“They have you prepare a victory speech, they have you prepare a concession speech, but they don’t have you prepare a ‘We got to wait for the results’ speech,” he said.

It was that kind of night across Suffolk County, as fallout from the ransomware attack forced the Suffolk County Board of Elections to alter how the final votes would be tallied, leading to a much longer wait than usual.

Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, the first results began to appear online as watch parties for both Democrats and Republicans had already begun to empty out.

Mr. LaLota, 43, of Amityville, a former Suffolk County Board of Elections commissioner, didn’t have to wait too much longer to find out he had won the race for the 1st Congressional District. At 1:04 a.m., the Associated Press called the race in his favor as he defeated county Legislator Bridget Fleming, the Democrat. Mr. LaLota won the seat vacated by Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), keeping the reshaped 1st District in Republican hands. Mr. Zeldin lost his bid for governor, as Kathy Hochul became the first woman elected to the state’s top position, ending the congressman’s mission to “save the state.”

Mr. LaLota declared victory early Wednesday morning and issued an statement thanking his family, campaign team and the Republican and Conservative parties.

“Finally, thank you to the voters of Suffolk County for placing your trust in me,” he said. “I am extremely thankful for the trust and confidence you have placed in me and I won’t let you down.”

Mr. LaLota said that, after being sworn in, he plans to work with the new House majority “to bring responsible and transparent government back to Washington.”

He said the election was a message to Democrats across the country that voters want less spending, a secure border, less reliance on foreign nations for oil and to stop “coddling criminals at the cost of public safety.”

Reports across the country showed that the “red wave” didn’t materialize as initially predicted in the hotly contested midterm elections, as rising inflation brought economic issues to the forefront and Republicans placed blame on Democrats.

Ms. Fleming, 62, of Noyac, in her second bid for Congress, conceded the race Wednesday morning and congratulated Mr. LaLota on his victory. She said her campaign focused on issues “critically important to Long Islanders.”

“The challenges facing our nation and Long Island communities are daunting,” she said. “We must not back down from the fight to defend the freedoms that make our great country a rich, resilient and generous nation. And our history teaches us that when Americans work together, we can overcome anything.”

Ms. Fleming lost a primary in 2020 and then was the first Democrat to declare candidacy for the 2022 race. The long journey ultimately ended early Wednesday morning as unofficial results from the Board of Elections show Mr. LaLota had secured 55.81% of the votes compared to 44.09% for Ms. Fleming. A handful of districts were not yet reported in those results.

Republican state Sen. Anthony Palumbo of New Suffolk won reelection, as did Democrat Fred Thiele in the 1st Assembly District that now includes Southold Town. Mr. Palumbo had secured about 56.39% of the vote to defeat Democratic challenger Skyler Johnson, who finished with about 43.51%. Mr. Palumbo won his second term in the Senate after previously serving in the Assembly.

“This is a team effort as you all know,” Mr. Palumbo told the crowd in Patchogue late Tuesday before the results had been set. “We don’t get here without the hard work of all our volunteers and, just as importantly, the hard work from our family.”

Incumbent Republican Jodi Giglio easily won reelection in the 2nd Assembly District that includes Riverhead Town. The former Riverhead councilwoman finished with more than 66% of the votes to win a second term.

In Southold Town, voters approved Proposition 3 to allow a 0.5% real estate tax to fund affordable housing opportunities. The town would now have to adopt a plan to implement community housing funds. East Hampton and Southampton also approved the addition to the CPF, while in Shelter Island, unofficial results were showing an eight-vote difference with 889 against the measure and 881 in favor. Officials said there were absentee ballots still to be counted that could swing that vote. Riverhead Town opted against putting the measure up for vote.

Ms. Fleming did not speak at the Democrats’ watch party at IBEW Local 104 in Holtsville. She issued a statement at around 11:40 p.m. updating voters on the delays in results. The Board of Elections had informed the candidates that a computer problem prevented the remote downloading of election results.

At each of the watch parties, the party chairman addressed the crowd to share the bad the news that results would likely not come until the overnight hours.

GOP chair Jesse Garcia said there were 24 locations across the county where memory cards from each polling place are uploaded to a server.

“That system is slow and not operating, so the decision has been made that all 1,400 memory cards from each voting machine will be brought back to Yaphank and uploaded accurately, properly, so that we have an accurate account of this election,” he said shortly before 11 p.m.

Rich Schaffer, the Democratic chair, made a similar statement around the same time at the Democratic watch party. Results were posted through the New York State Board of Elections website since county BOE site remains down.

“They have the early voting results and they have absentee results, but they made a decision not to release anything or a substantial amount of results back into the building and then they’ll start posting them on the website,” Mr. Schaffer had said.

