New York Democrats Bounce Back Following the Significant Defeats of 2022
Democrats successfully held onto all their House seats while also making gains against the GOP.
TroibNews 
NEW YORK — New York Democrats rallied around Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on Tuesday night as he pursues the historic goal of becoming the first Black speaker of the House.
By 1 a.m. Wednesday, results from 23 New York House races indicated a significant comeback for Democrats, who managed to retain all their seats, gain two from Republicans, and appeared ready to win another. This success marked a sharp contrast from their lackluster performance in the 2022 elections, highlighting a contentious and costly campaign season centered on the battle for control of the White House.
“New Yorkers now can hold their head high again in the halls of congress,” remarked Laura Gillen, a Democrat who claimed victory over Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito in the highly contested Long Island seat, leading by 1.8 points as the race concluded.
While Republicans secured the U.S. Senate and Donald Trump outperformed Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race, New York's House victories provided a glimmer of hope for Democrats in their effort to control the House, which remained uncertain as early Wednesday rolled in. A Democratic House majority would position Jeffries, currently the minority leader, to take on the top role.
In what proved to be one of New York's biggest surprises, Democrat Josh Riley defeated GOP incumbent Rep. Marc Molinaro in a tight contest for an upstate seat.
Democrat John Mannion successfully defeated Republican Rep. Brandon Williams in a Syracuse-area district that the incumbent had held for two years. With President Joe Biden having won the district in 2022, it was seen as the Democrats' best chance nationwide to flip a seat.
Additionally, Democrats retained two competitive New York seats, with combat veteran Pat Ryan overcoming retired NYPD lieutenant Alison Esposito's challenge in the Hudson Valley, and Tom Suozzi defeating the GOP’s Mike LiPetri.
Beyond the historic implications for Jeffries, the strong performance of New York Democrats is expected to benefit Gov. Kathy Hochul, who faced criticism two years ago after her party lost three House seats while she was leading the ticket. She narrowly defeated her Republican challenger Lee Zeldin in 2022 in one of the nation's most reliably Democratic states.
This disappointing outcome had caused many within the Democratic Party, both supporters and critics, to question Hochul’s ability to reclaim House seats this year. Notably, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi openly criticized Hochul regarding this issue.
By late Tuesday night, New York Democrats, along with Hochul, found themselves in a more advantageous position.
With national attention on the races, leading Democrats took action to strengthen the party's organizational framework, which had previously only supported the governor’s electoral ambitions. Hochul specifically aimed to enhance the Democrats’ field and fundraising efforts to assist down-ballot candidates.
“This is democracy in action, and I am confident we’re going to flip the necessary seats we need to take back the House majority for the Democratic Party,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand declared at her victory celebration in Manhattan shortly after polls closed.
Like the presidential race, pivotal House contests were largely shaped by discussions around border security and reproductive rights.
Most contested races occurred in suburban areas—key regions in a state that has been solidly Democratic where Republicans have gained traction in recent elections. Voter concern over crime had shifted power in Nassau and Suffolk counties towards Republicans in previous cycles.
This election cycle, Republicans attempted to leverage voters’ safety concerns, criticizing left-leaning criminal justice reforms enacted by state lawmakers in Democratic-dominated Albany. However, recognizing the risk of Democratic losses outside New York City, Democrats recruited moderate candidates capable of appealing to independent and swing voters.
D’Esposito's campaign against Gillen, who narrowly lost to him by fewer than three points two years prior, faced setbacks partly due to a New York Times report revealing he had employed both his fiancée’s daughter and a woman with whom he had an affair in his government office.
In contrast, Gillen ran a careful campaign in her suburban Nassau County district.
The strategy proved effective, as demonstrated by Nassau Party Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs celebrating both Gillen and Suozzi’s victories by raising their hands in triumph.
“I’ve been looking forward to doing this for years,” Jacobs stated from the stage at the Garden City Hotel.
Suozzi’s decisive victory in February’s special election for former Rep. George Santos’ seat acted as motivation and a model for Democratic successes in competitive House districts.
Another intense rematch took place in the Hudson Valley, as Molinaro, a first-term Republican, clashed with Riley in a fierce and costly campaign filled with advertising.
The candidates traded accusations over immigration and the economy, with Molinaro claiming Riley was responsible for the Biden administration’s border policies—an assertion Riley contested. Molinaro also echoed unproven claims from Trump, including the unfounded allegation that Haitian immigrants were consuming pets in Ohio.
Democrats additionally managed to preserve two contested seats Republicans targeted for flipping.
In an eastern Long Island district, freshman Republican Nick LaLota resisted a bid from Democrat and former CNN commentator John Avlon, who sought to reclaim a seat last held by a Democrat a decade ago before Tim Bishop was ousted by Zeldin in 2014.
LaLota’s campaign characterized Avlon as an outsider throughout the contest. However, prominent Democrats, including Jacobs, were eager to recruit Avlon to challenge the freshman Republican. Avlon positioned himself as a centrist to attract Republican voters and possibly win over Trump supporters.
Rep. Mike Lawler also secured victory against former Rep. Mondaire Jones, winning a second term in his Hudson Valley district. Lawler’s success could carry statewide significance as he has shown interest in running for governor in 2026.
“We'll look at what comes next, but obviously the bottom line is we have a lot of challenges in New York and across the country,” Lawler stated to reporters. “I’m focused on what I can do to address those challenges.”
