NYC Election 2020: Who Won, What Remains Undecided
Updated Wednesday at 8:44 a.m. This story is developing. Please refresh for updates.
NEW YORK CITY — An unprecedented, dramatic and divisive presidential election didn't quite come to an end Tuesday in New York City or elsewhere in the nation.
But more than 5 million New Yorkers' votes counted that day still helped decide most federal, state and city government.
The unofficial results largely broke for Democrats, but Republicans had some surprises.
City dwellers, however, had a clear choice in the contest between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden — and it wasn't the native New Yorker.
Biden had 72.89 percent of the vote in the city, or 1,627,454 ballots counted as of early Wednesday, according to NYC Board of Elections results.
Trump had only 26.08 percent, or 582,266.
The results weren't a surprise — the AP projected that Biden took the state of New York essentially the moment polls closed at 9 p.m.
Other projections streamed in more slowly, but they proved positive for most incumbents.
Here’s a roundup of results from major races covered by Patch neighborhoods:
New York City’s biggest new political star won a second term in Congress, according to projections.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed about 69 percent of the vote as she faced off against two challengers, causing NY1 to call the race.
Ocasio-Cortez burst into national politics in 2018, after defeating Queens County Democratic Party leader and longtime Congressman Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary election. She is a member of the House's financial services committee and oversight and reform committee.
She was challenged by Republican John Cummings, a former Catholic high school teacher and NYPD officer, and former CNBC anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, who is running on the Serve America Movement Party line after losing the Democratic primary race in June.
The election became the second most expensive House race in the country, according to the New York Times.
In a Patch candidate profile submitted in June, Ocasio-Cortez named the inequities among Americans as the most pressing issue facing her community and the country.
"What I am doing about it is building a movement both locally and nationally to alter the way we address and fight for equality and justice," she said.
The most-contested race between a Democrat and Republican ended with the challenger declaring victory and the incumbent calling for patience.
Republican Nicole Malliotakis declared victory over incumbent Democrat Max Rose as she pulled ahead. She had 57.73 percent of the vote counted so far, but election projections had yet to call the race.
A visibly-emotional Rose didn't concede. He said 40,000 absentee ballots had yet to be counted, with as many as 10,000 more potentially in the mail.
"As a soldier who fought for our democracy, I believe every vote should be counted," he said.
Votes are still being counted, not counting absentee ballots that will be tallied later.
Longtime Rep. Jerry Nadler won another term representing the west side of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, according to NY1.
Nadler easily defeated Republican candidate Cathy Bernstein and Libertarian candidate Michael Madrid.
With 70 percent of the in-person voting precincts reporting as of 10:31 p.m., Nadler led with 72.9 percent of the vote, ahead of Bernstein at 25.9 percent and Madrid with 1.2 percent, according to NY1.
Nadler has held the congressional seat since 1992.
He pointed to his experience as a major difference between him and his two opponents.
"My experience and record of accomplishment," Nadler previously told Patch. "I am a fearless and principled liberal and have been on the frontlines in the fight for civil rights and civil liberties, relentlessly defending our country's fundamental promise of equality for all."
The 10th Congressional District includes Morningside Heights, the Upper West Side, Midtown Manhattan, Greenwich Village, the Financial District and Borough Park in Brooklyn.
Nadler held a position in the New York City Assembly for 16 years before he ran for Congress, and is the current Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez wish to win a 15th term was fulfilled by voters, according to NY1.
Velazquez brought in 99,608, or more than 85 percent, of votes in the Brooklyn district with about 67 percent of districts reporting results, according to NY1.
Her two challengers, Republican Brian Kelley and Libertarian candidate Gilbert Midonnet, didn't come close. Between the two, Kelly had the most votes with 16,000.
The general race comes after Velazquez defeated Paperboy Prince, a rap star whose went viral due to their devotion to former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, in the Democratic primary. Velazquez's 7,000 votes beat out Paperboy Prince's 1,492.
Serving first in the 12th Congressional District, which was then redistricted in 2012, Velazquez was the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992.
The 7th District includes Sunset Park, Red Hook, Gowanus, Bushwick and parts of Fort Greene, Williamsburg, Park Slope, Queens and Chinatown in Manhattan.
9th Congressional District
U.S. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke fought off three challenger to win a fifth term in Congress, according to NY1 projections.
Clarke held more than 117,000, or nearly 85 percent of, votes in the Brooklyn district, according to NY1, where about 77 percent of precincts had been reported.
Clarke had faced three challengers, Republican Constantine Jean-Pierre, Libertarian Gary Popkin and Joel B. Amabilah-Azumah. Jean-Pierre came the closest to reaching Clarke with about 20,000 votes.
The results do not yet count absentee ballots, which the BOE will begin to count next week.
The general race comes after Clarke faced a crowded field in the Democratic primary, where she beat out challengers Adem Bunkeddeko, Brooklyn Council member Chaim Deutsch, Flatbush business owner Lutchi Gayot and housing organizer and retired U.S. Army veteran Isiah James.
Incumbent Rep. Carolyn Maloney comfortably defeated two challengers, NY1 projected.
Maloney, a Democrat, has 82.4 percent of the vote, according to unofficial early Board of Elections results.
Her challengers Carlos Santiago-Cano, who is running on the Republican and Conservative lines, and Libertarian Steven Kolln have 16.3 percent and 1.3 percent so far, respectively.
The projection comes with 76 percent of in-person voting precincts reporting as of 10:04 p.m.
Maloney, 74, served in Congress since 1993, currently representing parts of the Upper East Side and Midtown Manhattan, as well as Astoria and Long Island City in Queens. She survived a competitive primary challenge in June from Suraj Patel, who did not concede defeat until August amid delays and confusion surrounding the counting of absentee ballots.
