Post Election Roundup - NY 21st Focus

The wake of the 2014 election cycle has left Democratic candidates across the country smashed up against a rocky electoral shore. Republicans made huge gains nationally, both in the Senate and in the House of Representatives, and had a strong showing in New York's Governor race. New York's House delegation went from 21 Democrats down to 18, icing the Republican majority to their largest in nearly a century.

Elise Stefanik (R-21), Lee Zeldin (R-1) and John Katko (R-24) handily beat their Democrat opponents Aaron Woolf, Tim Bishop, Dan Maffei, respectively. Sean Maloney (D-18) narrowly held his seat against former Republican Congresswoman Nan Hayworth; even Michael Grimm (R-11), indicted on almost two dozen charges of corruption, defeated Domenic Recchia by 14 points. Louise Slaughter's (D-25) incumbency hangs in the balance of absentee ballots.

Examining the 21st District race revealed bipartisan report for Stefanik, capturing a majority (53%) of the vote no one thought she would attain due to a split liberal ticket. Aaron Woolf (D) lost by a full ten points, accounting on that split liberal ticket Matt Funiciello (G) grasped with an impressive 10% showing. But let's dig a little deeper.

The county breakdown is important to understand what regions of the massive 21st district voted for either candidate. I say either candidate, from the Democrats and Republicans, but it cannot be forgotten that Funiciello won a quarter of the Warren County vote. Stefanik was beaten in several counties, such as Clinton, Essex and Franklin, but her smashing leads in Jefferson and Saratoga propelled her ahead. Our own St. Lawrence County chose Stefanik over Woolf by an eight point margin, giving Funiciello his average 10%.

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