Democrats in the state Senate have managed to hold on to their majority two elections after winning it back in 2018, bucking the dysfunctional reputation they gained the last time they were in control. The party is sure to maintain that majority for a third time this election – but Republicans are hoping to break Democrats’ supermajority in the chamber. Democrats won a two-thirds majority in 2020, expanding their ranks large enough to override a veto along with the Assembly (where the party also holds a supermajority). But Democrats suffered setbacks in 2022 in both chambers of the state Legislature, and now the party’s hold on its supermajority is only one seat strong.
Republicans, who have largely been relegated to the back burner at the state level even as they gained ground locally and in Congress, see an opportunity to break the veto-proof majority, even if winning back the chamber isn’t in the cards. A prime pickup opportunity is in Central New York, where Republicans came within 10 votes of flipping the 50th State Senate District in 2022 and where Democrats no longer have an incumbent running.
But if some Democrats are on the defensive, so too are Republicans. For Democrats, one of their best pickup opportunities is perhaps the 39th State Senate District in and around Poughkeepsie. A new district created in the 2022 redistricting process, the Democratic-leaning seat seemed like it would have been a good one for Democrats to win. But Republican state Sen. Rob Rolison, then the mayor of Poughkeepsie, won instead. He’s now on the defensive to hold on to his seat in an area that has recently rebuffed Republican candidates.
1st District
East End of Suffolk County
Anthony Palumbo (R, C): 50.54%
Sarah Anker (D, Common Sense Suffolk): 45.07%
With 200 of 214 election districts reported
4th District
Parts of Suffolk County, including Brentwood and Central Islip
Monica Martinez (D, WFP): 51.79%
Teresa Bryant (R, C): 40.75%
With 198 of 200 election districts reported
7th District
Long Island, North Shore from Great Neck to Laurel Hollow
Jack Martins (R, C): 49.64%
Kim Keiserman (D): 45.57%
With 17 of 265 election districts reported
11th District
Queens, including Whitestone, College Point, Glen Oaks and Queens Village, as well as Rikers Island in the Bronx
Toby Ann Stavisky (D, WFP): 49.83%
Yiatin Chu (R, C): 44.55%
With 170 of 170 election districts reported
17th District
Brooklyn, including parts of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst
Steve Chan (R, C): 50.53%
Iwen Chu (D, WFP): 40.98%
With 134 of 134 election districts reported
23rd District
Staten Island’s North Shore and parts of southern Brooklyn
Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D): 50.41%
Marko Kepi (R): 41.26%
With 163 of 163 election districts reported
38th District
Hudson Valley, including most of Rockland County
Elijah Reichlin-Melnick (D): 56.04%
Bill Weber (R, C): 34.36%
Barbara Francis (WFP): 2.37%
With 290 of 293 election districts reported
39th District
Hudson Valley, including much of Orange County, Poughkeepsie and Cold Spring
Yvette Valdes Smith (D, WFP): 48.07%
Rob Rolison (R, C): 47.11%
With 20 of 207 election districts reported
40th District
Hudson Valley, including parts of Westchester, Putnman and Rockland counties
Gina Arena (R, C): 57.46%
Pete Harckham (D, WFP): 37.70%
With 75 of 284 election districts reported
42nd District
Hudson Valley, including most of Orange County
James Skoufis (D, WFP): 52.48%
Dorey Houle (R): 38.26%
Timothy Mitts (C): 4.47%
With 0 of 272 election districts reported
43rd District
Rensselaer, Washington and Albany counties
Alvin Gamble (D): 48.34%
Jake Ashby (R, C): 47.49%
With 134 of 228 election districts reported
46th District
Capital Region, including Albany, Amsterdam and Rotterdam
Patricia Fahy (D, WFP): 58.47%
Ted Danz Jr. (R, C): 37.36%
With 197 of 247 election districts reported
50th District
Central New York, including the suburbs of Syracuse
Chris Ryan (D, WFP): 52.69%
Nick Paro (R, C): 44.52%
With 150 of 290 election districts reported
52nd District
Southern Tier, including Ithaca, Binghamton and Cortland
Lea Webb (D, WFP): 60.56%
Michael Sigler (R, Local 607): 35.98%
With 51 of 219 election districts reported
63rd District
Western New York, including most of Buffalo
April Baskin (D, WFP): 59.07%
Jack Moretti (R, C): 32.99%
With 84 of 236 election districts reported
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