New York Election Microcosm of Nation’s Results

In many locations throughout the New York area Democrats are waking up to a new political reality in which they are not included. Joining at least 59 country-wide districts, New York Republicans will be heading south to Washington, D.C. to participate in the great American enterprise known as democracy.

New York City itself had only one competitive race for the House. The one-term incumbent, Democrat Michael E. McMahon was given his walking papers as former FBI agent and Marine Corp. Gulf War Veteran and Republican Michael Grimm overtook him in Staten Island.

Outside the city itself Republicans were able to capture five additional Congressional seats within New York and New Jersey. In Fishkill, N.Y., a northern New York City suburb, Republican Nan Hayworth, who is also an ophthalmologist and political neophyte, gave the one-two punch to the two-term Democratic incumbent John Hall.

Capturing the moment as she captured her seat, Ms. Hayworth remarked, “We’re about the government serving you, not you serving your government.”

Democrats were able to hold their own in the races for both New York Senate seats, Governor and the office of the attorney general, echoing the national outcome which allowed the Democrats to maintain control of the Senate overall, despite a significant loss of ground there.

The election results are the outcome of lots of hard work and massive funding by conservative non-profit organizations in support of Republican candidates in swing districts with good chances of defeating the incumbent Democrats. Oh, and yes, the bad economy and questionable Obama policies probably helped the Republicans a bit, too.