Before any results had been released from Suffolk County, Ms. Hochul declared victory in her race against Mr. Zeldin and delivered a speech thanking voters.

“Tonight, you made your voices heard loud and clear. You made me the first woman ever elected to be the governor of the state of New York. But I’m not here to make history. I’m here to make a difference,” she said to a crowd of supporters.

On Wednesday morning, results from the state BOE showed Ms. Hochul had about 52.8% of the vote compared to 46.99% for Mr. Zeldin, a much tighter race than New York has seen for governor in recent elections. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo secured about 62% of the statewide vote in 2018.

Mr. Zeldin, speaking to reporters Tuesday morning after voting at the Mastic Beach firehouse, said he estimated he needed to win 30% or more of the New York City vote to take the election. Preliminary results showed Mr. Zeldin had secured about 514,000 votes in NYC, which placed him right at that 30% mark. It wasn’t enough.

“If we get 35% or more inside New York City, it becomes very difficult to impossible to lose the race,” he said Tuesday morning.

Mr. Zeldin, who briefly stopped by the Patchogue GOP party with his family as polls closed, took to the podium in New York City about midnight and did not concede, instead saying that the outstanding votes across the state, including in Suffolk County, would narrow the gap between himself and Ms. Hochul.

“We have been crushing the Election Day vote all across the entire state,” Mr. Zeldin said. “What’s going to happen is that over the next couple of hours you’re going to see the race continue to get closer and closer and closer and closer. This includes, by the way, on Long Island, you’re going to see a massive victory coming out of Long Island, which is also going to be closing the gap.”

The gap did close, but not enough for Mr. Zeldin to become the first Republican governor since George Pataki, who served from 1995 to 2006.

The AP called the governor’s race at 12:52 a.m.

Mr. Zeldin congratulated Ms. Hochul Wednesday afternoon.

“This race was a once in a generation campaign, with a very close margin in the bluest of blue states,” he said. …   Those controlling Albany should take note. New Yorkers of all walks of life are sick of the attacks on their wallets, their safety, their freedoms and the quality of their kids’ education and are hitting their breaking point.”

Mr. Zeldin easily won Suffolk County with about 58.5% of the vote. He also won Nassau County with about 55%.

Democrats ruled in other statewide races. Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli won reelection, as did attorney general Letitia James and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer. 

In county races, Republican Vincent Puleo won the county clerk position and Republican John Kennedy was reelected as county comptroller. 

A statewide proposition for the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 received about 59% of the vote to be approved. A second proposal for the county was easily approved to set 12-year total term limits for the offices of county executive, county legislator and county comptroller, whether served consecutively or not.

Reporting by Brianne Ledda, Tim Gannon, Tara Smith and Melissa Azofeifa

Editor’s Note: This story was updated Wednesday.

Below are live updates posted on Election Night:

Update (12:58 a.m.): The Associated Press called the New York governor race at 12:52 a.m., saying Kathy Hochul had defeated Rep. Lee Zeldin of Shirley. With 89% of votes in, Ms. Hochul had 52.9% of the votes compared to 47.1% for Mr. Zeldin.

Update (12:25 a.m.): Unofficial results have begun to display for Suffolk County with the Board of Elections website showing 53% of districts reporting across the entire county.

In the 1st Congressional District, Republican Nick LaLota is showing 53.42% of the votes compared to 46.45% for Bridget Fleming. Those results account for about 58% of districts.

In the 1st Senate District, incumbent Republican Anthony Palumbo has shown to have 52.49% of the votes, compared to 47.36% for Democratic challenger Skyler Johnson. Those results account for about 55% of the districts reporting.

Incumbent Jodi Giglio is the projected winner in the 2nd Assembly District with 62.97% of the votes compared to 36.88% for Democratic challenger Wendy Hamberger. Those results show just over 50% of districts reporting.

Update (12:15 a.m.): Rep. Lee Zeldin took to the podium in New York City at about midnight and did not concede, instead saying that the outstanding votes across the state, including in Suffolk County, would narrow the gap between himself and Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“We have been crushing the Election Day vote all across the entire state,” Mr. Zeldin said. “What’s going to happen is that over the next couple of hours you’re going to see the race continue to get closer and closer and closer and closer. This includes by the way on Long Island, you’re going to see a massive victory coming out of Long Island, which is also going to be closing the gap.”

With 80% of votes counted, Mr. Zeldin has totaled 45.8% of the vote, compared to 54.2% for Ms. Hochul.

Update (11:50 p.m.): County Legislator Bridget Fleming issued a statement at 11:40 p.m. on the results not yet coming in.

“We have been informed by the Suffolk County Board of Elections that a computer problem has prevented the remote downloading of election results,” she said. “Results are being reported manually, which will take some time. We will provide updates as we receive further information.”

