Long Island voters deliver mixed results in state senate races
Democrats flipped the 9th District seat in Nassau County, while Republicans took three of five contested seats across the region.
By Yuki Melnyk ·
Long Island voters delivered a split verdict in Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Democrats capturing one open state senate seat in Nassau County and holding another, while Republicans won three of the five contested districts. Unofficial results from the Nassau County Board of Elections show a shift in the 9th Senate District, where Democratic challenger Lisa Vider defeated Republican incumbent Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick. Vider secured 51.24 percent of the vote compared to Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick’s 48.70 percent as of Wednesday morning.
The incumbent, first elected in 2022, has not conceded the race. Vider, a health care administrator with roughly 30 years of industry experience, campaigned on lowering property taxes and improving senior care access. She described the outcome as a signal that residents are seeking change after a surge in voter participation. “I’m a bit in shock, but I’m thrilled,” Vider said. “I’m excited, and I can’t wait to get started on all the good work that we need to do.”
In the 5th Senate District, Republican incumbent Steven Rhoads retained his seat against Democratic challenger Andrew Piddoubny. Rhoads received 57.38 percent of the vote to Piddoubny’s 42.58 percent. Rhoads, a Wantagh volunteer firefighter and attorney, was first elected in 2022 and has secured nearly $2 million in local project funding. Piddoubny, a law clerk, focused his campaign on housing shortages and child care expansion for young families.
Democratic incumbent Siela Bynoe held her seat in the 6th Senate District with 67.44 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Matthew Capp, who received 32.52 percent. Bynoe, first elected in 2024, is the first Black person to represent Long Island in the state Senate. Her legislative record includes work on affordable housing, environmental protection, and drinking water safety. Capp, a 29-year-old press secretary for the Town of Hempstead, campaigned on lowering property taxes and addressing home affordability for young adults.
Republican Jake Blumencranz won the open 7th Senate District seat, defeating Democrat Rory Lancman with 51.96 percent of the vote. Blumencranz, a two-term assemblyman from Oyster Bay, cited a desire for local representation over state control. “We just stood our ground, we fought our fight, and we won,” Blumencranz said. “It’s a really successful race that I think ultimately is a referendum showing that Nassau County needs Nassau County representation.”
In the 8th Senate District, Republican Jarett Gandolfo defeated Democrat Joshua James Taveras with 66.47 percent of the vote. Gandolfo, elected to the state Assembly in 2020, campaigned on safer neighborhoods and support for small businesses. Taveras, a Copiague native endorsed by the New York Working Families Party, focused on affordability and environmental protection for working families and renters.
The five districts cover communities from Great Neck and Mineola in the 7th District to Valley Stream and Long Beach in the 9th. Candidates across the region prioritized property-tax relief, public safety, and infrastructure improvements. The results align with a broader national trend where Democrats reclaimed control of both the U.S. House and Senate, though local outcomes on Long Island remained closely contested.
