Commentary

The above stock image is of Long Island, New York. (WisKay / Getty Images)

Republicans Paint Long Island Completely Red: 'This Is a Political Earthquake'

By Randy DeSoto November 8, 2023 at 12:52pm

It was not all bad news for the GOP coming out of Tuesday’s off-year elections.

Republicans continued their winning ways on Long Island, New York, with a landslide victory for Suffolk County executive.

The New York Post reported that Ed Romaine’s win over Democrat David Calone means the GOP now holds every countywide office in both Suffolk and Nassau counties, which are the two largest on the island.

Romaine won with 57 percent of the vote, beating Calone by a more than 26,000 vote margin.

.@NassauCountyNY Legislature ✅
.@HempsteadTown ✅
.@oysterbayny ✅
.@LongBeach11561 ✅
.@NorthHempstead ✅
.@suffolkcountyny CE ✅
.@suffolkcountyny Legislature ✅ #ElectionDay2023 turns #LongIsland a beautiful, bright RED! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Z8KU4txmsr

— Anthony P. D’Esposito (@ANTHONYDESPO) November 8, 2023

News 12 Long Island reported that Republicans now also have a supermajority in the Suffolk County legislature.

Tuesday’s results come on top of the GOP taking all four of Long Island’s congressional seats last fall for the first time since the 1990s.

Long Island, New York: new Republican stronghold 🇺🇸.

Anything is possible.

Let’s go 🔥 pic.twitter.com/llxfvWY93r

— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) November 8, 2023

Did your state have an important election this year?

“This is a political earthquake,” former U.S. Sen. Al D’Amato told the Post.

He explained, “The borders are in chaos. There’s nothing for Democrats to come and vote for. And those who are coming to vote are voting for Republicans in local races.”

Former GOP Congressman Lee Zeldin, who lost in a surprisingly close race to Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul last year, told the Post, “You’ve got independents and blanks [not registered with a party] voting Republican. You’re even seeing Democrats voting Republican.”

“The electorate is not happy with what they see coming out of the city. There are issues like the migrant crisis and cashless bail,” added Zeldin, who campaigned with candidates throughout the Empire State this election cycle.

The Long Island resident, who is Jewish, said the rising antisemitism since the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas war is also “waking up the electorate.”

Lawrence Levy, dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies, noted, “Long Island for now is defiantly returning to its red roots.”

Looking beyond New York, there were other bright spots for Republicans, despite not winning the Kentucky governor’s race and losing the Virginia House of Delegates to Democrats.

Some were also surprised how close Mississippi GOP Gov. Tate Reeves’ re-election race was.

Conservative commentator Todd Starnes offered some thoughts Tuesday night.

A few thoughts about tonight’s contests:

1. Kentucky’s incumbent Democrat governor comes from a political dynasty. It was always an uphill climb. Other Republicans on the ticket CRUSHED their opposition.

2. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has faced stiff opposition from within…

— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) November 8, 2023

“Kentucky’s incumbent Democrat governor comes from a political dynasty. It was always an uphill climb. Other Republicans on the ticket CRUSHED their opposition,” Starnes posted on X.

He’s right.

Incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear is the son of former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, who handily won two terms leaving office in December 2015.

Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron lost to Gov. Andy Beshear, 52.5 to 47.5 percent Tuesday night.

However, the GOP swept the other statewide offices in the Bluegrass State, including for AG and secretary of state, by over 20 percentage points each.

“Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has faced stiff opposition from within his own party. Lots of issues internally. However, every other Republican on the ticket CRUSHED their opposition tonight,” Starnes wrote.

Reeves pulled off a 51.6 to 47 percentage point win over Democrat Brandon Presley, but again Republicans won by massive margins in the lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state races.

Reeves’ win was nearly identical to his margin of victory in 2019.

A Note from Our Staff:

Did you know that 90 percent of advertisers will have nothing to do with The Western Journal? The liberal elites have put us on one of their financial kill lists.

They did it because we’ve told the truth and spoken out against them for over a decade. And since they couldn’t shut us up, now, they’re trying to starve us out.

We’re turning to you because, frankly, we have to have your help. It might not sound like much, but just one membership to The Western Journal can make a real difference.

We don’t have a huge staff, big salaries, or deep donor pockets. We’re family-owned and independent. But because we're independent from the elites, we have to rely on readers like you.

Can we count on you for just a single membership? The cost of a month-long membership is less than a single cup of Starbucks coffee. And, unlike with Starbucks, you can be 100 percent certain that every penny we spend goes toward fighting for traditional American values and against liberal elites.

Please help us continue exposing the truth. Please join today.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

New York state, Republican Party, Republicans

Randy DeSoto

Senior Staff Writer

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Randy DeSoto has written more than 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."

@RandyDeSoto

Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.

Birthplace

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Nationality

American

Honors/Awards

Graduated dean's list from West Point

Education

United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law

Books Written

We Hold These Truths

Professional Memberships

Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars