[ THEME MUSIC ] WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF "NEW YORK NOW".

I'M SHANTEL DESTRA.

AMERICA HAS SPOKEN, AND VOTERS CHOSE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO BE THE 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING, THE FORMER PRESIDENT SECURED A DECISIVE VICTORY OVER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE AND CONSEQUENTIAL ELECTIONS IN HISTORY.

TRUMP, WHO DID NOT ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF THE 2020 ELECTION, WHICH LED TO AN INSURRECTION ON THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL WAS ALSO CONVICTED OF FELONY CHARGES AND SURVIVED TWO ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS IN THE MIDST OF THIS ELECTION CYCLE.

THE VICE PRESIDENT DID SECURE NEW YORK STATE WITH AN 11-POINT MARGIN.

THAT MARGIN IS MUCH SMALLER THAN PAST DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, INCLUDING JOE BIDEN.

AT A PRESS CONFERENCE, GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL CONGRATULATED THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND SAID THAT SHE WANTED TO REASSURE NEW YORKERS THAT THEIR RIGHTS WILL REMAIN INTACT.

AND THE ELECTION DAY NEWS DOES NOT STOP THERE, WITH DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE COMPETITIVE CONGRESSIONAL RACES IN NEW YORK CONTINUING AND CONTROL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STILL UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS FROM ELECTION DAY AND WHAT IS KNOWN UP UNTIL THIS POINT, WE'RE JOINED IN STUDIO BY AUSTIN JEFFERSON OF CITY AND STATE; DAVID LOMBARDO OF THE CAPITOL PRESS ROOM; AND RAGA JUSTIN OF THE TIMES UNION.

[MUSIC] THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING ME TODAY.

NOW NATURALLY I WANTED TO START WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE.

NOW DONALD TRUMP WILL BE HEADING BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE NEXT YEAR AFTER A PRETTY INTENSE AND HISTORIC ELECTION CYCLE.

SO I WANTED TO UNPACK WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE?

I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THIS WAS A REFERENDUM ON DONALD TRUMP OR WHETHER THIS WAS GOING TO BE A REFERENDUM ON BIDEN AND THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF DEMOCRATIC CONTROL IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

AND I THINK THESE RESULTS TELL US THAT IT WAS A REFERENDUM ON BIDEN AND NOT NECESSARILY AN ENDORSEMENT OF DONALD TRUMP.

AND VOTERS, THOUGH, SEEMED TO BE DISSATISFIED WITH THE WAY THE COUNTRY WAS GOING, AND I THINK THEY MADE THAT MESSAGE PRETTY LOUD AND CLEAR.

EVEN HERE IN NEW YORK, WHERE WE SAW VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS DID NOT AS WELL AS JOE BIDEN DID FOUR YEARS AGO, A DROP OF ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE PERCENTAGE POINTS ACROSS NEW YORK, AND EVEN IN SOME OF THE VERY BLUEST OF COUNTIES IN NEW YORK, LIKE IN NEW YORK CITY WITH THE BRONX, DONALD TRUMP MADE GAINS OF ABOUT 10 OR 11 POINTS.

NOT ENOUGH TO OBVIOUSLY FLIP A COUNTY LIKE THE BRONX OR FLIP NEW YORK STATE, BUT ENOUGH TO PUT SOME BLOOD IN THE WATER FOR THE DEMOCRATS, SO TO SPEAK.

ABSOLUTELY.

HOW WOULD YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THE ECONOMY, INFLATION, AND POCKETBOOK ISSUES IMPACTED THIS RACE?

I THINK IT WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF HARRIS'S DEFEAT, MOST LIKELY.

I MEAN, I THINK A LOT OF AMERICANS JUST GENUINELY FELT THAT THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAVE BEEN ROUGH FOR THEM ECONOMICALLY, AND THERE WAS NOWHERE ELSE TO LOOK BUT THE WHITE HOUSE, AND KAMALA HARRIS, ALTHOUGH A DIFFERENT CANDIDATE THAN JOE BIDEN, I MEAN, SHE WAS A PART OF THAT ADMINISTRATION.

YEAH.

I ALSO WANT TO SAY, I THINK WHAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO ME IS SOME OF THE GAINS THAT TRUMP HAD MADE AMONG CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHICS OF VOTERS, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNGER VOTERS.

