The Democratic wave began in the streets of the Bronx, with an unheralded Assemblymember asking New Yorkers why they voted for Donald Trump during the weeks following the 2024 presidential election. It picked up steam in 2025, as a congressmember from that borough barnstormed the country into deep red districts, dispelling the myth of a true political realignment towards incipient fascism. On Tuesday, it crashed across the country in the form of an absolute Republican wipeout, with Democrats making historic gains in both New York and in states that had been written off generationally for Democrats, including Texas, Kansas, and Iowa.
Now, two New Yorkers are most likely to lead both the Senate and the House, while that congressmember from the Bronx and Queens spends the next few weeks deciding whether to run for president.
But before we linger too much on the national picture, let's take a look closer to home.