With polls are officially closed for the general election as of 9 p.m. on Nov. 8, many races in Queens were seemingly decided, but one contest was too close to call.
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato was locked in a closely contested race with Republican candidate Thomas Sullivan, of Breezy Point, in her re-election bid to represent Assembly District 23, with both candidates holding tight leads at various points late Tuesday night. Sullivan holds a slight lead as of Wednesday morning, according unofficial results from the city’s Board of Elections.
Sullivan currently leads with 50.37% of the vote (15,246 votes), with 94.31% of scanners reported. Amato had 49.56% of the vote (15,000 votes). The race will likely be decided by absentee ballots. Results will not be official until all ballots are counted and certified by the Board of Elections.
Here are the other preliminary results for the Assembly races in Queens:
24th: Democrat David I. Weprin had beat out three opponents in the June primary, but got to relax on Election Day without a general election challenger.
25th: Democratic incumbent Nily Rozic led Republican challenger Seth Breland with 56.50% of the vote (11,126 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 97.37% of scanners reported.
26th: Democratic incumbent Edward C. Braunstein led Republican challenger Robert J. Speranza with 53.87% of the vote (17,748 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 99% of scanners reported.
27th: Democratic incumbent Daniel Rosenthal led Republican challenger Angelo King with 57.60% of the vote (13,175 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 99% of scanners reported.
28th: Democratic incumbent Andrew D. Hevesi led Republican challenger Michael Conigliaro with 57.55% of the vote (19,416 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 95.56% of scanners reported.
29th: Democrat Alicia L. Hyndman bested a challenger in the June primary, and was re-elected unopposed on Election Day.
30th: Democrat Steven B. Raga lead Republican Sean S. Lally with 57.84% of the vote (10,972 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 97.66% of scanners reported.
31st: Democrat Khaleel M. Anderson had no primary opponent in June, and no general election opponent, either.
32nd: Democratic incumbent Vivian E. Cook led challengers Marilyn Miller (Republican) and Anthony D. Andrews Jr. (Working Families) with 84.96% of the vote (16,828 votes) with 98.98% of scanners reported as of Wednesday morning.
33rd: Democratic incumbent Clyde Vanel easily defeated a challenger in the June primary, and was re-elected without a general election opponent.
34th: Democratic incumbent Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas will gain a second term in office unopposed after being unchallenged in the June primary.
35th:Democratic incumbent Jeffrion L. Aubry defeated a single challenger in the June primary, and had no opponent in the general election.
36th:Democratic incumbent Zohran Mamdani secured another term in office after running unopposed in both June and November.
37th: Democrat Juan Ardila defeated four challengers for the seat long held by the outgoing Cathy Nolan. He’ll be sworn in as her successor in January.
38th: Democratic incumbent Jenifer Rajkumar will gain a second term in office unopposed after being unchallenged in the June primary.
39th:Democratic incumbent Catalina Cruz had no primary opponent in June, and no general election opponent, either.
40th: Democratic incumbent Ron Kim led Republican challenger Sharon A. Liao with 51.84% of the vote (7,521 votes) with 99% of scanners reported as of Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, in Congressional District 3, Democrat Robert Zimmerman conceded the race to Republican George A.D. Santos early Wednesday morning. Santos led with 52.55% of the vote (142,017 votes) as of Wednesday morning, according to the state Board of Elections. The total includes votes out of Queens and Nassau counties. Zimmerman had collected more votes in Queens (22,594 to Santos’ 21,746), but the vote swung in Santos’ favor in Nassau County (120,271 to Zimmerman’s 97,466). Santos sent out a celebratory tweet early Wednesday morning.
“We did it! #NY03 has spoken! I promised one thing throughout this entire campaign: to be your champion in DC. Thank you for this opportunity,” Santos tweeted.
We did it! #NY03 has spoken! I promised one thing throughout this entire campaign: to be your champion in DC. Thank you for this opportunity to be your voice! pic.twitter.com/xqdQaKGfIm
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) November 9, 2022
Santos is poised to succeed Thomas Suozzi, who held the seat since 2017 before leaving in an ultimately unsuccessful bid for governor of New York.
Here are the other preliminary results for the Congressional races in Queens:
Fifth: Democratic incumbent Gregory W. Meeks led Republican challenger Paul King with 75.07% of the vote (97,981 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 96.32% of scanners reported.
Sixth: Democratic incumbent Grace Meng (Democrat) led Republican challenger Thomas J. Zmich with 63.19% of the vote (79,506 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 97.19% of scanners reported.
Seventh: Democratic incumbent Nydia M. Velazquez led Republican challenger Juan Pagan with 77.64% of the vote (111,968 votes) as of Wednesday morning, according to the state Board of Elections. In Queens, she secured 68.40% of the vote (36,123 votes).
