“Dems Are So Apathetic About Local Elections”: Republicans Turn Long Island Red in State Elections

Michelle HollandNov 26, 2023

Minute Read

Americans in some states recently went to the polls to vote in local elections that determined who would become new governors, legislatures, and councilors. Though Democrats had a much better night, the GOP saw some notable successes, including in Long Island, New York.

The New County Executive

Republican Ed Romaine won an election for County Executive in Suffolk County, replacing Democrat Steve Bellone who was ineligible to run again after reaching his term limit. Romaine is the first Republican to fulfill this position in 20 years.

Dominating Long Island

Republicans now hold every countywide office in both Suffolk and Nassau counties — the two largest on the island — and the GOP now also has a supermajority in the Suffolk County legislature. Conservative commentator Monica Crowley dubbed Long Island a “new Republican stronghold” on social media.

“A Political Earthquake”

Former US Senator for New York, Al D’Amato, described the development as a “political earthquake.” Explaining the red wave, he claimed that “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.”

Disloyal Democrats

Former House of Representative member Lee Zeldin, also from New York, stated that “you’ve got independents and blanks [unregistereds] voting Republican. You’re even seeing Democrats voting Republican. The electorate is not happy with what they see coming out of the city.”

Long Island Crises

Editorial credit: Ruben2533 / Shutterstock.

“There are issues like the migrant crisis and cashless bail,” he continued. Zeldin, who is Jewish, also proposed that increasing antisemitism in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war is “waking up the electorate.”

“Returning to Its Red Roots”

Lawrence Levy, a former journalist and current executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at New York’s Hofstra University, proclaimed that “Long Island for now is defiantly returning to its red roots.”

Low Turnout

Many people in online forums expressed disappointment at the low turnout rate that was reported in Long Island. “I never understood why people on Long Island don’t get out to vote more in the local elections. These local elections affect our lives more than the presidential ones,” one commenter wrote.

A National Problem

“It’s not just a Long Island thing,” one person responded. “Looking at the votes for my area in Massachusetts, just outside Boston, we had around 18,000 voters out of nearly 64,000,” another poster replied, adding that this equaled just 28%. Another shared that their city only had a 10% turnout. “This is a national problem caused by focusing on and creating national problems,” one user suggested.

Sharing Positive Experiences

Many commenters discussed their own positive experiences voting in local elections. “Early voting is really pleasant,” someone said, whereas another emphasized that “it’s a 5-minute errand,” adding that they were “the only voter there” at the polls.

Uninformed on the Issues

“In general, people are checked out and uninformed, ESPECIALLY regarding local issues,” explained one commenter. “I think it’s because nobody really knows what the issues are or where to find info on the candidates,” speculated another, who admitted they just voted along party lines.

Lack of Effort

Many users believed that parties didn’t put much time or energy into local elections. “Dems are so apathetic about local elections, it’s sad,” one contributor complained. “Not only that, but they run candidates that are virtually no different from their Republican opponents,” someone else observed, highlighting the similar platforms of Romaine and his Democratic rival, David Calone.

A Low Priority

Others felt that Democrats had stopped trying to target voters in Long Island. One forum member proposed that it “might be a signal that NY Dems have given up on the area frankly,” with someone concurring, “they know the writing is on the wall. Most NY Democrats are so detached from what swing voters care about.”

Poor Campaigning

Some Long Islanders criticized Calone personally rather than attributing the issue to the Democrats as a whole. “Calone is a private equity firm manager and ran a weak campaign. Worst Dem I can remember running locally. Honestly, most of his website looks like it could have been written by ChatGPT,” elaborated one commenter.

The Wrong Approach

“I got so many mailers about abortion from Calone,” one poster shared. “They hire consultants that work national races but don’t realize that doesn’t work here. County Execs don’t have anything to do with abortion policy and no New Yorker thinks abortion is at risk here. Dumb,” they concluded, though many people disagreed with their complacent attitude toward reproductive rights.

Aging Politicians

One commenter exhibited frustration at the continuing trend of older politicians taking up office. “Just what we need, another geriatric, lifelong politician who’s never held a real job,” they wrote about Romaine, who is 76. Someone else pointed out that if he stayed for an entire 12-year term limit, he’d hold the position until the age of 88.

The GOP Has Control

“The GOP has control over Long Island so now they have no more excuses. In four years, Long Island better be vastly improved. They got what they wanted and now have no one to blame,” one poster declared. Another countered that they “will find a reason to keep blaming Democrats for their problems no matter what the reality is.”

“Republican Heaven”

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“Ronald Reagan didn’t call Long Island “Republican heaven” for nothing,” one person wrote. “The position has been blue for over 20 years, it’s not because we are a “Republican heaven” — blue voters got complacent and didn’t show up,” someone else disputed. Another protested that “voters did not get complacent, lawmakers did.”