...
By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Democratic Party has won a local election in New York, garnering more of the vote share than it did when the seat was last contested.
According to estimates from The Associated Press, Erik Bottcher won the New York State Senate District 47 election on Tuesday with 91.7 percent of the vote, while his Republican challenger, Charlotte Friedman, received 7.6 percent.
When the incumbent Democrat Brad Hoylman-Sigal won his election in November 2024, he secured 71.9 percent of the vote, meaning the party has increased its vote share by nearly 20 percentage points this year.
Read More on Politics
The victory continues a recent trend of the Democratic Party overperforming in special elections at the state and federal level.
...
Why It Matters
The local election comes ahead of the November midterms, when the GOP is hoping to protect its slim majorities in the House and Senate. The Democratic swell could cause disquiet among Republican strategists.
The party that does not hold the keys to the White House tends to perform better in midterm elections. In 2018, Republicans lost the House and the Democrats gained 41 seats. Losing the House or the Senate would upset the balance of power in Congress and make it more difficult for President Donald Trump to carry out his legislative agenda.
What To Know
Bottcher, a Manhattan councilmember, won the election after Holyman-Sigal resigned from the State Senate to become Manhattan borough president.
Scott Lucas, who teaches international politics at University College Dublin, told Newsweek that "we're seeing a trend going back to last November's elections" that shows "that Trump is losing support" from people who "may have voted for Trump in 2024 on issues like the economy or immigration but just simply don't agree with the approach that this administration is taking."
But David Laska, the communications director of the New York State Republican Party, told Newsweek: "Let's not draw sweeping conclusions from a low-turnout special election in one of the most liberal districts in the country. Manhattan's ultra-liberal west side is hardly a bellwether for statewide sentiment.
"Election Day is still nine months away - that's a lifetime in politics and Republicans haven't even nominated our statewide candidates yet.
"When New Yorkers go to the polls this fall, they'll be voting for change after the disastrous results of one-party Democratic rule: the highest taxes, the most regulation, the least freedom and the worst out-migration in the nation. That record, not a low-turnout special election in Manhattan, is what will define this election."
List of Biggest Democratic Overperformances 2025-26
Bottcher's victory comes amid other recent strong performances by Democrats in elections, relative to the 2024 presidential result.
New York SD-22 - Democratic swing + 90
Democrats’ strongest overperformance came in New York’s 22nd State Senate District, where Democrat Sam Sutton won by 35 points in a May special election. Trump had carried the seat by 55 points in November, producing a roughly 90‑point swing toward Democrats. The South Brooklyn district includes sizable Orthodox Jewish communities and has favored Trump at the top of the ticket in recent cycles, though it has shown a greater openness to Democrats in down‑ballot races.
Oklahoma HD-71 - Democratic swing + 50
In Tulsa, Democrat Amanda Clinton won 69 percent to 19 percent in a June special election, representing about a 50-point overperformance compared with Kamala Harris’ 2024 margin in the same area.
Kentucky SD-37 - Democratic swing + 42
In December, Democrat Gary Clemons, a South Louisville union leader and U.S. Army veteran, won Kentucky’s vacant Senate District 37 seat with 72.6 percent of the vote in a 47.5‑point landslide to Republican Calvin Leach’s 25.1 percent, according to unofficial Jefferson County results. Harris won the district by roughly 6 points in the presidential election that year.
Texas SD-9 - Democratic swing: + 31
In Texas, military veteran and union leader Taylor Rehmet won Senate District 9, beating the Republican candidate, conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss, by more than 14 percentage points, according to The Associated Press. Trump had won the district by 17 points in the November 2024 presidential election and the election was called after the previous senator, Kelly Hancock, stepped down in mid-2025 to become the state's comptroller.
Iowa HD-78 - Democratic swing + 26
In April last year, Democrat Angel Ramirez, a longtime community organizer and local educator, won Iowa’s vacant House District 78 seat with 79.2 percent of the vote in a 58‑point landslide over Republican opponent Mark Jensen, who received 21.2 percent, according to The Downballot. The district had supported Harris by roughly 53 percent in 2024, making Ramirez’s victory an overperformance of about 26 points.
What People Are Saying
Bottcher said in a statement: "Tonight, the people of the 47th District made a clear choice for progress, integrity, and leadership that shows up.
"I'm deeply grateful to every voter, volunteer, and neighbor who believed that government should work harder for working families — and I’m excited to get to work."
Hoylman-Sigal wrote on X: "I'm so proud that Erik is assuming the 47th Senate District that I had the privilege of representing on the West Side from 'the gay bars to Zabar’s'."
What Happens Next
The midterm elections are scheduled for Tuesday, November 3 this year.
Update, 02/04/2026, 6:03 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update, 02/04/2026, 6:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update, 02/04/2026, 10:00 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the New York GOP.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines