Suffolk County Republican challenger Ed Romaine defeated Democratic incumbent David Calone in a landslide on Tuesday, turning the entire island into a sea of red.

Both county executive positions, the district attorney's office, the comptroller's office, and all four congressional seats in Nassau and Suffolk Counties are presently held by Republicans, as The New York Post reported.

With more than 26,000 more votes than Calone, Romaine easily won the election: "This is a political earthquake," remarked former US Senator Al D'Amato.

“Long Island for now is defiantly returning to its red roots,” said Lawrence Levy, dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies.
D’Amato said Long Island voters rejected the Democratic leadership in the country and New York State and are particularly disgusted with the migrant crisis — and that includes rank-and-file Democrats in the suburbs.

“The borders are in chaos. There’s nothing for Democrats to come and vote for. And those who are coming to vote are voting for Republicans in local races,” he said.

Warning to Voters

The candidate warned that the carnage might continue in 2019 if Democrats seeking state or federal office are forced to justify a plan to charge drivers on Long Island a fee to enter Manhattan's commercial districts in order to pay for public transit.

Romaine, 76, the Brookhaven Town supervisor since 2012, changed the Suffolk County executive seat from blue to red.

This took place after three-term Democratic incumbent Steve Bellone had to step down due to constitutional limits on legislative service. The Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association endorsed a Republican executive for the first time in 20 years, adding to the momentum behind Romaine's campaign.

It's the latest example of the Republican Party's consistent outperformance of the Democratic Party on Long Island.

More Republican Results

To a large extent, Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, the former Suffolk congressman who swamped Democrat Kathy Hochul on Long Island running a law and order campaign, is responsible for the GOP's successful takeover of the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. Hochul won the state election by a razor-thin margin.

Republicans in New York's Nassau and Suffolk counties won key offices in 2021 thanks to voter discontent with the Democrats' cashless bail reform law.

The Democrats in New York City have gone too far to the left, and now they're feeling the blowback as a result of their policies.

Bruce Blakeman, the Republican who defeated the Democratic incumbent in Nassau County, Laura Curran, in 2021, said, "Suburban and rural voters have had enough."

Along with public safety and taxes, Blakeman listed the migrant situation as one of the top three concerns of Long Island voters. This means that "hard-working people are seeing their taxpayer dollars going for services to foreigners they don't get," he said.