Fuschillo Departure Poses "Existential" Threat To Senate Republicans

State Sen. Charles Fuschillo’s abrupt departure from elected office could set up an epic battle between Republicans, who have held all the state Senate seats in Nassau and Suffolk counties as the “Long Island Nine,” and Democrats, who have long hoped that demographic shifts would create an opening there.

Fuschillo is a moderate suburban Republican who was popular with his constituents and won re-election easily, even though the district has more Democrats (84,158) than Republicans (77,444). “As long as he was the incumbent, a Democrat had no chance,” said Larry Levy, the dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies.

Levy said that key factors in the race to replace Fuschillo include the Republicans’ stronger organization and the Independence Party line—a potential tie-breaker if the Conservative Party backs the eventual Republican nominee and the Working Families Party backs the Democratic candidate. The vacancy likely offers a better opportunity for Democrats than the seat held by state Sen. Lee Zeldin, a Long Island Republican who is running for Congress.

“This really depends on who the parties run and how much money they’re willing to put behind it,” Levy said. “For the Republican Party, the Zeldin and Fuschillo seats are existential. They live or die by these elections.”