| | | | |  | | By Jason Beeferman | | Presented by |  | | | |  Gov. Kathy Hochul had a bittersweet Election Day. | Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul | CONSOLATION PRIZE: New York Democrats have at least one thing to be happy about. President-elect Donald Trump’s decisive victory — and his big gains across New York state — was a nightmare-come-true for Democrats. But their near sweep of the state’s battleground districts is not a bad consolation prize — especially if your name is Kathy Hochul. “No one expected that we would see the gains that we had in the House,” the governor told reporters today. After she was repeatedly ridiculed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for Democrats’ loss of the chamber two years ago, Hochul — one of the most unpopular governors in the state’s recent history — has seized her opportunity for redemption. “Please don’t overlook that bright spot,” Hochul added at her Midtown Manhattan press conference. “I'm hearing from people all over this country congratulating us on making sure that at least there's potential for a firewall” in the House. Many had come to believe Hochul’s entire political legacy was riding on Democrats’ showing in the state’s congressional districts. Even if she questioned whether that dynamic was fair, she comes out of it looking pretty, pretty good. Just look at the three Republican-held congressional seats on Long Island, upstate and in Syracuse that will now flip — a near total erasure of the red wave that engulfed New York two years ago. And it’s also pretty certain that Hochul’s talk of building up a massive state party that actually pays attention to — and works tirelessly to support — down-ballot Dems has come to real fruition. “The House Representatives is at least in striking distance of being a Democratic majority [with] Hakeem Jeffries as the speaker because of the unprecedented efforts that we have put into bringing back the state party from the dead — personally committed resources, worked hard, went out to districts weekend after weekend after weekend,” she said. “Look what we did, defying the national trends in winning five races this year.” Despite the positive results for Democrats, the future looks alarming. And the present warrants serious reckoning. Trump’s 12-point loss to Vice President Kamala Harris in New York (after he trailed Biden by 23 points in 2020) shows former Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin’s narrow gubernatorial loss might not have been an aberration or a reflection of Hochul’s unpopularity. Instead, it suggests the return of Republican influence in the Empire State. “I think we're inching towards becoming a red state because far-left policies in Washington and Albany have alienated so many voters,” Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. “We were more competitive with Lee Zeldin two years ago, and I think we'll be more competitive two years from now.” Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win the suburban Nassau County in over three decades . And even in New York City — especially in precincts dominated by voters of color — Trump made serious gains. “It’s impossible not to see that last night’s national defeat was also very much a NY story,” Democratic Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said . “This was our state’s worst presidential result since 1988. We lost ground in almost every NYC neighborhood & every demographic. To say a major reckoning is due is an understatement.” — Jason Beeferman
| | | | A message from Amazon:   | | | |  | From The Campaign Trail | | |  It's still unclear whether Brooklyn Rep. Hakeem Jeffries will become the next Speaker of the House. | Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP | HOUSE CONTROL WATCH: Control of the House had yet to be decided as of this afternoon, and Republicans were leading the race. But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats are “once again defying political gravity,” urging that every vote be counted. In a statement today, Jeffries, who would become the first Black speaker if Dems seize the majority, celebrated wins in Virginia, Michigan, Alabama and Louisiana as well as four seats flipped this year in New York — by Tom Suozzi in a February special election and by John Mannion, Josh Riley and Laura Gillen on Tuesday. (Gillen’s race as of this afternoon had yet to be called, though she is in the lead and had declared victory.) It seemed Jeffries’ home state of New York had done its part, and the senior Democrat said the path to control of the House now runs through races in Arizona, Oregon, Iowa and California, where results are still pending. — Emily Ngo CONCESSION STAND: Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro is not conceding his race to Democratic rival Josh Riley. Molinaro, a first-term lawmaker who represents a 10-county district that stretches from the Hudson Valley to the Southern Tier, cited the 12,000 absentee and affidavit ballots that are yet to be counted. Riley leads the race by 3,678 votes, according to the state Board of Elections. That’s a tough deficit for Molinaro to close and typically paper ballots track the overall results of the race. “These ballots will decide the race and we have to be sure every legal vote is counted,” Molinaro said. “Whatever the result ends up being, I will accept it, and am beyond grateful to my family, friends, and supporters.” Molinaro’s seat was one of three Democrats flipped on Tuesday in their bid to retake control of the closely divided chamber. Republican incumbents Anthony D’Esposito and Brandon Williams also suffered losses. “We fight for the underdog, the overlooked, and the left-behind,” Riley, an attorney, said in a statement. “Those are upstate New York’s values, and I am going to take them with me to Congress.” — Nick Reisman
