The morning after the presidential election that saw Republican political outsider, billionaire and reality TV star Donald Trump defeat Democrat and quintessential Washington insider Hillary Clinton, a Trump flag waved on Bay Ridge Parkway.
Just down the street, a banner proclaiming support for Clinton was tangled in some trees. But the two reminders of the contentious race that was, while they accurately depict the cataclysmic split in the United States laid bare by this election, had little to do with political realities in Brooklyn, which Clinton won handily, according to unofficial results from the New York City Board of Elections, amassing 595,086 votes in the borough, compared to Trump’s 133,653 votes.
That said, while Clinton blew Trump out of the water in many areas of Brooklyn, with 33,169 votes in the 42nd A.D. in Flatbush/East Flatbush compared to 4,095 for Trump, for instance, other neighborhoods were closer, with Trump winning two of the borough’s A.D.s. These were the 45th in Sheepshead Bay and Brighton Beach, where he snagged 16,406 votes compared to Clinton’s 10,669, and the 48th in Boro Park, where Trump scored 16,957 votes, significantly besting Clinton’s 6,718.
In the two A.D.s representing Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, Clinton won, gaining 18,555 in the 46th A.D. that also includes Coney Island, compared to Trump’s 16,407, and 5,955 in the Brooklyn portion of the bi-borough 64th A.D. (that also includes Staten Island), with Trump winning 3,454 there.
In local races, the story – or non-story – was that the incumbents all won, some by heftier margins than others, and some in races in which theirs was the only name on the ballot.
In the Congressional race in the 11th A.D., which includes Staten Island and portions of southwest Brooklyn, Republican Congressmember Dan Donovan was easily re-elected with 62.14 percent of the vote (124,366) compared to Democrat Richard Reichard’s 36.1 percent (78,066 votes). Green Party candidate Henry Bardel received 3,607 votes (1.67 percent).
Similarly, it was a blow-out for Democrat Nydia Velazquez in the 7th C.D. in Sunset Park. She received 158,972 votes (90.61 percent) compared to 16,255 votes (9.26 percent) for Republican Allan Romaguera.
In the State Senate races, Democratic State Senator Jesse Hamilton easily bested Republican Menachem Raitport, 84,892 votes (93.91 percent) to 5,407 votes (5.98 percent) in the 20th S.D., which includes Sunset Park.
Republican Marty Golden, who was on four lines (GOP, Conservative, Independence and Reform), with no opponent in the 22nd S.D. (which includes Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach and Marine Park), snagged 58,631 votes for 98.35 percent of the total cast (the remainder were write-ins), and Democrat Diane Savino, whose 23rd S.D. is in both Staten Island and portions of southwest Brooklyn, also won handily after running unopposed (her name was also on the Independence Party line), receiving 59,175 votes (99.5 percent of the total) with the remainder being write-ins.
As for the Assembly, the most contentious race was in the 46th A.D., where Democratic incumbent Pamela Harris won re-election with 57.3 percent of the vote (18,455). Her closest opponent, Republican Lucretia Regina-Potter, snagged 10,988 votes (34.12 percent), Conservative Mikhail Usher got 1,584 votes (4.92 percent) and the Green Party’s Patrick Dwyer got 1,142 votes (3.55 percent).
In other races, Sunset Park Assemblymember Felix Ortiz handily won over Republican Henry Lallave, 22,954 votes (87.93 percent) to 3,108 (11.91 percent) in the 51st A.D. In the 49th A.D. in Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights and Boro Park, Democratic incumbent Peter Abbate cruised to re-election with 13,197 votes (75.59 percent) with Republican Rosemary Mangino getting 4,242 votes (24.3 percent). In the 47th A.D. in Bensonhurst and Gravesend, Democratic Assemblymember William Colton also won easily, with 17,953 votes (88.5 percent), compared to Conservative candidate Malka Shahar (2,288 votes for 11.28 percent).
Finally Republican Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis, running unopposed and with her name on four lines (including also the Conservative, Independence and Reform Parties) got 32,611 votes (98.85 percent) with the remainder of the vote going to write-in candidates.