Stunning wave of Democratic victories comes to New York

WASHINGTON — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s reelection on Tuesday accented a stunning series of Democratic election victories across the nation, a political shift that saw the party capture control of both the U.S. House and Senate.

What was essentially a voter referendum on President Donald Trump, the war in Iran, inflation, tariffs and other Republican policies, saw victories by party moderates, as well as Democratic socialists. Democrats scored surprising wins, even in conservative states like Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.

In New York, Democrats chalked up victories to take a supermajority in the State Senate, including on Long Island, and a larger majority in the Assembly. Hempstead Town, a historically Republican stronghold, also will have a Democratic supervisor. 

Long Island's targeted Democratic moderates Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) won their U.S. House races, despite Republican attempts to tie them to the left wing of their party. Republican Reps. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) in once-safe districts, declared victory in closely contested battles where their opponents hadn't conceded.

And progressive victories in New York City, while unsurprising, served to remind of a brewing generational shift, as well.

It was the party’s Old Guard, though, personified by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, that engineered what was only months ago widely believed to be an quixotic if not impossible effort to flip of the U.S. Senate’s GOP majority.

Still, Schumer himself nodded Tuesday night at "a generational remake of the Senate map that is going to change America now and on into the future."

And Hochul, in a speech after winning her second full term as governor by defeating Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, offered, "Together, New York Democrats are leading the way for a country that is hungry for progress and we’re giving people a reason to believe again."

Trump, meanwhile, reacted in a series of posts on social media, from posting a photo of a single red MAGA hat with the words "VETO," to blaming Fox News for the losses. Trump accused Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of losing the race to Democrat Gina Hinojosa because he said that during the last six months, Abbott turned into a "RINO," short for Republican in Name Only.

Earlier Tuesday evening, as the situation started to look bleak for Republicans, he posted, "I wasn’t on the Ballot and if I was, we would have won IN A LANDSLIDE! Thank you for your attention to this matter."

But where do Democrats in New York and nationally go, ahead of the 2028 presidential election year?

The next months will show whether the party’s political and generational factions can come together. A key question will be how much the party should investigate the Trump administration versus trying to work with him to pass legislation.

For now, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries — who stands to be elected the nation’s first Black speaker — said the election results meant, "America is back!"

Jeffries added, "This is a change election. And we understand as House Democrats we need to deliver dramatic change."

Newsday's Lorena Mongelli contributed to this story.