| | FROM CITY HALL | | | |  New York City Mayor Eric Adams congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his victory. | Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office | WELL WISHES: New York City Mayor Eric Adams congratulated Trump on his impending return to the White House Wednesday while seeking to assuage fears of New Yorkers concerned about potential threats to abortion rights and the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. “Today, I want to congratulate [Trump] and Vice President Elect JD Vance and wish them all the best as they work to promote the interests of the American people,” Adams said at a press briefing to discuss the impacts of the election. Adams, who said he planned to call Trump personally to convey his tidings, said the city stands prepared to work with the incoming administration on immigration policy and other issues. “The elections are over, and it’s about governing now,” he said. “It’s not about taking this posture that we’re not going to communicate with Washington, D.C. — just the opposite.” However, he also reaffirmed the city’s commitment to services like abortion access and gender-affirming care while pledging more generally to support the LGBTQ+ community and protect undocumented migrants from deportation — though administration officials offered few specifics on how that would work. First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, who was newly elevated to the role after a wave of departures related to corruption probes wracking City Hall, said the city had already planned for a potential Trump victory. She identified several policy and fiscal risks that come along with Trump’s return to the White House, namely around $8 billion in federal grant funding, which makes up around 7 percent of the budget. — Joe Anuta | | | | A message from Amazon:   | | | | | FROM THE CAPITOL | | |  Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. Both houses of the state Legislature are expected to see minimal changes. | Hans Pennink/AP | WHERE THE LEGISLATURE STANDS: It’s looking very likely that the state Legislature will avoid the political turbulence that rocked the rest of the country Tuesday. There are about a half dozen races that are unlikely to be conceded immediately. But if there are no dramatic shifts from where the numbers stood on Wednesday, it looks like Assembly Democrats will grow their majority from 102 of 150 two years ago to 103 in January. Democrats picked off two seats — Aron Wieder defeated Josh McGowan in Rockland County and Judy Griffin won her comeback bid over Brian Curran in Nassau — and Rebecca Kassay had a lead over incumbent Republican Ed Flood in Suffolk. Republicans flipped two: Pat Chludzinski ousted Monica Wallace in suburban Buffalo and Dan Norber led Gina Sillitti in Nassau. There’s one Senate race in the Syracuse area where there will be a recount. But if Democrat Chris Ryan maintains his lead there, the only flip will be in Brooklyn. Republican Steve Chan defeated freshman Democrat Iwen Chu. The GOP performed well in other Asian neighborhoods throughout New York City, which might be a sign that Republican efforts to make outreach in these communities are paying dividends. “One of the challenges in the city is there’s a lot of neighborhoods there that for a long time, they never really had an alternative,” said Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt. “They were registered Democrats or they were blanks, because that was the only party.” But Ortt and other Republicans have made a conscious effort in recent years to engage with communities like this on issues like crime and former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s school policy, and to recruit candidates who could be competitive there. “We’ve seen the fruits of showing up,” Ortt said. “You can’t ask for peoples’ votes if you don’t show up in their community.” — Bill Mahoney
| | On the Beats | | SCHOOLS BRACE FOR TRUMP ERA: Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos urged public school principals to support students weighing in on the presidential election following Trump’s victory. In an email to principals this morning obtained by POLITICO, the chancellor called the election “an important moment” in schools. The Department of Education’s civics team worked to get students engaged throughout the race, she said. “I encourage us all — educators, school leaders, families, and community members — to discuss this election with our students and to model thoughtful civil discourse in doing so,” Aviles-Ramos wrote to principals Wednesday morning. “We must support our students to ask questions, learn the facts, and express their perspectives respectfully.” She shared resources for deliberating on current events in the classroom, including a mini-lesson on how to discuss an election with pupils and a tool that tracks misinformation about it. Aviles-Ramos also pointed to on-site mental health supports at every school. “I want to reassure you that we remain steadfast in our commitment to maintain safe and supportive environments for our students, staff, and families,” she said. “That is our top priority and our first responsibility as a school system.” This comes amid widespread concerns about the impacts of a Trump presidency on the nation’s largest school system, which serves over 900,000 pupils. The president-elect has proposed gutting the federal Department of Education, implementing mass deportations and undoing Biden’s new protections for transgender students. The chancellor and top union leaders released a joint video message Tuesday morning, pledging to keep students and staffers’ safe over the coming days and weeks. Aviles-Ramos implored schools to report bias-related incidents. — Madina Touré
| | | AROUND NEW YORK | | | — HOW TRUMP IMPACTS NYC: A second Trump presidency would impact New York City’s politics and politics. (The New York Times) — DEPORTATION PREP: Adams is trying to quell fears that Trump’s proposed mass deportation plan will put the city’s undocumented immigrants in jeopardy. ( Gothamist) — PARDON GAME BEGINS: The mayor will have to perform a “delicate dance” now that Trump is the president-elect as he navigates the political costs of cozying up to a man who has the power to pardon him. (Gothamist) Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