HE SEEMED TO CLEAN UP A BIT MORE THAN HE HAD DONE FOR, YOU KNOW, EVEN EIGHT YEARS AGO, AND THAT WAS AN ESPECIALLY COMPELLING POINT GIVEN THAT AGE HAD PLAYED SUCH A BIG ROLE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE BEFORE JOE BIDEN ENDED UP DROPPING OUT AND DEMOCRATS VIEWED KAMALA HARRIS'S SORT OF RELATIVE YOUTH AND VIBRANCY AS A DEFINING FACTOR OF THAT CANDIDATE AND THEN, OF COURSE, ULTIMATELY THAT DIDN'T PROVE TO BE THE CASE.

YEAH, AND IT SEEMS LIKE DEMOCRATS IN THE WAKE OF TUESDAY NATIONALLY ARE DOING SOME SOUL SEARCHING ABOUT THE MESSAGING THEY WERE DOING.

TO AUSTIN'S POINT, IF VOTERS CARE ABOUT THE ECONOMY, YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND THE TERMS THAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT IT, WHAT IT ACTUALLY COSTS TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT THE NATIONAL INDICATORS OF THE ECONOMY ARE AND TELLING PEOPLE THAT THE ECONOMY IS DOING GREAT WHEN THEY KNOW THAT IT COSTS THEM MORE TO BUY MILK AND THEIR WAGES HAVEN'T GROWN BY THE COMMENSURATE AMOUNT.

AND IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ABORTION RIGHTS.

YEAH, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE PRO-ABORTION, BUT NOT EVERYONE'S A ONE-ISSUE VOTER.

THEY CARE ABOUT A VARIETY OF THINGS.

AND IN SOME CASES, YOU KNOW, APPARENTLY THE ECONOMY WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS RHETORIC ABOUT ABORTION RIGHTS.

AND HOW DO YOU THINK THAT CAME UP IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE RACE?

I MEAN, WE SAW BOTH CANDIDATES DOING A LOT OF MEDIA APPEARANCES, A LOT OF RALLIES.

HOW DO YOU THINK THOSE LAST EFFORTS HELP OR HINDER EACH CANDIDATE?

I THINK THE FINAL DAYS OF THE CAMPAIGN, YOU SAW TRUMP, I THINK, REALLY DIGGING INTO APPEALING TO THE WORKING CLASS ACROSS ALL DEMOGRAPHICS, AND IT APPEARS TO HAVE WORKED A GREAT EFFECT.

BUT I THINK WITH HARRIS, THE MESSAGE BECAME SO NARROW THAT YOU MIGHT KEEP SOME DEMOCRATIC VOTERS, BUT BY AND LARGE, THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WASN'T REALLY BUYING WHAT DEMOCRATS WERE SELLING BECAUSE THEY FELT IT WASN'T BEING SOLD TO THEM.

THEY ALSO WERE THE STATUS QUO, RIGHT?

THEY WERE THE ESTABLISHMENT.

AND I THINK WHEN YOU'RE DISSATISFIED WITH THE STATE OF YOUR LIFE TO DAVE AND AUSTIN'S POINT, YOU TEND TO POINT FINGERS AT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CHARGE.

SO REGARDLESS IF DEMOCRATS HAVE HAD POLICIES OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, BORNE FRUIT IN TERMS OF BRINGING DOWN INFLATION OR UNEMPLOYMENT RATES OR WHATEVER, AGAIN, PEOPLE WEREN'T NECESSARILY THINKING ABOUT THAT.

THEY WERE JUST UPSET WITH WHO WAS IN CHARGE AT THE TIME.

AND WE SAW GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL COME OUT THIS WEEK.

FIRST, SHE CONGRATULATED THE FORMER PRESIDENT ON HIS WIN, BUT THEN SHE MADE IT A POINT TO REASSURE NEW YORKERS THAT THEIR RIGHTS WOULD REMAIN INTACT.

SHE WAS, OF COURSE, JOINED BY ATTORNEY GENERAL TISH JAMES.

SO I WANTED TO GET YOUR READ ON THAT SENTIMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR.

WILL THAT BE ENOUGH TO SORT OF CURTAIL ANY EFFORTS BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS FOR EXAMPLE MORE DIFFICULT?

IT STRUCK ME AS PRETTY TONE DEAF IN THE WAKE OF THE ELECTION THAT THE GOVERNOR AND ATTORNEY GENERAL WERE STILL FOCUSING ON THIS IDEA OF DEMOCRACY AND CIVIL RIGHTS AND HOW WE'RE THIS LAST BASTIAN AGAINST DONALD TRUMP WHEN THAT WAS CLEARLY NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS ON THE MIND OF A MAJORITY, EXCUSE ME, A VAST MAJORITY OF VOTERS IN NEW YORK WITH DONALD TRUMP WINNING ABOUT 45 PERCENT OF THE STATE.

