Election night wasn’t exactly a nail-biter for the Lower East Side’s elected representatives. In Downtown Manhattan, there’s not much for Democratic candidates to fear once they prevail in their party’s primary. But for the record, here are the results:
- Daniel Squadron defeated Joseph Nardiello 86% to 14% in the 25th Senatorial District contest. Squadron returns to Albany to serve a second term, representing Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn.
- Brian Kavanagh beat Dena Winokur 84% to 16% in the 74th Assembly District race. Kavanagh has represented the East Side, mostly above Houston Street, since 2007.
- Sheldon Silver ran unopposed in the 64th Assembly District, a fact that drove the city’s editorial boards absolutely insane.
- Carolyn Maloney defeated Ryan Brumberg 74% to 21% in the 14th Congressional District, which includes part of the LES.
- Nydia Velazquez won over Alice Gaffney 92% to 7% in the 12th Congressional District, which includes another slice of the Lower East Side.
While it appears the Democrats will retain control of the State Senate, the outcome of several undecided races could lead to an even split. The fight for control in Albany has been especially fierce this year because the political parties are jockeying for influence in the state’s upcoming redistricting, following the 2010 Census.
In the days ahead, New York’s newspapers will be doing their best to hype “Cuomo vs. Silver,” the new clash of the titans in Albany. Will Cuomo succeed where other governors have failed, overcoming Silver’s grip on state government? Meanwhile, Silver already has an opponent in 2012. Ed Chen told me he’s determined to stay in the race, no matter how Silver “draws the district.”
In Washington, our elected representatives will be losing some of their clout, due to the Republican takeover of the House. Presently, Maloney is chair of the Joint Economic Committee. Velazquez is chair of the House Small Business Committee. They will lose those leadership roles in the new Congress.
