Voters have their say on Long Island

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Voters had their say on Tuesday on Long Island, home to closely watched congressional races.

In one of those contests, Laura Gillen, a Democrat and the former Hempstead Town Supervisor, claimed victory over Republican U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, the incumbent and a former police officer and Hempstead Town councilman, in a tough rematch in New York’s 4th Congressional District. D’Esposito, however, has not conceded, as of Wednesday morning.

In the contest on the East End, in the 1st Congressional District, Republican U.S. Rep Nick LaLota, the incumbent, defeated Democrat John Avlon, a former host and political analyst for CNN.

On Tuesday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi defeated Republican Mike LiPetri, a former state lawmaker in the 3rd Congressional District. Suozzi, who previously represented the district for three terms before stepping down to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022, had returned to office last year in a special election. The special election was held after former U.S. Rep. George Santos was expelled from Congress after it was revealed that he fabricated his life story and defrauded campaign donors.

And in New York’s 2nd congressional district, U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, the incumbent, defeated Democratic challenger Rob Lubin. A former assemblyman and lawyer, Garbarino will serve his third term in Congress.

Voters took to the polls Tuesday during a presidential election year that will return Donald Trump to the White House in a race that did not allow Vice President Kamala Harris, who won the contest in New York, to overtake the former president.

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was reelected to a U.S. Senate seat representing New York on Tuesday. Gillibrand defeated Republican Mike Sapraicone, a retired New York City police detective.

In this year’s election, New York voters were of particular interest nationally because of their potential to play an outsized role Tuesday in determining control of the U.S. House. Experts pointed to Republicans clinging to suburban seats they won two years ago by seizing on fears of crime, and Democrats trying to claw them back by warning that a right-wing Congress might ban abortion.

Democrats in New York unseated two first-term Republican incumbents in the U.S. House on Tuesday, one in the Hudson Valley and the other in a district that includes Syracuse, rolling back some recent GOP gains in the state.

Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate, retaking the chamber for the first time in four years. It gives the GOP a major power center in Washington and a lead role in confirming the next president’s Cabinet, as well as any Supreme Court justice if there is a vacancy.

Control over the House of Representatives is still up for grabs, with, as of Wednesday morning, over 100 races yet to be called.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.