I WAS REALLY SHOCKED THAT WE DIDN'T SEE A GOVERNOR ON WEDNESDAY WHO WAS TRYING TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THAT 45 PERCENT OF NEW YORKERS WHO DIDN'T WANT HARRIS IN THE WHITE HOUSE, WHO APPARENTLY WERE NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT THE THREAT OF TRUMP, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE REAL.

AND SO, WHILE NATIONALLY DEMOCRATS ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE PIVOT TO WORKING CLASS ISSUES, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY TELLING THAT THE GOVERNOR WAS FOCUSING MORE ON SOME OF THE RHETORIC THAT WE SAW DOWN THE STRETCH FROM THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL.

BUT I GUESS TO PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE THE GOVERNOR WAS ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW, CAMPAIGNING FOR HARRIS.

SO IT KIND OF PUT HER IN A TOUGH POSITION.

I MEAN AFTER TRUMP SECURED THE WIN, SHE COULDN'T NECESSARILY FLIP THE SCRIPT.

SO YOU KNOW HOW DOES THAT -- SHE COULD BE CALCITRANT SHE COULD SAY THAT.

YOU KNOW WE AS DEMOCRATS NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF FOCUSING ON THE ISSUES THAT RESONATE WITH VOTERS AND WHAT THOSE ISSUES AT THIS POINT.

WELL, WE CAN PLAY ARM-CHAIR QUARTERBACK AND SAY IT'S THE ECONOMY, WE CAN SAY IT'S INFLATION.

WE'LL GET A BETTER SENSE OF THAT WHEN THERE'S A BETTER REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF THE DATA.

BUT AT THIS POINT, IT DOES SEEM LIKE THE GOVERNOR'S MESSAGING AND DEMOCRATS MORE BROADLY WAS NOT NECESSARILY SUCCESSFUL.

THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT DEMOCRATS DOWN BALLOT WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL WITH THEIR MESSAGING BECAUSE AS WE SAW THAT DEMOCRATS DID MAKE INROADS IN CONGRESSIONAL SEATS HERE IN NEW YORK.

AND YOU KNOW, ON THAT POINT, I WANTED TO GET INTO SOME OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE CONGRESSIONAL RACES THIS YEAR.

IT'S NO SECRET THAT NEW YORK WAS PIVOTAL IN TERMS OF EACH PARTY VYING TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

STARTING WITH THE 19TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, WHICH, RAGA, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE CLOSELY BEEN REPORTING ON.

THIS WAS A RACE THAT WAS A REMATCH BETWEEN JOSH RILEY AND MARK MOLINARO.

IT GOT PRETTY INTENSE AND PERSONAL, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST FEW DAYS OF THAT RACE WITH CONSTANT TELEVISION ADS, I MEAN, IN THE DISTRICT.

SO AS SOMEONE WHO WAS A PART OF THE DEBATE PANEL FOR THAT RACE, WHAT WAS YOUR READ ON THINGS HEADING INTO ELECTION DAY?

WELL, SOME OF THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS HERE IS JUST THE SPENDING, RIGHT?

IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE RACES IN THE COUNTRY.

AND DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS BOTH VIEWED IT AS A TOSS-UP, WHICH I THINK WAS OBVIOUSLY REFLECTED IN THE SPENDING.

I THINK IT WAS OVER $45 MILLION THAT ENDED UP BEING POURED INTO THE RACE.

TO YOUR POINT, A LOT OF IT WAS ON TELEVISION ADS AND POLITICAL ADVERTISING IN GENERAL.

ANECDOTALLY, VOTERS SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T GO A DAY WITHOUT BEING BOMBARDED WITH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT WAS IN THEIR MAILBOXES OR WHEN THEY TURNED ON THE TV AND WATCHED YOUTUBE VIDEOS, THERE WAS ALWAYS AN AD PLAYING FOR EITHER JOSH RILEY OR MARK MOLINARO.

THE TONE OF IT, THE TENOR WAS REALLY CONTENTIOUS, LIKE YOU SAID, AT THE DEBATE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH, PARTICULARLY ON IMMIGRATION.

IT ENDED UP BEING ONE OF THE HOTTEST ISSUES UPSTATE, AT LEAST IN THIS DISTRICT.

