Republican Wins Crucial Special Election

Support for the Republican Party continues to grow in deep-blue New York, even as nearly two months have passed since President Donald Trump assumed office.

In a recent local election in Southampton—a town of 70,000 residents on Long Island’s outskirts—the victory went to Republican Richard Martel, who defeated Democrat John Leonard in the race for a seat on the town’s governing council, which had previously been held by a Democrat.

With over 99% of the votes counted, Martel secured 53% of the vote, winning by several hundred ballots.

Although New York is generally seen as a Democratic stronghold, certain pockets of Republican support remain resilient and are even expanding. Long Island, for instance, has three congressional representatives, two of whom are Republicans. In the 2016 presidential election, the borough provided President Trump with more votes than any other area in New York City.

The western shores of Long Island have historically been a haven for working-class voters, where conservative candidates tend to perform better compared to the more liberal, affluent eastern shores. In areas like East Hampton and Montauk—known for being exclusive vacation spots—many wealthy liberals have long taken up residence just a short drive from Southampton.

The Hamptons, a key part of Long Island, are home to several high-profile figures who previously supported Kamala Harris’s bid for the presidency. This underscores the local significance of the Southampton election.

According to the East Hampton Star, Martel’s prior service on the town board (from 2020 to 2023) and his time on the town council gave him an advantage in the race. The election, they noted, reflected broader national concerns, such as debates over affordable housing and the local impact of President Trump’s immigration policies.

As reported by the SI Reporter, the GOP’s growing presence in Southampton signals continued momentum for the party, even after Harris’s 53.4% to 46.6% victory over Trump in the area.

In neighboring towns like Easthampton and Shelter Island, Harris and her running mate, Wald, enjoyed more than a two-to-one margin of victory.

Meanwhile, Republicans in New York City are setting their sights on broader electoral gains. Starting in 2025, the GOP aims to increase its competitiveness citywide.

Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, saw a boost in his political standing after the U.S. Justice Department decided to drop its corruption case against him. His improved relationship with the Trump-Vance administration has fueled speculation that Adams may consider running for re-election as a Republican this November.

During a Friday appearance on Fox News, former Clinton pollster Mark Penn noted that the Democratic Party is struggling with historically low approval ratings, with key voter groups abandoning the party.

A CNN/SSRS poll conducted from March 6–9 found that the party’s favorability had dropped to an unprecedented 29%. Penn expressed astonishment at this decline during an interview on “Hannity,” saying, “I’ve never seen anything like this in over 40 years of polling. The Democratic Party ratings have collapsed from a 47% favorable down to 29, 27 in some of these polls, and that’s an incredible loss of moderate, working-class voters.”

Penn observed that the party appears to be contracting into a smaller base dominated by left-wing figures such as Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who have been promoting the party’s agenda across the country.

“Those [are the] kinds of voters that the Democratic Party needs to win elections, and it’s being shrunk to a base of left-wing advocates like Bernie Sanders and AOC who were touring the country carrying the Democratic banner. That’s not helping,” Penn told Hannity.

In response to their recent losses, a coalition of national Democratic organizations—including the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Association of State Democratic Committees—launched the “People’s Town Halls” tour in Iowa last Friday. This initiative targets Republican-held districts across the nation, according to the Western Journal.

The effort comes after the Democratic Party’s major setbacks in the 2024 elections, where Republicans captured the White House and gained control of both the House and Senate.