In a Patch candidate profile in June, Maloney touted her accomplishments in more than two decades in Congress, saying she'd worked to expand paid family leave, fought for pay equity and helped secure healthcare protections for 9/11 first responders.
"It's not easy to get big things done in Congress - but I have the relationships, knowledge and experience to pass strong, bipartisan legislation on the issues that matter most to the people of this country," she wrote.
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng won a fifth term in Congress, according to projections by the Associated Press.
Early returns showed Meng, a Democrat, with roughly 63 percent of the vote as she competes for re-election against Republican challenger Thomas Zmich.
Meng represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes parts of Auburndale, Bayside, Elmhurst, Flushing, Forest Hills, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Middle Village, Murray Hill and Rego Park.
In a Patch candidate profile, Meng said her main concern as a legislator is breaking down structural barriers that prevent people from reaching their full potential.
"Growing up in the most diverse county in America taught me that every person deserves a seat at the table," she wrote. "It's my priority to advocate for inclusive policies and ensure equal access to opportunities."
Adriano Espaillat easily fended off two challengers in Tuesday's general election to win another term in Congress, NY1 projected.
With 67 percent of in-person voting precincts reporting as of 9:56 p.m., Espaillat led with 91.8 percent of the vote, trailed by Republican Lovelynn Gwinn and Conservative Party candidate Christopher Morris-Perry with 7.1 and 1.2 percent, respectively. New York will not begin counting absentee ballots until next week.
Espaillat served in Congress since 2017, representing Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, and parts of the Upper West Side and the Bronx.
43rd Assembly District
Assembly Member Diana Richardson won a third term representing the Brooklyn District, according to NY1.
Richardson had about 89 percent of the vote against Republican Menachem "Mendy" Raitport as all precincts reported, the NY1 projection showed.
The general election race comes after Richardson defeated ousted State Senator Jesse Hamilton in the Democratic primary in June. Richardson's near 14,500 votes beat out Hamilton's almost 5,000.
Richardson most recently made headlines when she defended corporal punishment of her child in a 15-minute tirade on Facebook Live, which she also used in the primaries to spread her message.
The video was in response to the media outlet City & State's placement of Richardson on a list of politicians who have “crashed, burned and flamed out,” specifically pointing to a 2017 criminal case when Richardson was accused of beating her 12-year-old son with a broomstick in their analysis.
“They had the nerve to put Diana Richardson on the crash, burn elected official list,” Richardson said, referring to herself in the third person.
Incumbent Rebecca Seawright's scramble to defend her 76th District seat translated to an early lead, according to unofficial election tallies.
Seawright holds a 60.79 percent lead over Louis Puliafito, a Republican, who has 38.66 percent.
Seawright, a Democrat, has represented the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island in the State Assembly since 2015. This year, however, she is running as an independent on the "Rise and Unite" ticket, after being kicked off the Democratic line this spring due to a filing error.
She is being challenged by Puliafito, a Republican who is also running on the Liberal Party line. The abnormally competitive race in what is typically a Democratic stronghold has brought an unusual amount of attention to the election, with NY1 naming it one of five races to watch around the city.
Seawright has been boosted by a $100,000 donation from the state Democratic Party, seeking to protect its incumbents, according to a report by Newsday. Party leaders including presidential nominee Joe Biden and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have also endorsed Seawright in recent days.
Puliafito was endorsed last month by the New York Post. He has repeatedly declined to say whether he plans to cast a vote for President Trump, saying he is dissatisfied with both major parties.
A third candidate, progressive activist Patrick Bobilin, was ruled ineligible in September due to residency issues and formally ended his candidacy last month. He has pledged to run again in 2022.
The race hasn't been pretty. Puliafito knocked Seawright in September after she opened a campaign office in the building where he works as a doorman, and Seawright has accused Puliafito and the GOP of using "Soviet Union-style" methods to challenge her eligibility.
31st State Senate District
State Senator Robert Jackson cruised to victory over his Republican challenger Melinda Crump, NY1 projected.
With 100 percent of the in-person voting precincts reporting as of 12:04 a.m., Jackson won with 87 percent of the vote compared to Crump's 13 percent, according to NY1.
The 31st District spans much of Manhattan's west side, including parts of the Garment District, Hell's Kitchen, the Upper West Side, Washington Heights, Inwood, Harlem and a slice of Marble Hill in The Bronx.
Jackson told Patch that the coronavirus is the single most pressing issue currently facing our community.
"We can't accept just getting back to what was, we need to make things better for vulnerable communities through finally fully funding our schools, making healthcare accessible, protecting tenants and affordable housing, and creating good jobs for people to raise a family," Jackson said.
Assembly Member Deborah Glick defeated Republican candidate Tamara Laschyk, according to NY1.
Glick won 83.6 percent of the vote with all in-person voting precincts reporting.
The longtime assembly member lists supporting small businesses and the importance of historic districts as two of her most important issues on her website.
"These local businesses add visual interest to our streetscapes and provide the kind of individually-tailored services that help neighbors connect to one another," Glick wrote on her website.
The district covers the West Village, Greenwich Village, SoHo and other portions of Lower Manhattan.
Assembly Member Robert Carroll has won a third term representing Brooklyn's 44th Assembly District, according to NY1.
Carroll, who has been in office since 2017, brought in more than 25,000, or about 77 percent of, votes in the district as of 11:46 p.m. on Tuesday, according to NY1, which had all precincts reporting results.
Carroll's challenger, Republican Salvatore P. Barrera, held about 23 percent of the vote.
The results do not include absentee ballots, which the BOE will begin counting next week.
This article originally appeared on the New York City Patch
