Blue wave misses area; Borrello, Molitor re-elected
Blue wave misses area; Borrello, Molitor re-elected
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The blue wave that flipped offices from red to blue on Election Day is costing Republicans in the New York state Legislature as well.
Statewide, it appears Democrats have reimagined their supermajorities in both the state Senate and state Assembly after flipping at least a dozen seats, including five on Long Island. Long Island's 31-member legislative delegation will remain largely Republican, but Democrats won enough seats there to extend their legislative majorities. The supermajority means Democrats can override a veto by Gov. Kathy Hochul, though the threatened override hasn't come into play often in the past.
“This achievement reflects the strength of our diverse coalition, representing communities from our largest cities to our smallest towns, and our shared commitment to moving New York forward," Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, said in a statement shortly before midnight on Tuesday.
Locally, the blue wave didn't affect state Sen. George Borrello or Assemblyman Andrew Molitor. The Republicans retained their seats, with Molitor winning re-election. With all districts reporting, Molitor received 26,485 votes while challenger Thomas A. Carle received 15,490 votes. Borrello won Chautauqua County’s vote for the 57th Senate District, 28,037-14,502 over challenger Victoria Guite-Williams. With all but one election district reporting across the 57th Senate District Borrello received 78,049 votes (68.04%) to Guite-Williams’ 33,922 votes (29.57%).
"I am humbled and grateful to the people of the 57th District for once again electing me to be their voice in Albany," Borrello said in a statement. "Over the past six years, I’ve worked hard to build a record that reflects the priorities of the people I represent. That means standing up for taxpayers, fighting for our farmers and small businesses, challenging costly energy mandates and working to keep our communities safe. I’ve never been afraid to speak out or take on a difficult fight when the well-being of the people I represent is at stake. The concerns I’ve heard from residents about affordability, energy policy, public safety and other key issues will continue to drive my work in Albany. We’ve made progress on some important issues, but there’s much more to do. I’ll keep fighting for policies that will reverse the decline we've experienced under one-party rule and the outmigration that has resulted. New York has so many assets and potential. With the right policies, we can be the Empire State again."