Cuomo, Democrats Gain Majority In Albany; Local Women Make History
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – New Yorkers are waking up Wednesday to some big changes in state politics.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo will start his next term with Democratic majorities in both the Senate and Assembly.
"I'm proud of what we accomplished together, and together we're going to do even more," the governor said Tuesday night.
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Despite a late push in the polls from his challenger, Republican Marc Molinaro, Cuomo easily won a third term.
"We are not a nation of red states or blue states. We are a nation of red, white and blue states," said Cuomo.
New York is looking increasingly blue. Democrats won a majority of the State Senate seats and control of the Assembly, making way for the party to take over in Albany.
Republican Sen. Marty Golden, elected in 2002, was knocked out by challenger Andrew Gounardes, who took a narrow lead.
"Tonight, the voters of Southern Brooklyn have said that they want new leadership in Albany that delivers real results for working families, including, quality, affordable health care, fully funded public schools, speed cameras in every school zone, reproductive choice for all women, lower housing costs, and accessible and reliable public transit," Gounardes said in a statement.
Shattering racial and gender barriers, New York City public advocate Letitia James became attorney general. Her victory over Republican lawyer Keith Wofford makes her the first black woman elected to a statewide office in New York.
She posted on Twitter, saying, "Thank you New York,. Tonight we made history."
History was also made in New York's 14th Congressional District, where Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Republican Anthony Pappas by a wide margin. At 29 years old, she becomes the youngest woman ever elected to the United States Congress. The Bronx native defeated incumbent Congressman Joseph Crowley in this year's primary.
In New Jersey, another trail-blazing woman is headed to Congress. Mikie Sherrill, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor from Montclair, won her first political office. She defeated Republican Jay Webber by an 11-point margin with 97 percent of the vote recorded.
