STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – It was not long ago that Staten Island voters leaned toward the Democratic choice for governor — it was, in fact, just eight years ago in November 2014 that 54.4% of the borough selected then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
When it comes to the state’s top executive, however, election dynamics on the borough have been changing. In 2018, Cuomo just barely edged out challenger Marc Molinaro, with the two nearly splitting the Staten Island vote that year.
And, in 2022, the results flipped to red, with unofficial Election Night tallies showing more than 66% of Staten Islanders voted for Republican Lee Zeldin, who challenged Gov. Kathy Hochul in a hard-fought race largely focused on issues of crime and public safety.
“Staten Island came out in very high numbers for Lee Zeldin,” Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn) said following the election. “I believe the reason for that is that they did not like the policies coming out of the governor’s office. I think that the reality is that it’s much more difficult to have a Republican-controlled New York State Legislature than it is to be able to have a Republican governor. I think for that reason — Staten Islanders understood the importance of making their voice heard.”
MAPS TELL STORY
Three maps created by the Center for Urban Research CUNY Graduate Center compare the 2014, 2018 and 2022 gubernatorial elections.
They show how Republican votes have become far stronger in Mid-Island, and how the southern end of the borough has moved to a deeper red.
Neighborhoods including Arrochar, Fort Wadsworth, Rosebank, South Beach, Sunnyside, Sea View, Meiers Corners, Castleton Corners, Willowbrook and New Springville moved from majority support for the Democrat (Cuomo) in 2014 and 2018 to majority support for the Republican (Zeldin) in 2022.
2014 election results map.
2018 election results map.
2022 election results map.
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR URBAN RESEARCH
The Center for Urban Research, which includes both a mapping and a data service, “organizes basic and applied research addressing the core issues facing New York and other large cities,” according to a description on its website.
“A common thread in these activities is to understand the broad forces driving different forms of inequality, the dynamics of inter-group relations, and neighborhood change in large urban areas, as well as their interaction with political participation, civic engagement, and the role of government,” the site says.
>> How Staten Island voted in the 2022 election.