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CityAndStateNY.com
Feeling blue
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DAY AFTER a disappointing election for Democrats across the state, with Republican gains even in the progressive stronghold of New York City, politicians, staffers, lobbyists and other political players flocked to sunny Puerto Rico for the annual Somos legislative conference. The lively atmosphere as people lounged on the beach, sipped mojitos and attended parties at night belied the tough losses Democrats faced amid a nationwide “red wave.” But even as attendees celebrated the victories of New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams and others, pols and experts warned that the party should enter 2022 with extreme caution after Republicans demonstrated that they’re not down and out despite the state’s recent hard shifts to the left. The state GOP’s biggest victories came on Long Island, where they won both the Nassau and Suffolk County district attorney races, kept a strong lead in the Nassau County executive race and picked up almost every countywide position on the island. Although most expected a fight in the Nassau district attorney race, pitting state Sen. Todd Kaminsky against prosecutor Anne Donnelly, the likely loss of Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and defeat of Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini came as a surprise to just about anyone watching the races. Both were expected to cruise to victory. The red wave even hit New York City to a degree, with Republicans holding on to their existing City Council seats and flipping two others. In Brooklyn, challenger Brian Fox left Council Member Justin Brannan fighting for his life after election night results left the incumbent slightly behind. Brannan remains confident he’ll pull out a victory once the city Board of Elections counts absentee ballots, but it’s significant that the race came down to the wire. And on Staten Island, Trump-supporting former Rep. Vito Fossella, who left Congress in 2009 amid a scandal about a secret second family and a DUI, handily won the borough president race. All this should come as a warning shot for Democrats as they look ahead to 2022, according to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. He’s the last major Long Island Democrat left standing after last Tuesday’s results having already won his own final term in 2019. “This was a message to the Democratic Party, no question about it,” Bellone told City & State at the Somos conference. Looking ahead to the next election, which he is considering entering as a gubernatorial candidate, Bellone didn’t mince words. “I think anyone who looks at these results and isn’t concerned about 2022 is either not paying attention or putting their head in the sand,” he said. This will likely be especially true on Bellone’s home turf of Long Island, where Democratic gains
November 8, 2021
After a rough election where they lost ground in multiple areas of the state, Democrats are attempting to regroup at Somos.
By Rebecca C. Lewis
