Dems Sweep as Suozzi, Gaughran Win on Mail-In Ballots

The substantial leads that Republicans had on Election Day, after the tallies of the "in-person" early voting and Election Day votes were completed, were all erased in a tidal wave of paper "mail-in" ballots that swung every close election to the Democrats.

The mail-in vote - the minimally-secure system of ballots being mass-mailed to every registered name on the voter rolls - and then mail-ed in, or collected by paid party operatives - has now supplanted regular in person voting. And the mail-in ballots broke nearly 80% to 20% for the Democrats.

In the race for the north shore third congressional district, that runs from Whitestone, Queens to Kings Park in Smithtown, incumbent US Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) claimed victory on Wednesday, after most of the nearly 100,000 mail in ballots were counted. After Election Day, Suozzi had trailed his Republican opponent George Santos by 4,000 votes - or 50% to 48%. But Suozzi's huge margins in "the paper" turned those numbers around and gave him a victory of 211,435 votes to 161,038 votes, or 56% to 43%.

A similar thing happened in the New York State Senate race in the 5th senate district of Huntington and Oyster Bay. Incumbent Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) was trailing badly behind Huntington Councilman Ed Smyth after Election Day, by 14,000 votes - or 55% to 44%. But the 35,000 mail-in ballots up-ended those numbers, leaving Gaughran with a 3,000 vote victory margin of 50% to 49%.

First time Republican candidate Jamie Silvestri had led her Democrat rival Steve Stern, by 200 votes (50% to 49%) after Election Day. Then the paper came in, and Stern won by over 8,000 votes - 56% to 44%.

The only two north shore Republicans to survive the "blue paper wave" of mail-in ballots were Asseblyman Mike Montesano who held onto a 56% to 44% victory over novice Democrat Joe Sackman; and Keioth Brown, who won the NYS Assembly seat in Northport, but watched his victory margin of 61% to 39% on Election Day, collapse to a narrow 52% to 48% after the paper ballots were counted.