Democrats Secure 47-Seat Majority in New York Senate
Democrats gained six seats and won every statewide office in the state's legislative elections held Tuesday.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Democrats won 47 of 63 seats in the New York state Senate, a gain of six seats, after defeating multiple Republican incumbents in Assembly and Senate races. Democrats also won every statewide office in New York.
Why it matters
The results give Democrats a clear majority in the state Senate across New York, with wins in Brooklyn, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley. Republicans picked up two seats in the Hudson Valley, a partial offset to the Democratic gains.
Democrats won 47 of the 63 state Senate seats, a gain of six, with Larry He taking District 17 with 57% of the vote over Republican incumbent Steve Chan's 42%. In Assembly races, Democrats won the 45th, 46th, and 49th districts with 61%, 55%, and 52% of the vote respectively, while the extraction does not report the final statewide totals.
The players
Larry He
Larry He is the Democratic candidate who won New York State Senate District 17, defeating incumbent Republican Steve Chan.
Steve Chan
Steve Chan is the Republican incumbent state senator who lost District 17 to Larry He in the statewide election.
The details
Democrats won the statewide legislative elections held Tuesday, unseating several Republican incumbents including Michael Novakhov, Alec Brook-Krasny, Lester Chang, Anthony Palumbo, and Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick. Larry He's Senate District 17 win covers Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, and Bath Beach, where a 73-year-old volunteer for the Chan campaign was arrested last week for allegedly slapping a He campaign aide.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: New York state legislative elections held, with Democrats winning majorities.
Last week, before the November 3, 2026 election: a Chan campaign volunteer was arrested for allegedly slapping a He campaign aide.
Political Context
Democrats' six-seat gain in the state Senate continues a pattern in which New York's legislative control has been contested in suburban districts such as Long Island and the Hudson Valley. The Republican pickups in the Hudson Valley show that those suburban seats remain competitive even as Democrats extend their statewide majority.
With Democrats holding 47 of 63 Senate seats, legislation on taxes, housing, and public spending in New York will face a larger majority in the upper chamber. Residents in the affected districts will see new representatives take office, including in Brooklyn, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley.
The takeaway
The shift shows that suburban and outer-borough legislative seats in New York can change hands quickly, so voters in those districts should watch how new representatives vote on state priorities. Tracking district-level results is the most direct way to see how the new Senate majority will operate.
Further reading
For more on how these races shaped control of the chamber, see Elections coverage for New York.
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