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Key State Senate Races

November 5th, 2018

New York’s biggest and most contested prize this election season is control of the State Senate. With the exception of two brief periods – 1965 and 2009-10 – the Republicans have controlled the state Senate since 1939.

The Republicans, with only 31 members as of this writing, have been able to maintain control of the New York’s 63-member State Senate only because they have the support of Brooklyn Democrat Simcha Felder.

But a Democratic net gain of just one seat in the November 6th elections will swing control to the Democratic Party in 2019.  If this happens, it is expected to have significant impacts on Albany budget and policymaking.

Some key State Senate races to watch include:

  • Senate District 3 (Suffolk County) – Republican Assemblyman Dean Murray and Suffolk County Legislator Monica Martinez are vying to replace Republican Tom Croci, who returned to military service. While the Democrats have a slight enrollment advantage in this district, President Trump won it in 2016 by 6 percentage points.
  • SD 4 (Suffolk County) – Incumbent Republican Senator Phil Boyle has represented this district since 2012. He is being challenged by former Suffolk County Legislator Louis D’Amaro. While the Democrats have a slight enrollment advantage in this district, President Trump won it in 2016 by 8.1 percentage points.
  • SD 5 (Nassau and Suffolk) – This is a rematch of one of 2016’s closest races. Republican Carl Marcellino has held the seat for 23 years.  He defeated James Gaughran, the Suffolk County Water Authority chairman, by just over one percent.  The Democrats have a slight enrollment advantage in the district, which Hillary Clinton won in 2016 by 3 percentage points. The Democrats view this seat as one of their best “pick up” opportunities.
  • SD 7 (Nassau County) – Freshman Republican Elaine Phillips, who previously served as mayor of the village of Flower Hill, is being challenged by North Hempstead councilwoman Anna Kaplan. The Democrats have a large enrollment advantage in this district, which Hillary Clinton won by 12.8 percentage points in 2016.
  • SD 22 (Brooklyn) – Republican Marty Golden, who was first elected in 2001, is being challenged by Andrew Gounardes, Counsel to the Brooklyn Borough President. Golden easily defeated Gounardes in 2012. While the Democrats have a large enrollment advantage in the district, President Trump won it by 0.7 percentage points in 2016.
  • SD 39 (Orange and Rockland counties) – Stony Point Town Board member Tom Basile (an Unshackle Upstate-endorsed candidate) faces Democratic Assemblyman James Skoufis in the race to replace retiring Republican Senator Bill Larkin. Skoufis is viewed as a strong candidate with high name recognition.  Democrats have an enrollment advantage in the district, but President Trump won it by 3.5 percentage points in 2016.
  • SD 42 (Orange, Ulster, Delaware and Sullivan counties) — Republican Ann Rabbitt (an Unshackle Upstate-endorsed candidate), who currently serves as Orange County clerk and previously served in the state Assembly, is facing Democrat Jen Metzger in this open seat. The Democrats have a small enrollment advantage, but President Trump carried district by 5.2 percentage points in 2016.
  • SD 43 (Rensselaer, Saratoga, Washington and Columbia counties) – Republican Daphne Jordan (an Unshackle Upstate-endorsed candidate), a member of the Halfmoon Town Board, and Democrat Aaron Gladd are facing off in the race to replace retiring Republican Kathy Marchione. The Republicans have an enrollment advantage in the district, which President Trump won in 2016 by 2.9 percentage points.
  • SD 50 (Onondaga and Cayuga counties) – Republican Robert Antonacci (an Unshackle Upstate-endorsed candidate), who serves as Onondaga County Comptroller, and Democrat John Mannion, a high school biology teacher, are running to replace retiring Republican John DeFrancisco. Party enrollment in the district is nearly even; Hillary Clinton won the district by 5 percentage points in 2016.