YOU KNOW, I THINK BOTH CANDIDATES WERE SORT OF SEEKING TO PORTRAY THE OTHER AS SOMEONE WHO WAS MISREPRESENTING THEIR OWN POLITICS AND THEIR OWN POLICY POSITIONS ON THINGS AND YEAH AGAIN ULTIMATELY I THINK THAT THE RACE WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST PROFILE IN THE COUNTRY AND BOTH THE THEME AND CONTENT OF THE ADVERTISING AND THE SPENDING REALLY REFLECTED THAT.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND I KNOW THAT THE AP CALLED THAT RACE FOR JOSH RILEY.

AT THIS JUNCTURE, I'M NOT SURE IF MARK MOLINARO EVEN HAS, YOU KNOW, SUCCEEDED THE RACE.

BUT IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IN THAT RACE FROM YOUR PREVIEW?

I MEAN, I THINK HE ALIGNED HIMSELF VERY CLOSELY WITH TRUMP POLICIES, ESPECIALLY ON IMMIGRATION.

AND IT WAS, I THINK, FOR HIM, IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD THING TO DO, A GOOD TAKE FOR HIS CAMPAIGN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN THESE CANDIDATES SORT OF TRYING TO STAKE OUT THEIR INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS ON IMMIGRATION, GIVEN THAT IT'S BEEN SUCH A HOT BUTTON ISSUE, RIGHT?

I MEAN, YOU SAW ALL THESE PEOPLE COMING IN FROM THE SOUTHERN BORDER INTO THE CITY, INTO THESE UPSTATE DISTRICTS, SO OF COURSE IT WAS TOP OF MIND, AND OF COURSE PEOPLE WERE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IT.

AND I THINK MOLINARO WENT JUST A LITTLE TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT WHEN HE WAS MAKING HIS POINTS ABOUT WHAT HE WANTED TO DO.

JOSH RILEY ALSO, TO HIS CREDIT, SORT OF SUCCESSFULLY POINTED OUT THE FACT THAT MOLINARO'S BEEN IN CONGRESS FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, YOU KNOW, HE THEORETICALLY HAD THE CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

HE COULD HAVE SIGNED SOME SORT OF COMPREHENSIVE, OR WORKED TO PUSH COMPREHENSIVE BORDER REFORM.

DIDN'T NECESSARILY END UP DOING THAT.

TO HIS CREDIT, YOU KNOW, MARK MOLINARO POINTED TO JOSH RILEY AS SOMEONE WHO WAS SORT OF A DC OUTSIDER, SOMEONE WHO HASN'T SPENT MUCH TIME IN THE DISTRICT AND NOT ONLY DOESN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, HASN'T FIXED THE ISSUES WITH IMMIGRATION OR IS PART OF A PARTY THAT HASN'T DONE MUCH, YOU KNOW, TO FIX IMMIGRATION, BUT ALSO AS SOMEONE WHO WAS VERY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE VOTERS IN THE 19TH DISTRICT'S EVERYDAY POCKETBOOK ISSUES LIKE THE ECONOMY AND INFLATION.

BUT YEAH, I THINK ULTIMATELY HE JUST SKEWED A LITTLE TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT, AND JOSH RILEY WAS SUCCESSFUL AT POSITIONING HIMSELF AS A BIPARTISAN, MORE MODERATE DEMOCRAT, SOMEONE WHO WAS WILLING TO WORK ACROSS THE AISLE AND SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST SAYS THAT HE HAS MORE TANGIBLE POLICY POSITIONS THAN ANY OF THE REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS DO RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT.

AND YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, THAT WASN'T THE ONLY COMPETITIVE RACE OF THE NIGHT.

AUSTIN, YOU WERE CLOSELY WATCHING THE 17TH CONGRESSIONAL RACE BETWEEN MIKE LAWLER AND MONDAIRE JONES.

NOW, THIS, OF COURSE, WAS A VERY INTENSE RACE AS WELL, WITH A LOT OF NATIONAL ATTENTION ON THIS RACE, IT WAS CONSIDERED A TOSS-UP EVEN DOWN TO THE LAST FINAL DAYS.

SO WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THE BIGGEST POLICY ISSUES THAT CAME UP IN THIS RACE, AS WELL AS THE MESSAGING FROM BOTH CANDIDATES?

I THINK BETWEEN ASSAULT REFORM FOREIGN POLICY IN ISRAEL, I THINK THAT REALLY MATTERED TO VOTERS A LOT.

I THINK TO AN EXTENT, ABORTION AS WELL, BUT AS RESULTS SORT OF DISPLAYED, THAT WASN'T A BIG ENOUGH ISSUE TO HELP SOMEONE LIKE MONDAIRE WIN THAT DISTRICT.

I MEAN, I THINK AT A CERTAIN POINT THE POLICY ISSUES IN THAT RACE STOPPED MATTERING.

