Behind the Numbers: How Gounardes Won State Senate Race

As Democratic state Senator-elect Andrew Gounardes prepares to take office in January representing Southwest Brooklyn’s 22nd Senate District, a deep dive into the election results offers hints into just how he managed to pull off a victory over eight-term incumbent Republican Marty Golden in the Nov. 6 race.

According to data compiled by the New York City Board of Elections and analyzed by the Center for Urban Research at the City University of New York (CUNY), Gounardes’ key to success was overwhelming Golden in certain neighborhoods in the sprawling Senate district in terms of the vote total.

In the 64th Assembly District, which includes parts of Bay Ridge, Gounardes earned 64.1 percent of the vote to Golden’s 35.8 percent, a 29-point difference.

On Election Night, Gounardes, chief counsel to Borough President Eric Adams, had an overall total of 31,167 votes. Golden, who first won the state Senate seat in 2002 and had hoped for another term in office, had 30,020. The race was decided by a little more than 1,000 votes out of more than 60,000 votes cast.

Golden conceded the race on Nov. 19, as the Board of Elections was conducting a count of absentee ballots.

The Center for Urban Research looked at the unofficial results from Election Night and broke down the vote totals for each of the nine New York State Assembly districts that are located within the 22nd Senate District.

The Senate district cuts across a large section of Southwest Brooklyn, including all or parts of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Borough Park, Sunset Park, Midwood, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park and Gerritsen Beach.

The Assembly districts that are either totally located within the 22nd Senate District or have at least some territory there are the 41st, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 51st, 59th and 64th.

A strong area for Gounardes was the 51st A.D. (parts of Bay Ridge and Sunset Park), where he earned an impressive 73.5 percent of the vote. Golden trailed far behind with 26.5 percent.

Gounardes also bested the incumbent in the 49th A.D. (parts of Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights), winning 54.2 percent to Golden’s 45.7 percent.

But Golden kept the election close by overpowering Gounardes in certain parts of the district.

For example, Golden did extraordinarily well in the 48th A.D. (Borough Park-Midwood), garnering 70.6 percent of the vote. Gounardes had 29.2 percent.

Golden also showed strength in the 45th A.D. (Manhattan Beach), where he earned 68.2 percent to Gounardes’ 31.7 percent.

In the 41st A.D. (Sheepshead Bay) Golden ended Election Night with 58 percent of the vote, while Gounardes earned 42 percent.

Gounardes won the 46th A.D. (parts of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights) with 57.1 percent of the vote. Golden had 42.8 percent. In the 47th A.D. (parts of Bensonhurst, Gravesend) Gounardes had 53.1 percent to Golden’s 46.8 percent. Golden garnered 64 percent of the votes in the 59th A.D. (Marine Park-Gerritsen Beach), which has traditionally been a stronghold for him. Gounardes had 35.9 percent.

Behind the numbers are two candidates who each fought hard during a bruising campaign to win the hearts and minds of voters.

“Now that the election is over, I am grateful to people of Southern Brooklyn for their support and humbled by their trust in me to be our community’s voice in Albany,” Gounardes said in a statement released after Golden conceded on Monday.

In his concession statement, Golden said he had no regrets. “I fully embraced the awesome responsibility entrusted by the people who elected me. I strove each and everyday to make a positive difference for someone,” he said.

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