggi-Whitton said. 

When looking at voter turnout by legislative district, however, several communities of color did not participate as strongly despite a court settlement that created six majority-minority districts and one Asian-influence district aimed at keeping communities together and strengthening their voting power. 

Under the new map used for this election, legislative districts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 14 are composed of more than 50% underrepresented voting groups. District 9, located in the greater New Hyde Park area on the Queens border, is made up of nearly 30% Asian American voters.

For example, District 5, which spans  the Village of Hempstead, where the population is about 40% Latino and 30% Black, Democrat Legis. Olena Nicks was reelected but the Democratic turnout there was 26%, much lower than overall Democratic turnout for the county. District 2, where Democrat Viviana L. Russell was elected to the county legislature, saw half as many voters than District 19, where Republican James Kennedy was reelected. 

District 2 encompasses East Garden City, Carle Place, Westbury and a section of Hicksville, which is about 40% Latino, 23% Black and 9% Asian; District 19 covers North Massapequa, Massapequa and the western section of Amityville and is about 80% white, according to census stats. 

"The data reminds us that, going forward, engagement must be intentional and ongoing," said Tracey Edwards, Long Island regional executive director of the NAACP. "Turnout follows trust, and trust is built in communities of color through early and consistent connection."