CityAndStateNY.com
November 8, 2021
“You know what a lot of people don’t realize, New York City is 24/7.” – New York City Mayorelect Eric Adams, talking about the City That Never Sleeps, on NY1
Republican Bruce Blakeman, center, had an unexpectedly strong showing in the race for Nassau County executive. He is poised to unseat Democrat Laura Curran.
DEMOCRATS TAKE A DRUBBING ON ELECTION NIGHT...
A “red wave” washed over the country on Election Day, and New York did not escape dry. Republicans won races across Long Island, picking up the district attorney offices
in both Nassau and Suffolk counties and likely the Nassau County executive position as well. In Western New York, Republicans also picked up the Erie County sheriff seat, something that has not happened in many years despite a voter enrollment advantage
for Republicans in the county. Even in tried-andtrue blue New York City, Republicans made some gains, picking up at least two new City Council seats and holding onto the three they already had. And on Staten Island, a Trump-loving disgraced former Congress
LET’S EAT As protesting New York City taxi medallion owners hit their second week of a hunger strike for debt relief, it seemed something eventually had to give. On Day 15, it was the city that ended up giving, announcing a deal to pursue the kind of cityguaranteed debt relief plan that drivers had wanted. With the city finally conceding, drivers celebrated the chance to dig in to their first meal in a fortnight.
“When you take on the corrupt and powerful, you can’t expect them to play fair.” – Buffalo Democratic mayoral nominee India Walton, after her apparent loss to Mayor Byron Brown, via Politico
member won the race for borough president. Voters also resoundingly rejected three ballot proposals championed by Democrats after the Conservative Party spent $3 million on a campaign to oppose them. One would have tweaked the redistricting process, while the other two would have allowed same-day voter registration and no-excuse absentee ballots. Many of the losses, including the ballot proposals, came as a surprise to many political observers, as well as the sheer size of many Republicans’ margins of victory.
… BUT NOT ALL DEMOCRATS WERE DEFEATED
On the flip side of the coin, New York City Democrats had reason to celebrate with the election of Eric Adams to be the next mayor, as well as progressive leader Brad Lander as the next comptroller. Countless City Council candidates also officially became council members-elect with their general election victories following crowded primaries, with a record 31 women (admittedly some who are Republicans) set to take office next year. At the borough levels, Democrats also secured expected victories everywhere but Staten Island, with Alvin Bragg voted in as Manhattan’s first Black district attorney and Vanessa Gibson as the Bronx’s first female
BRUCE BLAKEMAN 2021; ERIC ADAMS CAMPAIGN; NATHAN PERACCINI; LEV RADIN/SHUTTERSTOCK
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