It’s Wednesday. Good morning, assuming you actually went to sleep and did not stay up all night waiting for the returns to come in.
Things were a little on the anti-climactic side when it comes to the widely predicted “red wave” that was supposed to sweep the nation. I think even Democrats are a little surprised by how well they’ve fared thus far…with the caveat that a lot of races haven’t been called yet. As the NYT notes in the above line:
“Fears of a collapse in Democratic states proved unfounded as governors’ contests in New York and Pennsylvania, a House race in Rhode Island and Senate races in Colorado and Washington all went to the Democrats.”
I would say that all the ballots are in, but that’s actually not true, because absentee ballots in New York can be postmarked on Election Day, and must be received 7 days later. (You can also hand deliver them, day of, but then what’s the point?)
The absentee ballot rules vary by state. Mail-in ballots are causing a bit of an issue (not unusual) around the country, and thousands of people are actually being disenfranchised due to the lack of an opportunity to correct – or, more technically, “cure” – errors after submission. Write the wrong date? Forget to sign? In all likelihood, your ballot will be trashed.
In New York, an appeals court recently upheld a new state law allowing absentee ballots to be reviewed before Election Day, saying it would would be “extremely disruptive” to do otherwise since voting was already well underway.
A lot of races are now in overtime, being too close to call with paper ballots yet to be counted and voting machines impounded (totally normal in close contests).
As John Hudlak of The Brookings Institute wisely noted, the fact that we aren’t sure of the final outcome on election night is NOT an indication of fraud or a broken election system. Actually, he writes, “we should understand it to be evidence of a careful, successfully administered, functional election” adding:
“And as citizens, we have an obligation to push back against those who falsely and recklessly paint that scenario as something uncommon, unforeseen, and sinister.”
And to that I can only say: Amen!
I know we want to all get to the news, which is the horserace outcomes – to the extent that we know what those are. But I do think it’s worth noting that today is World Freedom Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the start of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which took place on this day in 1989.
The reunification of East and West Berlin wasn’t made official until October 1990, but the wall coming down – via individually-held pickaxes and hammers as well as cranes and bulldozers – was a significant symbolic end to the Cold War.
Remembering that makes the fact that we are able to freely engage in voting – the foundation of small-d democracy – all the sweeter, even though we will be battling it out in court over the results fo days…even weeks.
It will be another nice late-fall day, with temperatures in the mid-50s and sunny skies.
In the headlines…
Defying expectations – and some polls – Gov. Kathy Hochul, a once-obscure Democrat from Buffalo, won a full term as governor, surviving a potent swell of pandemic-era discontent with her party to become the first woman ever elected to NY’s highest office.
Hochul is also the first upstater elected to the governors’ office in a century.
“The glass ceiling like the one that’s above us here today has finally been shattered in the state of New York, and you made it happen,” Hochul told supporters at a watch party in NYC, where she took the stage to the Aretha Franklin song “RESPECT.”
Hochul had 52.7 percent of the vote, compared with Rep. Lee Zeldin’s 47.3, with 94 percent counted, as the LI suburbs and portions of New York City swung hard toward the GOP. She held on with strong NYC turnout and favorable margins in western New York.
The Democratic incumbent, buoyed by high voter turnout in New York City, declared victory shortly after 11 p.m. and will now serve a full four-year term in office.
For much of the night, technical issues prevented results from being tabulated from Suffolk County, Zeldin’s home turf.
Zeldin refused to concede as he briefly addressed supporters at Cipriani in Midtown Manhattan shortly after midnight.
Zeldin said there were still more than 1.4 million uncounted votes and predicted that “massive” numbers would soon be coming in from Long Island, where totals from his home base of Suffolk County were being reported slowly.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams voiced disappointment that a political group closely aligned with him donated $10,000 to Zeldin on the eve of his electoral showdown against Hochul.
Adams voted for Hochul and said she “has just been a real partner dealing with the removal of guns off our street.”
Hochul’s campaign will be analyzed for weeks if not months. Could she have run more of a ground game, campaigned more in person as the race tightened? Adams defended her, saying that “she’s done an excellent job of reaching out to folks.”
Democrats Letitia James and Thomas DiNapoli decisively won reelection to attorney general and state comptroller, respectively, defeating their Republican opponents Michael Henry and Paul Rodriguez.
The $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Energy, Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act was overwhelmingly passed by voters — and lawmakers said it will not result in a tax increase.
The act passed by a wide margin, with about 60% of voters in favor and almost 30% opposed. It was printed on the back of voters’ ballots, and about 12% did not vote on it at all.
Many state legislative races aren’t called, but early tallies showed Democratic incumbents like Sens. James Skoufis, Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, Pete Harckham, and Assembly Members Stacey Pheffer Amato, Mathylde Frontus and Peter Abbate Jr. with tight margins.
Democratic Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz and Long Island Sen. John Brooks, meanwhile, trailed their Republican opponents by much more drastic margins. Brooks’ GOP opponent, Republican Steven D. Rhoads, declared victory.
Long Island Republicans Steve Rhodes, Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Jack Martins all declared victory during speeches at the Nassau County GOP’s election night party at the Coral House in Baldwin.
In the 113th District, Democratic Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner was leading over challenger from David Catalfamo, a former senior aide to Gov. George Pataki, according to available election results at 12:30 a.m.
In a rare battle of incumbents, Democrat Sean Ryan has declared victory in the redrawn WNY 61st Senate District. Ryan was able to defeat Republican Edward A. Rath III, an expected win given the district was solidly Democratic.