IT BECAME MORE OF A CASE OF YOU KNOW CAN THEY GET OVER THE PROBLEMS THAT MONDAIRE HAS PRESENTED AS A CANDIDATE IN ORDER TO FLIP THAT DISTRICT BLUE, WHICH I MEAN BASED ON VOTER REGISTRATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOABLE FOR DEMOCRATS, BUT IT JUST BECAME IMPOSSIBLE AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS OF JUST REALLY BAD PRESS FOR THEM.

AND IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME, IT SEEMED LIKE THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL DEBATES OVER THE COURSE OF THAT RACE.

WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT STOOD OUT TO YOU IN TERMS OF THE DEBATES FOR THAT CONGRESSIONAL SEAT?

I MEAN, I THINK JUST THE CHARGED RHETORIC THROUGHOUT, IT DEFINITELY BECAME A CONSTANT THING WHERE, YOU KNOW, EXTREMISM WAS THROWN FROM BOTH SIDES AS A SORT OF ATTACK AND I MEAN THEY BOTH MADE THEIR POINTS.

BUT I THINK IT DIDN'T LAND AS ROUGHLY ON LAWLER AS SOME HAD HOPED.

DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS THE END, YOU KNOW, END OF THE ROAD FOR MONDAIRE JONES?

IF HE WON THIS RACE, IT CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN A COMEBACK STORY, BUT DO WE THINK THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT HE MIGHT MOUNT ANOTHER CAMPAIGN IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS OR EVEN IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS?

I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A PATH BACK FOR MONDAIRE IN THAT DISTRICT OR IN POLITICS IN GENERAL.

I THINK BETWEEN LOSING THE DISTRICT IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THEM TRUSTING HIM TO STAY THERE AFTER IT WAS REVEALED THAT HE LEFT TO RUN IN MANHATTAN IN 2022.

AND I THINK LOSING, YOU KNOW, PROGRESSIVE SUPPORT OVER HIS STANCES ON THE WAR IN GAZA, I THINK THERE'S JUST NOT REALLY A BASE FOR HIM TO PULL FROM ANYMORE.

YEAH.

DO YOU THINK THAT HE WOULD HAVE HAD A BETTER CHANCE HAD HE STAYED IN THE RACE IN 2022 AGAINST, YOU KNOW, SEAN PATRICK MALONEY AT THE TIME?

UNDOUBTEDLY, YEAH.

I MEAN, HE WAS KNOWN IN THE DISTRICT AT THE TIME.

AT THE TIME HE HAD A GREAT BASE OF SUPPORT.

PEOPLE GENUINELY BELIEVED IN WHAT HE STOOD FOR, BUT I THINK THINGS CHANGED A LOT IN TWO YEARS.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND ANOTHER COMPETITIVE RACE, OF COURSE, WAS FOR THE 22ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

NOW, THIS WAS A RACE BETWEEN STATE SENATOR JOHN MANNION AND REPRESENTATIVE BRANDON WILLIAMS.

NOW, THIS RACE WAS SEEN AS A MUST WIN FOR DEMOCRATS IF THEY WANTED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

DAVE, I KNOW THAT YOU MODERATED AN AWESOME DEBATE FOR THIS RACE LEADING UP TO ELECTION DAY.

SO WHAT WAS YOUR READ ON THE RACE?

FIRST OFF, THANKS FOR THE COMPLIMENTS ON THE DEBATE.

IT WAS VERY GOOD.

I ENJOYED IT.

THIS IS ONE THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAVE COVETED FOR ABOUT A DECADE.

IT'S A CENTRAL NEW YORK DISTRICT THAT INCLUDES SYRACUSE.

IT'S PRETTY EVENLY SPLIT BETWEEN DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, BUT HAS BEEN IN REPUBLICAN CONTROL FOR ABOUT A DECADE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT DEMOCRATS HAVE ROUTINELY WON THE TOP OF THE TICKET WHEN IT COMES TO PRESIDENTIAL YEARS.

IN JOHN MANNION, DEMOCRATS SEEM TO HAVE FOUND THE SECRET SAUCE FOR TAKING DOWN A REPUBLICAN HERE WITH BRANDON WILLIAMS.

WHAT WE SAW IS THAT MANNION ACTUALLY OUTPERFORMED HARRIS IN PARTS OF THE DISTRICT IN A REAL IMPORTANT WAY BECAUSE IN THE PAST WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT THE REPUBLICAN HAS DRAMATICALLY OUTPERFORMED THE REPUBLICAN AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET.