Update (11:45 p.m.): Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared victory in the governor race, defeating Republican challenger Lee Zeldin of Shirley. The AP has not yet called the race at the time of the victory speech.

“Thank you New York … Tonight, you made your voices heard loud and clear. You made me the first woman ever elected to be the governor of the state of New York. But I’m not here to make history. I’m here to make a difference,” she said to a crowd of supporters.

With nearly 72% of votes counted as of around 11:40 p.m., Ms. Hochul had 54.87% of the votes compared to 44.24% for Mr. Zeldin.

“The lessons of tonight’s victory are that given the choice, New Yorkers refuse to go backward on our long march toward progress,” she said. “We embrace the torch that the has been passed to us from all those who have fought the good fight years before we came here. WE commit to make that torch glow even brighter before we pass it on to the next generation.”

Update (11:15 p.m.): Rich Schaffer, the Democratic chair, addressed the crowd in Holtsville and cautioned results might not come in until 2-2:30 a.m., as the crowd groaned.

“They have some results, but they’re not releasing them,” he said. “They have the early voting results and they have absentee results, but they made a decision not to release anything or a substantial amount of results back into the building and then they’ll start posting them on the website.”

Update (11 p.m.): Jesse Garcia, the Suffolk GOP chair, addressed the crowd in Patchogue just before 11 p.m. to provide an update on the delayed results and cautioned it could take a few more hours.

“To ensure accuracy and the integrity of these elections, there’s a system in place where at 24 locations memory cards from all polling places and election districts are uploaded to a server,” he said. “That system is slow and not operating, so the decision has been made that all 1,400 memory cards from each voting machine will be brought back to Yaphank and uploaded accurately, property so that we have an accurate account of this election.”

Update (10:40 p.m.): With more than half of districts reporting, Gov. Kathy Hochul holds about 58% of the votes, compared to 41% for Lee Zeldin. Ms. Hochul has held a lead since the first results started to come, but the gap has been narrowing as more results come in. Initial results featured early voting that likely favored Democrats, as well as votes from New York City.

Update (10:20 p.m.): Democratic attorney general Letitia James declared victory in her race against Republican Michael Henry. Results from the state Board of Elections was showing Ms. James, the incumbent, with 61.45% of the vote with about 48% of districts reporting.

“Over the past four years, we have worked tirelessly to make New York a fairer and more just place for all, and tonight is an affirmation of all that we have accomplished,” Ms. James tweeted. “I promise to keep fighting for the rights of every person in our great state and ensure the rule of law is applied equally to everyone.”

Update (10:05 p.m.): The Suffolk County Board of Elections was not yet showing any results just over an hour after polls closed. Results were expected to begin to be posted online shortly.

Update (9:46 p.m.): In Holtsville, the crowd was mostly quiet in the first 45 minutes after polls closed. People were gathering around a screen displaying results.

Update (9:38 p.m.): U.S. Senator Charles Schumer was projected as the winner almost immediately as polls closed in New York. The AP called the race for the incumbent U.S. senator, who was expected to easily win.

Update (9:27 p.m.): Mr. Zeldin briefly addressed the crowd at Stereo Garden in Patchogue before joining supporters in New York City. The Suffolk GOP has typically used the location, previously known as the Emporium, as its election night viewing location.

“We wanted to stop by and say thank you,” Mr. Zeldin said on stage, standing with his wife and two daughters. “Tonight, we’re on our way into Manhattan. We have a big, statewide watch party. We have our statewide slate and a whole bunch of other candidates. My heart is here with each and every one of you.”

The post Election 2022: LaLota elected to Congress; Zeldin loses bid for governor appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

The congressman cast his ballot Tuesday morning at the Mastic Beach firehouse before the final round of campaigning as he seeks to become the next governor of New York. Mr. Zeldin faces current Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in what is shaping up to be a much tighter race than New York has seen in recent gubernatorial races.

“We’re feeling great,” Mr. Zeldin said to reporters outside the firehouse after casting his ballot. “All the early reports is that throughout the entire state our supporters are coming out strong today. So if we keep that up, it’s going to be a hard fought and well-earned victory.”

Mr. Zeldin, 42, spoke about making New York safer and more affordable. Asked about the number of votes he needs in New York City, Mr. Zeldin said the target is about 30%.

“If we get less than 30% of the vote in New York City, we just don’t see how we can win the race,” he said. “If we get 35% or more inside New York City, it becomes very difficult to impossible to lose the race. So that’s basically the numbers we’re looking at.”

Mr. Zeldin has served four terms in Congress representing the East End before he decided to officially run for governor 19 months ago. At the time, it appeared his challenger would be Andrew Cuomo. Mr. Cuomo resigned in the summer of 2021, setting the stage for Ms. Hochul, 64, to become the state’s first female governor. She was the first woman to be a major party’s nominee when she the Democratic party nominated her as the candidate for this race.

