Where Democrats in New York flipped long-held Republican seats

And how those wins could change the state's political landscape for 2026.

Good afternoon — It’s Wednesday and American Football Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• Democrats marked major wins across New York, including seats they haven’t held in decades and legislative bodies that had Republican majorities.

• Here’s where those flips were across the state and how they could change the political landscape in New York heading into 2026.

• On The Bill: Hochul will consider legislation this year that would significantly alter the process for how city proposals make it on the ballot.

• A new bill seeks to place a tighter cap on the profits that can be approved for utility companies.

Names in today’s CapCon: Zohran Mamdani, Kathy Hochul, Elise Stefanik, Bruce Blakeman, Lee Zeldin, John Mannion, Pat Ryan, Kristy Marmorato, Addison Dick, Bryan Lesswing, Eric Adams, Dorcey Applyrs, Sharon Owens, Jackie Salvatore, Jeff McCann, Jennifer Townsend, Liz Krueger, Tony Simone, Jonathan Jacobson

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New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani (Yuki Iwamura/Associated Press)

☑️ Democrats won big across New York last night, not just in New York City

Democrats managed to win elections for offices across New York last night that have been held by Republicans for decades and, in at least one case, more than a century.

Many of the party’s top elected officials will now head down to Puerto Rico, if they haven’t already hopped on a plane, for this year’s SOMOS conference.

It’s an opportunity for some of the party’s senior leaders to plot out politics and policy priorities, and mix in a bit of partying while they’re at it. After Zohran Mamdani’s win in the race for New York City mayor last night, there will be plenty to discuss.

I will spare you from having to read the several think pieces that will be published in the coming days.

What they’ll boil down to is one big question for Mamdani’s party: How much of the messaging that won him the race for mayor should they fold into their broader strategy with voters and what should they leave out?

Their answer could determine if the party maintains its momentum heading into 2026, when Gov. Kathy Hochul, every member of Congress and the full state Legislature are all on the ballot.

(Will Waldron/Times Union)

1️⃣ Where Democrats flipped Republican-held seats across New York

Republicans already have the odds stacked against them for winning a statewide race. Their enrollment is less than half of what Democrats have. The odds are now stacked a bit higher.

Most polls have shown Hochul with a lead over her likely Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik. But last night’s results show that Stefanik may have more work to do with voters than she thought in areas of the state she thought were secure.

Take Dutchess County, where Democrats won enough seats in the county Legislature last night to take the majority from Republicans for the first time since 2008.

Lee Zeldin, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Republican challenger of Hochul in 2022, won that county by nearly four points.

In nearby Orange County, which Zeldin won by more than 12 points, Democrats are projected to have flipped at least four seats in the county Legislature. They also padded the majority they already had in the Ulster County Legislature.