Two years after handing Democrats control of Washington, voters cast ballots with overwhelming angst about the economy and little faith in President Biden’s abilities to fix the nation’s ills.
While there were reports of delays, glitches and disinformation in some key swing states — Arizona in particular — that could loom larger as vote counting plays out, few of the major disruptions that had been feared came to pass on Election Day.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer was elected to a fifth term, easily defeating a Republican political commentator, but will have to wait to learn whether he’ll be able to keep his title as Senate majority leader.
John Fetterman, the state lieutenant governor, has won Pennsylvania’s high-voltage race for an open Senate seat, defeating celebrity TV doctor Mehmet Oz, bringing an end to one of the nastiest and most expensive campaigns of the year.
Republicans’ chances for a Senate majority rest on contests against Democratic incumbents in Nevada, Georgia and Arizona.
In the high-profile contest between Georgia Republican Herschel Walker and incumbent Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock, election results are not yet clear. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the race will head to a runoff.
Republicans’ drive for the House majority hangs in the balance this morning, as dozens of key battlegrounds remain too close to call.
Democrats showed strength in key battleground races, potentially defying Republican hopes of sweeping victories in the midterm elections, and leaving control of Congress hanging in the balance the morning after millions of Americans went to the polls.
Rep. Andrew Garbarino defended his seat for the Republicans, who also held late leads in three other Long Island House races.
Republicans flipped at least one of two Democrat-held congressional seats on Long Island and the GOP candidate declared victory in the other, but the Democrat in that race declined to concede until all paper ballots are counted.
Democrat Robert Zimmerman conceded to Republican George Santos in the race to represent a newly drawn district in Queens and Nassau counties. It is believed to be the first congressional general election between two openly gay candidates in U.S. history.
Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis will hold on to Staten Island’s congressional seat, fending off her challenger and predecessor Max Rose in the closely watched battle for New York City’s most conservative district.
Assemblyman Mike Lawler, part of the cadre of young Hudson Valley Republicans, held a substantial lead early this morning over five-term incumbent Sean Patrick Maloney, one of the Republicans’ biggest targets nationally, but hasn’t declared victory yet.
Democratic Rochester Rep. Joe Morelle has declared victory in NY-25, but his GOP opponent, La’Ron Singletary, the former chief of the Rochester Police Department, called for an investigation into “unprecedented irregularities in our election process.”
The open race for NY-19 between Republican Marc Molinaro and Democrat Josh Riley remains too close to call this morning, though Molinaro holds a slim lead, according to the latest unofficial vote totals.
North Country GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik cruised to an easy victory over her Democratic opponent, Matt Castelli, winning a fifth term. As conference chair for the Republicans, who look likely to take the majority, she’s poised to be in a powerful position.
A supreme court judge in New York ordered that ballots cast at certain polling places in Washington County be separated and preserved for further review following a challenge by the state’s Republican Party.
Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan has secured a full term in Congress, defeating Republican Colin Schmitt in NY-18 after Schmitt conceded. With 93% of votes counted, Ryan held a modest 50.4% to 49.6% lead over Schmitt, according to The Associated Press.
Ryan addressed his supporters gathered at a watch party in Kingston to let them know Schmitt had called him to concede the race.
Republican Brandon Williams declared victory this morning over Democrat Francis Conole in a hotly contested NY-22 race in Central New York. The seat was left open by the retirement of GOP Rep. John Katko.
Less than 20 minutes after the polls closed, Republican Nicholas A. Langworthy claimed victory in his race for Congress in a heavily Republican Southern Tier district.
Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a 25-year-old Democrat, won his election in Florida’s 10th House District over Calvin Wimbish, a Republican, becoming the first member of Generation Z to win a seat in Congress.
Voters in Maryland and Missouri approved ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana. But similar efforts were also shot down in Arkansas and North Dakota — a mixed result that underscored the varying public attitudes over marijuana use.
Bethlehem voters decided overwhelmingly to approve town proposal to purchase a chunk of farmland and open space along the state Thruway, capping off an unexpectedly high-wire debate over the future of the acreage.
In non-election news…
Someone who bought a Powerball ticket in Southern California has won a record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot after more than three months without anyone hitting the top prize.
Lottery officials said there was one winner, in Los Angeles County. The winner can take home either $2.04 billion, paid out in 30 annual payments, or a smaller lump sum of nearly $998 million. No winner has chosen the annual payments since 2014.
New York State’s imposed taxes on future recreational use marijuana products rank among the lowest in the nation, according to a report comparing taxation in states that have legalized the use of cannabis.
Just in time for colder weather and with other respiratory viruses on the rise, the mix of Covid-19 variants is shifting again in New York City in potentially worrying ways.
A lawyer with close ties to one of Mayor Adams’ top aides got advance notice that a judge he’d been warring with would not be reappointed by the mayor.
A racist mailed Nazi propaganda to a Brooklyn pizzeria with Jewish owners — an act of cowardice fueled by “a bunch of celebrities” making “racists and Nazis feel safe,” its head chef said.
New York City schools have enrolled thousands of migrant students in more than 300 schools since July, according to newly released Education Department data analyzed by Gothamist.
Laura Kavanagh has never been a firefighter, but has deep experience with the department and the city. She oversees 17,370 people, and is the youngest leader in a century.
Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, her lawyer David Boies and the disgraced financier’s former attorney Alan Dershowitz said that they have dropped their defamation lawsuits against one another, ending a yearslong feud.
Meta will begin laying off employees this morning, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told hundreds of executives.
Brittney Griner, the American basketball star who has been jailed in Russia for more than eight months, is being transferred to a penal colony, her lawyers said.
