New York’s hottest accessory is…

Columbia’s fall break is specifically scheduled over Election Day so students can go home and vote, so Bwog hopes you all did (or at least voted on campus). Whether you did or not, though, the results of these midterm elections are going to affect the country, the state, the city, and you. Yes, you! To help you make sense of the results, we’ve compiled a guide, and you can stay informed! Thanks to our friends at NYU Local for the inspiration. 

Nationwide:

  • Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) defeated Republican Chele Farley for a second term. This was pretty much a given and will have little effect on whether she decides to run for president in 2020.
  • Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who has been representing New York’s 10th congressional district for almost three decades, easily defeated his Republican opponent with a margin of 62%. The Democrats’ recapture of the House of Representatives means that Nadler will chair the House Judiciary Committee beginning in January – and he’s no Trump fan.

Statewide:

  • Morningside Heights sits in State Assembly District 69 (nice). Democrat Daniel O’Donnell, Assembly member since 2003, won re-election with 92% of the vote (!). Fun fact: O’Donnell was the first openly gay politician elected to the NYS Assembly. He’s also Rosie O’Donnell’s older brother.
  • We are also located in State Senatorial District, 30, represented by Brian Benjamin. Benjamin was also easily re-elected to a second term in the State Senate. Like most people with a brain, he strongly opposes calling South Harlem “SoHa.”
  • Public Advocate Letitia James made history by becoming the first black woman elected New York Attorney General.
  • And Andrew Cuomo won a third term as governor after defeating Cynthia Nixon (BC ’87) in the primary and Republican Mark Molinaro in the general election.

Locally:

  • New Yorkers voted on three proposals, and all of them passed.
    • Question 1 asked if voters would like to amend the city charter to lower the amount a candidate running for city office can accept from one contributor from $5,100 to $2,000.
    • Question 2 asked if voters were in favor of amending the city charter for the creation of a 15-member civic engagement committee which would “dedicated to enhancing civic participation and strengthening democracy in New York City.”
    • Question 3 asked if voters were in favor of amending the city charter to limit the terms of a community board member to four consecutive two-year terms.

It was a good night for New York Democrats. Max Rose defeated incumbent Daniel Donovan to represent New York’s 11th congressional district, which includes Staten Island and parts of South Brooklyn. This means that all 34 congressional districts considered entirely urban are represented by Democrats, increasing the urban-rural political divide in our country. Democrats also now control all three branches of the state government, so expect to hear a lot more from Cuomo as he governs virtually unchecked.

And that’s it! The midterms are over, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief as we wait for 2020. Except someone’s already running.

voting via Bwog Archives