14th: Democratic incumbent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led challengers Tina Forte (Republican), and Desi Cuellar (Conservative) with 67.18% of the vote (78,788 votes), as of Wednesday morning, according to the state Board of Elections. In Queens, she secured 65.67% of the vote (34,047 votes).
Meanwhile, there were no surprises in Queens’ state Senate races, with several incumbents on the verge of re-election.
Here are the preliminary results for the state Senate races in Queens:
10th: Democratic incumbent James Sanders Jr. gained another term in the Legislature’s upper house after not having opponents in the August primary and November election.
11th: Democratic incumbent Toby Ann Stavisky declared victory over Republican challenger Stefano Forte Tuesday night. She led the race with 55.96% of the vote (34,784 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 95.49% of scanners reported.
12th: Democratic incumbent Michael N. Gianaris had no primary opponent in August, and no general election opponent, either.
13th: Democratic incumbent Jessica Ramos secured a new term in office unopposed in November after being unchallenged in the June primary.
14th: Democratic incumbent Leroy G. Comrie Jr. had a stress-free election cycle, as he endured the June primary and the November general election without opponents in either contest.
15th: Democratic incumbent Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. led Republican challenger Danniel S. Maio with 56.86% of the vote (28,682 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 94.86% of scanners reported.
16th: Democratic incumbent John C. Liu (Democrat) led Republican challenger Ruben D. Cruz II with 57.67% of the vote (27,202 votes) as of Wednesday morning, with 99% of scanners reported.
18th:Democratic incumbent Julia Salazar procured another term in office unopposed in November after being unchallenged in the August primary.
19th: Democratic incumbent Roxanne J. Persaud also had an easy path to re-election this year, as she was unopposed in both the August primary and the November general election.
59th: Democrat Kristen S. Gonzalez bested four others for the new triborough state Senate seat including parts of Manhattan’s East Side, western Queens and the northern tip of Brooklyn. The Democratic socialist will be sworn into her first term in office this January.
Additionally, New York voters apparently made history on Election Day, as multiple outlets called the governor’s race for incumbent Kathy Hochul — making her the first woman elected as New York state’s chief executive.
Other statewide incumbent Democrats were also successful in their pursuit for re-election — including U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Attorney General Letitia James.
Turnout was strong in the Five Boroughs on Election Day after nine days of early voting, with totals exceeding the 2021 turnout by 3 p.m. on Nov. 8. More than a million New Yorkers cast ballots this year in the crucial contests, led by the heated governor’s race between Hochul and Republican Congress Member Lee Zeldin.
Four ballot questions were also answered by the voters — all in the affirmative, based on projections.
See the ballot questions below:
Proposal Number 1, an Amendment: CLEAN WATER, CLEAN AIR AND GREEN JOBS Environmental Bond Act of 2022
To address and combat the impact of climate change and damage to the environment, the “Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022” authorizes the sale of state bonds up to $4.2 billion to fund environmental protection, natural restoration, resiliency and clean energy projects.
Shall the Environmental Bond Act of 2022 be approved?
Proposal Number 2, a Question: Add a Statement of Values to Guide Government
This proposal would amend the New York City Charter to add a preamble, which would be an introductory statement of values and vision aspiring toward “a just and equitable city for all” New Yorkers, and include in the preamble a statement that the city must strive to remedy “past and continuing harms and to reconstruct, revise and reimagine our foundations, structures, institutions and laws to promote justice and equity for all New Yorkers.” The preamble is intended to guide the city government in fulfilling its duties.
Shall this proposal be adopted?
Proposal Number 3, a Question: Establish a Racial Equity Office, Plan and Commission
This proposal would amend the City Charter to Require citywide and agency-specific Racial Equity Plans every two years. The plans would include intended strategies and goals to improve racial equity and to reduce or eliminate racial disparities. It would also establish an Office of Racial Equity and appoint a chief equity officer to advance racial equity and coordinate the city’s racial equity planning process. The office would support city agencies in improving access to city services and programs for those people and communities who have been negatively affected by previous policies or actions, and collect and report data related to equity. It would establish a Commission on Racial Equity, appointed by city elected officials. In making appointments to this commission, elected officials would be required to consider appointees who are representative of or have experience advocating for a diverse range of communities. The commission would identify and propose priorities to inform the racial equity planning process and review agency and citywide Racial Equity Plans.
Shall this proposal be adopted?
Proposal Number 4, a Question: Measure the True Cost of Living
This proposal would amend the City Charter to require the city to create a “true cost of living” measure to track the actual cost in New York City of meeting essential needs, including housing, food, childcare, transportation and other necessary costs, and without considering public, private or informal assistance, in order to inform programmatic and policy decisions. It would require the city government to report annually on the “true cost of living” measure.
Shall this proposal be adopted?
