Brooklynites Jam Polling Places, Vote in Community Board Reform

Not only did Democrats sweep Brooklyn at the polls as expected — longtime Republican incumbents GOP state Sen. Marty Golden and U.S. Rep Rep. Dan Donovan were voted out of southern Brooklyn in what our sister pub Brooklyn Paper called a “shocking upset.” Native Brooklynite and Clinton Hill resident Tish James made history last night and will be New York State’s first black attorney general.

Residents voted in favor of three important ballot proposals on campaign finance, community board reform and civic engagement. While apparently well-intentioned, how exactly community board term limits could play out at the local level could vary dramatically depending on the current makeup of the community board.

“This could weaken community boards by stripping them of their most seasoned members, replacing them with novices more susceptible to appeals from high-powered developers,” according to a New York Times opinion piece.

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It was a hectic election day, with long lines and reports of broken scanners at polling places across the borough. “The wait on line was over an hour,” said Brooklyn Heights resident and Brownstoner commenter Andrew Porter of his polling spot.

“Voting should not be this difficult,” wrote City Council speaker Corey Johnson in a tweet. “[The Board of Elections] has had all year to prepare for this day. Bad weather and high turnout are no excuse when we have forecasts for both.”

Here are the general election results at a glance:

Governor – Andrew Cuomo (D)
Attorney General – Letitia James (D)
Comptroller – Thomas Dinapoli (D)
U.S. Senate – Kirsten Gillibrand (D)
7th Congressional District – Nydia Velazquez (D)
8th Congressional District – Hakeem Jeffries (D)
9th Congressional District – Yvette Clarke (D)
10th Congressional District – Jerrold Nadler (D)
11th Congressional District – Max Rose (D)
12th Congressional District – Carolyn Maloney (D)
NY Senate District 17 – Simcha Felder (D)
NY Senate District 19 – Roxanne Persaud (D)
NY Senate District 20 – Zellnor Myrie (D)
NY Senate District 21 – Kevin Parker (D)
NY Senate District 22 – Andrew Gounardes (D)
NY Senate District 23 – Diane Savino (D)
NY Senate District 26 – Brian Kavanagh (D)
Assembly District 42 – Rodneyse Bichotte (D)
Assembly District 44 – Robert Carroll (D)
Assembly District 46 – Mathylde Frontus (D)
Assembly District 47 – William Colton (D)
Assembly District 49 – Peter Abbate Jr. (D)
Assembly District 52 – Jo Anne Simon (D)
Assembly District 54 – Erik Martin Dilan (D)
Assembly District 55 – Latrice Walker (D)
Assembly District 59 – Jamie Williams (D)
Assembly District 60 – Charles Barron (D)
Assembly District 64 – Nicole Malliotakis (R)

For full results in local races, check out Brooklyn Paper here.

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