GOP defends 2 seats in NY swing districts as Dems poised to flip 3 other battlegrounds
New York Republicans successfully defended a pair of congressional swing districts even as Democrats appeared to take back at least two House seats that the GOP flipped in 2022, preliminary Election Day results show.But the Democrats’ claimed wins in the Empire State likely won’t matter as Republicans clinched control of the US Senate, vied for reclaiming the House of Representatives and held a narrow lead in the race for the presidency early Wednesday.Perhaps the highest-profile GOP victory came as Republican Rep.Mike Lawler declared late Tuesday that he gave former Congress member Mondaire Jones an “ass kicking” in a closely matchup.Lawler strode out to cheers and the sound of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” late Tuesday as early results showed him ahead 55% to Jones’ 43%, according to Associated Press results from the lower Hudson Valley race.“What an absolute ass kicking!” Lawler told the victory party crowd.“Tonight the Hudson Valley told Mondaire Jones to ‘Beat It’!”Republicans had hopes to expand their electoral foothold in New York’s congressional delegation after unexpectedly helping give the GOP take control of Congress in the 2022 midterms — but their dreams of further gains in the deeply blue Empire State were on the ropes late Election Night.Democrats appeared to reclaim at least two congressional seats that Republicans flipped two years ago — with a clear win in one race, a candidate declaring victory in another and a wide lead in a third contest in a battleground district.Dem John Mannion unseated Rep.
Brandon Williams in the upstate 22nd Congressional District, after the Associated Press projected Mannion as the winner.He carried nearly 54% of the vote to Williams’ 46%, with 81% of ballots counted.The victory came as Democrat Laura Gillen declared victory over GOP Rep.Anthony D’Esposito in the Fourth Congressional District, covering Long Island’s South Shore through central Nassau County.But D’Esposito refused ...