I THINK THAT THE CRITIQUE FOR WILLIAMS HAS BEEN THAT HE WAS NOT NECESSARILY AS CENTER-ORIENTED AS SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO REPRESENT THIS DISTRICT NEEDS TO BE.

AND I THINK MANNION, BASED ON HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE STATE SENATE, WHERE HE KIND OF DEVELOPED A REPUTATION OF BEING A CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRAT, IS KIND OF A GOOD FIT FOR VOTERS IN THIS DISTRICT.

THAT'S NOT TO SAY HE RAN AWAY WITH THINGS, OR THAT IT WON'T BE COMPETITIVE IN 2026, BUT IF MANNION IS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT SORT OF CENTER-LEFT REPUTATION, I THINK HE'S IN GOOD SHAPE TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE IN THIS AREA FOR A WHILE.

HOW WOULD YOU SAY REDISTRICTING MADE THE DISTRICT MORE FRIENDLY FOR MANNION HEADING INTO ELECTION DAY?

YEAH.

AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER THIS WAS ALREADY A DISTRICT THAT DEMOCRATS THOUGHT WOULD BE COMPETITIVE.

BUT IN THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS THAT TOOK PLACE IN EARLY 2024, WHICH WAS CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THEY ESSENTIALLY GAVE IT A LITTLE MORE BREATHING ROOM FOR A DEMOCRAT.

THEY MADE IT A LITTLE FRIENDLIER IN NEIGHBORING ONEIDA COUNTY.

SO MANNION MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WIN ON THE MAP THAT EXISTED IN 2022, BUT THIS WAS CLEARLY SET TO BENEFIT HIM, AND WE SAW THAT THIS WAS THE ONE DISTRICT WHERE DEMOCRATS HAD THE MOST INFLUENCE IN SHAPING THE BOUNDARIES COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE STATE.

BECAUSE IN NY-19, AS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, IN NY-17, THERE WASN'T AS MUCH MOVEMENT IN THE BOUNDARIES TO HELP DEMOCRATS, AND OBVIOUSLY JOSH RILEY IN NY-19 DIDN'T NEED IT, AND MONDAIRE JONES PROBABLY NEEDED A LOT MORE HELP.

RIGHT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THROUGHOUT THIS RACE, GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL, SHE POURED A LOT OF RESOURCES, AS WELL AS POLITICAL CAPITAL IN THOSE BATTLEGROUND RACES.

SO HOW DO WE THINK THE RESULTS WILL IMPACT THE POLITICAL PROWESS OF BOTH THE STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND ALSO THE GOVERNOR.

I THINK HOCHUL LOOKS AMAZING FOR HOW WELL THE COORDINATED CAMPAIGN DID, AS FAR AS GETTING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE SEATS FLIPPED AND, YOU KNOW, BOOSTING CANDIDATES.

BUT I THINK THE TROUBLING THING FOR HER TO CONSIDER IS THAT WHILE, YOU KNOW, THE STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WAS ABLE TO PROP UP SWING DISTRICTS, I MEAN, SWING DISTRICT CANDIDATES, IT DIDN'T REALLY HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE TOP OF THE TICKET.

SO I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT LEADS THEM AS FAR AS BUILDING A WIDER PLATFORM, BECAUSE IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, NARROWLY TARGET ALL THEIR MESSAGING, DISTRICT TO DISTRICT, TO REALLY GET, YOU KNOW, VICTORIES.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LEARNINGS THAT DEMOCRATS SHOULD BE TAKING FROM THIS YEAR WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT RACES AHEAD IN THE YEARS TO COME?

I MEAN, THEY'VE GOT A MESSAGING ISSUE FOR SURE.

I THINK WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE POCKETBOOK ISSUES BUT ALSO THESE IDEOLOGICAL POLICIES THAT THEY'VE TAKEN UP AND THEY'RE JUST DOING A LOT.

AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY DONE THEY'RE NOT DOING A GREAT JOB AT CONVINCING VOTERS THAT THEY HAVE DONE IT SO I THINK GOING FORWARD THERE HAS TO BE A SOUL SEARCHING OR SOME SORT OF RECKONING AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO, I THINK, PICK A LANE AND STICK TO IT IN A WAY THAT'LL CARVE BACK SOME OF THOSE LOSSES THAT THEY'VE CEDED OVER TO REPUBLICANS.

WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR TODAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK WITH US.

THANKS FOR HAVING US.

THANKS FOR HAVING US.

THANKS.

AND WE WERE SPEAKING WITH DAVID LOMBARDO OF THE CAPITOL PRESS ROOM, AUSTIN JEFFERSON OF CITY AND STATE, AND RAGA JUSTIN OF THE TIMES UNION.

