Bellwether suburban county's red shift is now at the center of both parties' future identities in New York

ALBANY, New York — The statewide blue wave in which New York Democrats made big gains in nearly every corner of the state this November had one glaring exception: Nassau County.

While Empire State Democrats scored one of their best election nights on record, Republicans held down America’s archetypal suburb, with GOP candidates notching an 11-0 record in contested executive branch races in Nassau. In the marquee race, County Executive Bruce Blakeman improved on his 2021 performance after four years of wholeheartedly embracing President Donald Trump.

Blakeman is hoping to ride that success into next year: He launched a 2026 gubernatorial bid Tuesday touting his electability.

“While Democrats made gains nationwide on election night, the Republican party shined bright on Long Island,” the narrator of his launch video said. “Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman won a Democrat County by 12 percent.”




https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/10/bellwether-suburban-countys-red-shift-is-now-at-the-center-of-both-parties-future-identities-in-new-york-00683750