EXCLUSIVE: Why Republicans Dominated In This New York Suburb As The Rest Of The Country Went Blue

Republicans had a big night in a large, suburban county bordering New York City — while the party suffered crushing defeats in other parts of the United States.

Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who had the endorsement of President Donald Trump, cruised to reelection victory Tuesday defeating his Democratic challenger by nearly 12 percentage points, according to results posted by the Nassau County Board of Elections. Republicans also swept countywide offices and comfortably held the legislature in the previously Democratic-leaning New York suburb — on the same night the neighboring Big Apple elected socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor.

Blakeman, who is considering a 2026 run for New York governor, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that voters reelected him and other Nassau Republicans in a landslide due to a combination of “strong leadership, American values and common sense.”

“I ran on common sense, American values, safe communities, making sure that law enforcement has all the tools they need to be successful, hiring over 600 law enforcement professionals, 400 cops, 200 corrections officers, just in the last three years,” the county executive told the DCNF. “And I did this all without raising taxes one penny in four years.”

I am very grateful to the residents of Nassau County for giving me the honor to serve them again and I will continue to fight to keep this the safest county in America without raising taxes. pic.twitter.com/o9FYMB6NJ3

— Bruce Blakeman (@NassauExec) November 5, 2025

Blakeman cited his record on women’s sports, immigration and crime — three issues that helped President Donald Trump win the White House in 2024 — to explain why Nassau County bucked Tuesday’s “blue wave.”

“So, I think people like that. They like the fact that I took a strong stand on transgender, biological males playing against females, that it is banned in Nassau County. We were the first in America to do that,” the Republican said, referring to a law he signed barring men from competing in women’s sports in county-owned facilities. (RELATED: School District Infamous For Trans Bathroom Scandal Elects Independent Who Vows To Protect Girls)

“They like the fact that we have a comprehensive agreement with ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and that we’re removing criminals from our community. We are named the safest county in America,” he added, citing a 2024 study from U.S. News and World Report. “We’ve also been named the most desirable place to live in New York state. So, I think we’ve got a record of achievement.”

Blakeman added that he “did all this without running away from” Trump.

“In fact, I ran with President Trump. I supported President Trump, and I made it very clear that I supported his policies,” he told the DCNF. “And I think people like the fact that I am someone of principle, that I am someone that stands up for the same values as President Trump, and that I had brought base appeal from moderate Democrats, and I’ve got almost two thirds of independent voters to vote for me.”

Blessed to have the support of President @realDonaldTrump who secured our borders, is killing drug cartels who are poisoning our kids and protecting American jobs! pic.twitter.com/rdM5IcptcX

— Bruce Blakeman (@NassauExec) November 3, 2025

Trump carried Nassau County by just over four points in the 2024 presidential election, after the county voted for the Democratic nominee for the eight previous election cycles. Former President Joe Biden won it by double digits in 2020.

Two days before the election, Trump endorsed Blakeman, whom he called an “America First Patriot” in a post to Truth Social, adding that the county executive is “doing a fantastic job.”

“Bruce has been with us from the very beginning and is 100% MAGA. He is working tirelessly with the Brave Heroes of Law Enforcement, ICE, and Border Patrol to Safeguard our Communities, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Defend our always under siege Second Amendment, Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, End Migrant Crime, and Stop Communism from ruining our once Great Cities,” Trump wrote in the Sunday evening social media post. “Bruce is fighting hard to Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Advance American Energy DOMINANCE, and Champion our Nation’s Golden Age.”

Blakeman also told the DCNF that Republicans need to discuss the issues of affordability and cost of living by emphasizing “economic development and job creation” as opposed to “handouts” and giving people “free stuff.”

“We are creating opportunity. We are creating prosperity. We are creating wealth for the families of Nassau County,” Blakeman said. “And that’s how you beat the affordability issue, is you create an environment where people can do better, make more money, have better benefits and provide for their families better, and not give them free stuff, because free stuff doesn’t improve their overall situation. It just makes them dependent on government.”

Tuesday’s ABC News exit polls showed that voters in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City — all places that overwhelmingly elected Democrats — consistently ranked cost of living or the economy as their top issue.

When asked about Mamdani in particular, Blakeman said he is “very concerned” about the mayor-elect’s past anti-police rhetoric, left-wing policy positions, plan to raise taxes and views toward antisemitism.

“I am very troubled by his election, but I will do what I need to do to make sure that Nassau County remains safe and prosperous,” the county executive added. (RELATED: ‘Angry Mamdani’: Socialist Mayor-To-Be Braces For Harsh Reality Check, Analysts Say)

Blakeman also told the DCNF that over the days following his big reelection win he has “received calls from political leaders, business leaders, big donors” urging him to enter the 2026 New York gubernatorial election.

“I have told them that I will seriously consider it, which I am, and I will make a decision after traveling around the state and talking with all of these leaders and determining whether or not I want to enter the race,” he said. “I feel very strongly that if I get in the race, I’ll win, because we have a winning formula here, and we have the base on Long Island.”

Democrats swept all of the Nov. 4, 2025 races that received the lion’s share of media attention. In addition to Mamdani’s win, the party’s endorsed candidates also won Tuesday’s elections for Virginia governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general as well as New Jersey governor and two statewide races in Republican-leaning Georgia.

One of the two New York counties that comprise the region, colloquially known as “Long Island,” Nassau County, which has a population of about 1.4 million, is relatively, diverse, being 53% white, 19% Hispanic, 12% Asian and 11% black, according to the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) by the U.S. Census Bureau. The county also has one of the largest Jewish communities in the country, and about one-in-five Nassau County residents are Jewish, per 2023 ACS data.

It is also widely regarded as a “commuter county,” with a significant portion of its residents working in New York City.

In addition to Blakeman, Republican incumbents for Nassau County district attorney, county comptroller and county clerk all won by double digit margins. Republicans maintained complete control of the Nassau government, winning 11 of 19 seats in the County Legislature — a net loss of only one seat following redistricting seen as friendlier to the Democratic Party.

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