Source: Gay City News
LGBTQ candidates in New York City and the surrounding area posted strong performances on election night as Democrats rode a massive blue wave — or “blue-nami” — across the nation, flipping seats from Michigan to Texas.
On a night when Democrats won control of both houses of Congress, out lesbian candidate Cait Conley appeared to defeat incumbent Republican Congressmember Mike Lawler in District 17, which stretches across both sides of the Hudson River north of New York City. While the AP had not called the race by the morning after the election, Conley led Lawler by four percentage points — and Lawler called Conley to concede, saying in a late-night address “it’s going to be pretty clear that we will be short” when all of the votes are counted.
In the Bronx, Congressmember Ritchie Torres — the only out member of Congress in New York State — won re-election in District 15, where he defeated Republican Stylo Sapaskis and other little-known challengers by a wide margin.
Out candidate Chris Gallant, running in New York’s First Congressional District on Long Island, conceded his race to incumbent Republican Rep. Nick LaLota.
In State Legislative contests, Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas trounced her Republican opponent in the race for State Senate in Queens’ District 13, securing more than three-quarters of the vote against GOP candidate John Patrick Healy. The victory completed a sweep for González-Rojas, who previously defeated incumbent State Senator Jessica Ramos during the Democratic primary.
Meanwhile, Jessica González-Rojas’ out former chief of staff, Brian Romero, walked across the finish line unopposed in his campaign to replace González-Rojas in the 34th Assembly District, maintaining LGBTQ representation in that district.
Romero and González-Rojas held an election night party at Viva Bar, a gay bar in Jackson Heights, Queens, alongside incumbent Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, who won re-election in the 39th District.
Other out newcomers, including Illapa Sairitupac of Queens’ 65th District and David Siffert of Manhattan’s 66th District, also won their races for New York State Assembly. Out candidate David Orkin, who toppled incumbent Jenifer Rajkumar in the Democratic primary, defeated Republican Ruben D. Cruz II in Queens’ District 38. In Brooklyn’s District 54, out candidate Christian Celeste Tate, who also beat an incumbent, Erik Dilan, in the primary, won unopposed in his general election bid for State Assembly.
Out incumbent Assemblymember Tony Simone of Manhattan’s 75th District had no difficulty fending off his Republican challenger, Cristina Fontanelli, in a blowout, while another out incumbent member of the Assembly, Diana Moreno, similarly won in lopsided fashion, defeating her Republican challenger by nearly 70 points. In western New York, out longtime Assemblymember Harry Bronson held off his Republican opponent, Tracy Difloria, 68-32%.
At the city level, out Councilmember Carl Wilson of Manhattan’s District 3 grabbed more than 94% of the vote in his victory over challenger Haris Bhatti.
In the upper house, State Senator Jabari Brisport automatically won re-election without any competition, while Erik Bottcher — who just became a state senator earlier this year, replacing Brad Hoylman-Sigal — beat Republican Charlotte Friedman 85-15%.