AND FOR MORE ON THE RESULTS FROM RACES THIS YEAR, YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

AGAIN, THAT'S AT NYNOW.ORG.

AS WE'VE DISCUSSED HERE ON THE SHOW, VOTER TURNOUT WAS A HUGE CONCERN FOR CANDIDATES LEADING UP TO ELECTION DAY.

CONCERNS OVER VOTER SUPPRESSION AS WELL AS VOTER FRAUD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO PEOPLE FEELING WEARY ABOUT CASTING THEIR BALLOTS.

TO UNDERSTAND HOW VOTERS AND POLL WORKERS WERE FEELING ON ELECTION DAY, OUR ELISE KLINE TOOK A TRIP TO THE POLLS IN THE CAPITAL REGION.

HERE'S THAT STORY.

[MUSIC] VOTER TURNOUT VARIED ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR THIS YEAR'S GENERAL ELECTION, AND IN NEW YORK, THERE SEEMED TO BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF VOTERS.

EARLY VOTING ALONE TOTALED NEARLY 3 MILLION VOTERS ACCORDING TO UNOFFICIAL DATA FROM THE NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS.

POLL WORKER MARY SIBONICH SAYS EARLY VOTING WAS CONSTANTLY BUSY AT THE POLLS.

EARLY VOTING WAS A CONSTANT FLOW.

THERE WAS NO LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL UNTIL ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK.

WE COULDN'T SEE THE LIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR.

JUNE HENDRICKS WHO VOTED A FEW WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION DAY SAYS SHE CAUGHT A LULL BUT HER POLL SITE STILL SEEMED TO BE PACKED.

THE POLL WORKER SAID THAT WE'RE FIFTH IN LINE NOW, BUT THERE HAD BEEN A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THERE BEFORE US, SO WE HIT A LULL.

AND JUST AS WE WERE LEAVING, A WHOLE OTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE CAME IN.

SO WE WERE LUCKY WE WERE IN AND OUT IN MAYBE FIVE OR 10 MINUTES.

ON ELECTION DAY, I TRAVELED TO POLL SITES ACROSS THE CAPITAL REGION, WHERE THERE WAS A CONSISTENT FLOW OF VOTERS COMING IN AND OUT OF THE POLLS TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS, SOME HAVING TO WAIT IN LINE.

POLL WORKER LILY HARWOOD AT A SITE IN ALBANY SAYS IT WAS BUSY ALL MORNING.

WE PROBABLY SURPASSED THE FIRST PRIMARY AND WE'RE WAY AHEAD OF THE SECOND PRIMARY.

ANOTHER POLL WORKER SAYS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING IN SEEMED UNSHAKABLE.

IT'S BEEN PRETTY STEADY AS FAR AS PEOPLE COMING IN.

RIGHT NOW, IT'S EARLY IN THE DAY AND TYPICALLY IT PICKS UP MORE TOWARD, I'D SAY MORE TOWARD FOUR, FIVE O 'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN PEOPLE GET OUT OF WORK.

A FEW POLL SITES THROUGHOUT THE DAY HAD LINES WHERE VOTERS PATIENTLY WAITED TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS.

WHILE THERE WERE SEVERAL RACES ON NEW YORKER'S BALLOTS, PRESIDENTIAL, CONGRESSIONAL, UNITED STATES SENATE, LOCAL ASSEMBLY, LOCAL SENATE AND LOCAL COURT JUDGES, MANY VOTERS SAID THEY SHOWED UP FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE.

FOR SOME VOTERS, THERE WERE KEY ISSUES THAT BROUGHT THEM TO THE POLLS.

VOTER ANN BREWSTER SAYS GUN CONTROL IS AN ISSUE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO HER VOTE.

WELL, I WANTED WHAT I FEEL IS THE RIGHT PERSON TO GET IN THE OFFICE TO PROTECT MY GUN RIGHTS.

MANY VOTERS SAY THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT DROVE THEM TO THE POLLS WAS FIGHTING FOR DEMOCRACY.

KATHY HODGES, WHO NO LONGER HAS A CAR, TOOK A BUS TO HER POLL SITE TO CAST HER VOTE.

SPEAKING UP FOR DEMOCRACY.

I MEAN, I'M IN FAVOR OF WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE STANDING FOR.

VOTER ANTONIA MARTIN, WHO SAYS SHE HAS VOTED IN EVERY ELECTION SINCE SHE WAS LEGALLY ABLE TO, SAYS ELECTIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO HER.

