Democrats who won these local contests shared similar stories about what they saw on the ground. Trump voters didnāt necessarily throw their MAGA hats into bonfires. But economic anxiety persists in every corner of the state. And Republican voters feeling the pinch ā whether over federal cuts, tariffs, or inflation ā are now at least willing to hear a pitch from Democrats.
In the town of Erwin, just north of the Pennsylvania border, Democrat Debbie Shannon ousted Republican Steuben County Legislator James Kuhl, the son of a former congressman.
āI knocked on everyoneās door, and the economy is the big hot button issue,ā Shannon said. āEspecially for Republicans who said Trump ran on āIām going to lower the price of eggs,ā and that isnāt happening. I think theyāre breaking with the administration.ā
This November was only the second time since 1989 that Democrats won mayoral races in each of the stateās five largest cities. Sharon Owens was the first Democrat elected Syracuseās mayor in 12 years, Sean Ryan received the most votes in a contested Buffalo race since 1981, and Mamdani received more votes than any Democratic nominee in New York City since at least 1965.
Democratic performance in places that were once untouchable Republican strongholds is perhaps more notable when looking ahead to next year. Consider, for example, the Rochester suburbs: Penfield elected a Democratic supervisor for the first time in four decades, Greece for the first time in 120 years, and Perinton for the first timeĀ since the Civil War.
Voters cast their ballots at the Susan B. Anthony Museum & House in Rochester in 2024. | Lauren Petracca/AP
Democrats also flipped mayoral or supervisor offices in places like Tonawanda, Oneonta, Monroe, Rensselaer, Johnson City and Riverhead.
All told, there were 118 municipal executive races outside of New York City this year that were contested in either 2021 or 2023. The number of ballots cast for Democrats grew from 1.3 million to 1.6 million, a 22 percent increase. The number for Republicans grew 1 percent to 1.6 million.