Mr. Zeldin won a Republican primary to earn the GOP nod. He’s expected to stop by the Suffolk GOP watch party in Patchogue as polls close Tuesday and then spend the rest of the night in New York City.

Ms. Hochul appears to still be the favorite based on polling numbers. An Emerson College poll conducted Oct. 28-31 had Ms. Hochul with a 10-point advantage. A Trafalgar Group poll conducted Oct. 27-31, however, had the race at nearly a dead heat with Mr. Zeldin at a 1-point advantage.

Mr. Zeldin’s campaign has focused on crime, appealing to voters that he will make the state safer, highlighting specific incidents in New York City and on subways. Ms. Hochul has campaigned on the gun reform laws the state has passed and criticized Mr. Zeldin for his record on gun safety.

Ms. Hochul at a recent campaign event said Democrats are the best candidates to bring good-paying jobs, to protect the environment, to invest in quality education, to remove guns from streets, to protect women’s reproductive rights and to “protect the essence of democracy.”

Ms. Hochul has also pointed to Mr. Zeldin’s efforts to overturn the presidential election in 2020.

“To all my fellow Americans on the left, in the center & on the right, it’s time for us to have one big family talk in the Capitol & beyond,” the congressman tweeted on the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, shortly before a mob of Trump supporters overtook the building.

“Do you want to protect the sanctity of the ballot box and fight against voter suppression?” Ms. Hochul asked a crowd of supporters.

The post Zeldin makes final campaign pitch as race for governor draws to a close appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

In Riverhead, voters will elect candidates for Congress, state Senate and Assembly as well as decide on two ballot proposals that would address environmental initiatives throughout New York State and set term limits for the offices of county executive, county legislator and county comptroller.

Voters will also cast ballots on several statewide elections this year, headlined by the big ticket item: incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul against Republican challenger Lee Zeldin in the race for governor.

Beyond the gubernatorial race, there are contested races for U.S. Senate, state Attorney General, state comptroller, Suffolk County clerk and county comptroller.

There are several judge positions on the ballot, with most candidates running with the backing of the Democratic, Republican and Conservative parties.

The News-Review has you covered with everything you need to know before voting. Scroll below for profiles on the candidates, endorsements and a list of Election Day polling places.

Candidates

Election 2022: Meet the candidates for U.S. Congress, state Senate and Assembly

Election 2022: Race for governor headlines election that includes several statewide races

Propositions

Election 2022: Breaking down ballot propositions, from clean water to term limits

Endorsements

Election 2022: The News Review’s endorsements

Where to vote

Voters who didn’t participate in early or absentee voting must vote at their specific location for their election district. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday. Unsure of your election district? Visit voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

Here’s where to vote on Election Day:

• Election Districts 6 and 9: American Legion Post 273, Hubbard Avenue

• ED 3 and 4: Riverhead Free Library, 330 Court St., Riverhead

• EDs 8 and 16: George Young Community Center, South Jamesport Avenue, Jamesport

• ED 11: Glenwood Village recreation center, 1661 Route 58, Riverhead

• EDs 12 and 22: John Wesley Village community building, 1 Aldersgate, Riverhead

• EDs 14 and 19: Riley Avenue Elementary School, Calverton

• EDs 2 and 5: Riverhead Fire Department headquarters, Roanoke Avenue

• EDs 7, 13 and 21: Town Senior Center, Shade Tree Lane, Aquebogue 

• EDs 1, 10, 17, 18: St. John the Baptist Church, North Country Road, Wading River

• EDs 15 and 20: Wading River Congregational Church, North Country Road, Wading River

The post Voter’s Guide 2022: Candidates, endorsements, polling places appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

In Riverhead Town, there are two propositions on the back of the ballot. The first proposition on the ballot — the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act — aims to authorize the creation of state debt and sale of state bonds up to $4.2 billion to fund capital projects to “preserve, enhance and restore New York’s natural resources and reduce the impact of climate change,” according to the state website.

At least $1.1 billion would be allocated to restoration and flood risk reduction, up to $650 million would be allocated to open space land conservation and recreation, up to $1.5 billion would be allocated to climate change mitigation and at least $650 million would go towards water quality improvement and resilient infrastructure.

The second proposition was put forward by Suffolk County, and would set 12-year total term limits for the offices of county executive, county legislator and county comptroller, whether served consecutively or not. The League of Women Voters noted in an explanation that the proposition is meant to be a clarification of an existing law; county voters already approved 12-year term limits for those offices.

The post Election 2022: Breaking down ballot propositions, from clean water to term limits appeared first on Riverhead News Review.