Timmy Facciola, Emily Ngo, Katelyn Cordero, and Jason Beeferman contributed reporting.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
By 1 a.m. Wednesday, results from 23 New York House races indicated a significant comeback for Democrats, who managed to retain all their seats, gain two from Republicans, and appeared ready to win another. This success marked a sharp contrast from their lackluster performance in the 2022 elections, highlighting a contentious and costly campaign season centered on the battle for control of the White House.
“New Yorkers now can hold their head high again in the halls of congress,” remarked Laura Gillen, a Democrat who claimed victory over Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito in the highly contested Long Island seat, leading by 1.8 points as the race concluded.
While Republicans secured the U.S. Senate and Donald Trump outperformed Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race, New York's House victories provided a glimmer of hope for Democrats in their effort to control the House, which remained uncertain as early Wednesday rolled in. A Democratic House majority would position Jeffries, currently the minority leader, to take on the top role.
In what proved to be one of New York's biggest surprises, Democrat Josh Riley defeated GOP incumbent Rep. Marc Molinaro in a tight contest for an upstate seat.
Democrat John Mannion successfully defeated Republican Rep. Brandon Williams in a Syracuse-area district that the incumbent had held for two years. With President Joe Biden having won the district in 2022, it was seen as the Democrats' best chance nationwide to flip a seat.
Additionally, Democrats retained two competitive New York seats, with combat veteran Pat Ryan overcoming retired NYPD lieutenant Alison Esposito's challenge in the Hudson Valley, and Tom Suozzi defeating the GOP’s Mike LiPetri.
Beyond the historic implications for Jeffries, the strong performance of New York Democrats is expected to benefit Gov. Kathy Hochul, who faced criticism two years ago after her party lost three House seats while she was leading the ticket. She narrowly defeated her Republican challenger Lee Zeldin in 2022 in one of the nation's most reliably Democratic states.
This disappointing outcome had caused many within the Democratic Party, both supporters and critics, to question Hochul’s ability to reclaim House seats this year. Notably, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi openly criticized Hochul regarding this issue.
By late Tuesday night, New York Democrats, along with Hochul, found themselves in a more advantageous position.
With national attention on the races, leading Democrats took action to strengthen the party's organizational framework, which had previously only supported the governor’s electoral ambitions. Hochul specifically aimed to enhance the Democrats’ field and fundraising efforts to assist down-ballot candidates.
“This is democracy in action, and I am confident we’re going to flip the necessary seats we need to take back the House majority for the Democratic Party,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand declared at her victory celebration in Manhattan shortly after polls closed.
Like the presidential race, pivotal House contests were largely shaped by discussions around border security and reproductive rights.
Most contested races occurred in suburban areas—key regions in a state that has been solidly Democratic where Republicans have gained traction in recent elections. Voter concern over crime had shifted power in Nassau and Suffolk counties towards Republicans in previous cycles.
This election cycle, Republicans attempted to leverage voters’ safety concerns, criticizing left-leaning criminal justice reforms enacted by state lawmakers in Democratic-dominated Albany. However, recognizing the risk of Democratic losses outside New York City, Democrats recruited moderate candidates capable of appealing to independent and swing voters.
D’Esposito's campaign against Gillen, who narrowly lost to him by fewer than three points two years prior, faced setbacks partly due to a New York Times report revealing he had employed both his fiancée’s daughter and a woman with whom he had an affair in his government office.
In contrast, Gillen ran a careful campaign in her suburban Nassau County district.
The strategy proved effective, as demonstrated by Nassau Party Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs celebrating both Gillen and Suozzi’s victories by raising their hands in triumph.
“I’ve been looking forward to doing this for years,” Jacobs stated from the stage at the Garden City Hotel.
Suozzi’s decisive victory in February’s special election for former Rep. George Santos’ seat acted as motivation and a model for Democratic successes in competitive House districts.
Another intense rematch took place in the Hudson Valley, as Molinaro, a first-term Republican, clashed with Riley in a fierce and costly campaign filled with advertising.
The candidates traded accusations over immigration and the economy, with Molinaro claiming Riley was responsible for the Biden administration’s border policies—an assertion Riley contested. Molinaro also echoed unproven claims from Trump, including the unfounded allegation that Haitian immigrants were consuming pets in Ohio.
Democrats additionally managed to preserve two contested seats Republicans targeted for flipping.
In an eastern Long Island district, freshman Republican Nick LaLota resisted a bid from Democrat and former CNN commentator John Avlon, who sought to reclaim a seat last held by a Democrat a decade ago before Tim Bishop was ousted by Zeldin in 2014.
LaLota’s campaign characterized Avlon as an outsider throughout the contest. However, prominent Democrats, including Jacobs, were eager to recruit Avlon to challenge the freshman Republican. Avlon positioned himself as a centrist to attract Republican voters and possibly win over Trump supporters.
Rep. Mike Lawler also secured victory against former Rep. Mondaire Jones, winning a second term in his Hudson Valley district. Lawler’s success could carry statewide significance as he has shown interest in running for governor in 2026.
“We'll look at what comes next, but obviously the bottom line is we have a lot of challenges in New York and across the country,” Lawler stated to reporters. “I’m focused on what I can do to address those challenges.”
Timmy Facciola, Emily Ngo, Katelyn Cordero, and Jason Beeferman contributed reporting.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
