JUST IN: GOP Wins Crucial Special Election

Enthusiasm for Republicans in deep-blue New York continues to grow nearly two months after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Last week, a Republican candidate came out on top in a local race in Southampton, a town of 70,000 on the outskirts of Long Island. Richard Martel defeated John Leonard for a seat on the town’s governing council that was previously held by a Democrat.

With over 99% of the vote reported in, Martel garnered 53%, winning by just several hundred votes.

Despite its decidedly blue hue, New York has pockets of red that are surprisingly strong — and even growing. Two of Long Island’s three congressmen are Republican, and the borough delivered the largest share of votes for President Donald Trump last November of anywhere in the city.

The western portion of Long Island has long been regarded as a working-class enclave where conservative candidates fare better than its eastern shores. Getaways like Montauk and East Hampton have housed some of the wealthiest liberal residents in coves that are just several minutes’ drive from Southampton.

As a region of Long Island, the Hamptons play host to many of the glitziest celebrity endorsers of Kamala Harris’ failed presidential bid, underscoring how notable the Southampton election is to the Hamptons’ voter demographics.

Martel, a Hampton Bays business owner who previously served on the town board from 2020 to 2023, benefited from having previously served on the town council, according to the East Hampton Star. The race was a microcosm of many national issues, including the raging debate over affordable housing and the region’s responsibility to participate in President Trump’s purge of illegal immigrants.

The GOP’s encroachment into Southampton shows that gains are continuing to be made since Harris prevailed over Trump 53.4% to 46.6%, according to the SI Reporter. Surrounding areas like Shelter Island and Easthampton went for the Harris-Walz ticket by a more than two-to-one margin.

Not content with their dominance in a single borough, New York’s GOP has promised to run more competitively across the city beginning in 2025. Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, has warmed considerably to the Trump-Vance administration and benefited from the U.S. Justice Department’s decision to withdraw its corruption case against him.

Adams, first elected in 2021, has privately told allies that he is considering running as a Republican in his reelection this November.

The citywide council currently boasts two Republican members, both of whom were reelected to their positions just last month. Minority Leader Joann Ariola represents Glendale, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Broad Channel, and the western half of the Rockaway Peninsula. Minority Whip Vickie Paladino represents the northeast Queens enclaves of College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, and parts of Flushing.