AND I'M DOING THIS IN HOPES FOR MY CHILDREN AND MY GRANDCHILDREN.

OTHER VOTERS ALSO WENT TO THE POLLS WITH THEIR FAMILY IN MIND.

TODD HUNSINGER WENT TO HIS POLL SITE IN ALBANY WITH HIS GRANDFATHER'S WORLD WAR II UNIFORM INSIGNIA TO FIGHT FASCISM.

HE SAYS THE SAME WAY HIS GRANDFATHER DID ABOUT 90 YEARS AGO.

HE SAYS HE VOTED FOR DEMOCRACY AND HIS DAUGHTER.

I'M FIGHTING FOR DEMOCRACY.

I'M FIGHTING FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

MY 20-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS THAT WOMEN MY AGE ENJOYED.

OTHER VOTERS ALSO STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING.

VOTER DOUGLAS BENJAMIN SAYS HE CAST HIS VOTE THINKING ABOUT THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR DEMOCRACY BEFORE HIM.

THIS IS PART OF WHAT MY ANCESTORS, YOU KNOW, DIED FOR US FOR THE RIGHT TO DO THIS.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT.

YOU KNOW, MY PARENTS, THEY FOUGHT FOR THIS, FOR ME TO HAVE THIS RIGHT TO DO THAT, TO VOTE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I FEEL GREAT, LIKE I'VE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING.

AND BENJAMIN ISN'T ALONE.

OTHER VOTERS LIKE WILLIAM BONDI SAY VOTING IS A WAY TO BE HEARD.

I HOPE ENOUGH PEOPLE WAKE UP AND REALIZE WHO THEY'RE VOTING FOR.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR RIGHTS ARE AND TO STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND VOTE.

THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARD.

ACCORDING TO UNOFFICIAL DATA FROM THE NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, NEARLY 8 MILLION PEOPLE VOTED IN THIS YEAR'S ELECTION.

AND WHILE MAIL-IN BALLOTS ARE STILL BEING COUNTED, THIS NUMBER SEEMS LOWER COMPARED TO THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, WHICH TOTALED 8.6 MILLION VOTERS.

POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR SEAN DONAHUE SAYS THE DEMOCRATIC TURNOUT IN PARTICULAR IN THIS YEAR'S ELECTION SEEMS TO BE LOWER COMPARED TO 2020.

SO WHAT THIS IS KIND OF POINTING TO ME POTENTIALLY IS THAT THERE JUST WASN'T THE PASSION ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE AMONG ALL DEMOCRATIC VOTERS.

NOW CLEARLY, CLEARLY I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WILL BE LISTENING TO THIS AND THINKING, OH YES, I WAS FIRED UP AND READY TO GO WHEN I VOTED, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT AMONG THE 5.2 OR SO MILLION PEOPLE THAT VOTED FOR JOE BIDEN LAST TIME, THAT NOT ALL OF THEM VOTED.

DONAHUE ALSO SAYS NEW YORK HAS FEWER RESIDENTS THAN IT DID IN 2020, WHICH COULD BE A FACTOR IN LOWER TURNOUT.

AND I THINK THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND ANOTHER THING THAT WOULD HAVE TO DEFINITELY, SAY, CONTRIBUTE TO THE LOWER TURNOUT IS THERE ARE LESS PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN NEW YORK IN 2024 THAN IN 2022.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CENSUS HAS SHOWED THAT, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE LAST CENSUS, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE LEFT THE STATE.

DONAHUE ADDS, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE WERE SOME PLACES WITH BETTER DEMOCRATIC TURNOUT IN SOME PLACES WHERE NUMBERS DIPPED.

IT'S CERTAINLY BEEN A HIGH-STAKES ELECTION CYCLE, AND AT THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY, YOU CAN FEEL THE ANXIOUS AND EXCITED ENERGY.

MANY NEW YORKERS STOOD IN LINE TO CAST THEIR BALLOT, WHILE OTHERS CAME IN AND OUT OF THE POLLS RELATIVELY QUICKLY, THOUGH THERE WAS STILL A STEADY FLOW OF NEW YORKERS VOTING AT POLLS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS.

SOME VOTERS SAY AFTER CASTING THEIR BALLOT, THEY FEEL RELIEVED AND GOOD ABOUT THEIR CHOICES.

ELISE KLINE, "NEW YORK NOW".

[MUSIC] AND FOR MORE ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND ON ELECTION DAY, YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

AGAIN, THAT'S AT NYNOW.ORG.

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WELL, THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF "NEW YORK NOW".

THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN AND SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

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