Niagara County voted solidly Republican in '22 election

Rob Creenan, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read
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Nov. 11—Unofficial results of this week's election show voters in Niagara County favored Republican candidates across the ballot.

Among 139,881 registered voters, almost 76,000 cast ballots in the 2022 general election, for a voter turnout rate of 54%, according to the Niagara County Board of Elections.

While the voter turnout rate for the 2018 Congressional midterms elections is not listed at the board of elections website, the 2018 election results show 72,333 votes were cast in the New York Governor's contest between Andrew Cuomo and Marc Molinaro, about 3,000 fewer votes than were cast in the '22 race between Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin.

Hochul, the declared winner, led Zeldin with 52% of the statewide vote. In Niagara County, Zeldin was the preferred candidate, receiving 61%, or about 17,000 more votes than Hochul.

Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer won his fifth term in the U.S. Senate, leading challengers Joe Pinion and Diane Sare with 55% of votes statewide. In Niagara County, Pinion received 11,000 more votes and finished with 57.39% of the tally.

Other Republican candidates for statewide offices fared well in Niagara County but lost on Election day. Incumbent state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, D, grabbed 43% of the local vote to Republican challenger Paul Rodriguez's 57%. Incumbent state Attorney General Letitia A. James, D, received 40% of the local vote to Republican challenger Michael Henry's 60%.

In the newly formed 24th Congressional District, covering eastern Niagara County, Republican Claudia Tenney was elected over Democrat Steve Holden with 64% of the districtwide vote. Tenney did slightly better in Niagara County only, grabbing 66% of the vote.

In the 26th Congressional District, which picked up towns in the western portion of the county as a result of redistricting, incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins was re-elected handily, garnering 62% of the districtwide vote in his race with Republican challenger Steven Sams. Sams was the preferred candidate in Niagara County, getting 53% of the vote.

In the western Niagara County and Grand Island-based 145th state Assembly District, Republican incumbent Angelo Morinello sailed to reelection with 61% of votes cast overall. His Democratic challenger, Doug Mooradian, landed 35% of votes overall and 37% of votes cast in Niagara County.

Election results are unofficial because absentee ballots have not been counted yet.