Bayside Election Night: Zimmerman, Santos Square Off For Congress Seat

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Results Tuesday night remained unclear in one of the most closely watched races in Queens that, for the first time in U.S. history, saw two out members of the LGBTQ+ community competing for a seat in the House of Representatives.

Democratic candidate Robert Zimmerman and Republican contender George Santos, who are squaring off to cover the congressional district that runs from Queens to Long Island, were neck and neck as of midnight, NY1 result tallies show.

Even as Democrats swept congressional races across New York City, Santos eked ahead of Zimmerman with 53 percent of the vote to Zimmerman's 47 percent, NY1 reported with about 75 percent of ballots counted.

But this wasn't the only race in Bayside, and the winners of Tuesday's race will face big challenges in the years ahead. Here's where their races stood as of midnight.

(Note: Totals are based on preliminary Board of Elections data)

State Senate District 11

The State Senate District 11 race wasn't called but preliminary BOE numbers showed as of 11:30 p.m. that Toby Ann Stavisky was poised to win the seat.

• Toby Ann Stavisky (D, Working Families): 52.40% (32,571)
• Stefano Forte (R, Conservative): 40.66% (25,273)

(There were 95.5% of scanners reporting, as of 11:30 p.m.)

State Sen. Toby Stavisky, 83, ran against Stefano Forte for the district that covers Bayside, Elmhurst, Flushing and other neighborhoods. Stavisky, the first woman Queens ever elected to the state Senate, chairs its education committee and has focused on elder issues, helping immigrants and aiding small businesses, according to her state Senate website.

Forte, president of the American Conservation Coalition's Queens branch, said he wanted to make the city "hospitable to families, small businesses, and all manner of hard-working Americans." Online, Forte has spoken in aggressive terms against efforts at LGBT inclusivity.

State Senate District 16

The State Senate District 16 race wasn't called but preliminary BOE numbers showed as of 11:30 p.m. that John C. Liu was set to win the seat.

• John C. Liu (D): 53.46% (25,215)
• Ruben D. Cruz II (R): 38.74% (18,272)

(99% of scanners reporting, as of 11:30 p.m.)

Democratic candidate John C. Liu is running against Ruben D. Cruz II to represent New York’s 16th Congressional District, which covers Bayside, College Point, Whitestone, and other neighborhoods in Northeastern Queens.

Liu, who is running for reelection, is the chairperson of the Senate’s committee on New York City Education. He was also the comptroller of New York City from 2010 to 2013 and was a candidate for the mayoral election of 2013.

Cruz works as a consultant for non-profit organizations focused on infrastructure and grant writing in New York. He also works for the Community Agency for Senior Citizens with the State Office of Victim Services for Elder Abuse and Elder Justice.

3rd Congressional District

The Congressional District 3 race wasn't called but preliminary NY1 numbers showed as of midnight. that both candidates were neck and neck for the seat.

• Robert P. Zimmerman (D): 47.2% (99,873)
• George A.D. Santos (R): 52.8% (111,825)

(75.02% of scanners reporting, as of midnight, according to NY1)

Both candidates ran for the seat in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, a widely-watched race to replace Tom Suozzi and represent parts of Bayside, Great Neck and Long Island.

Zimmerman, a marketing communications company owner, has said he would “defend abortion rights, stop gun violence, protect voting rights, address the climate crisis, and make Long Island and Queens more affordable for middle-class families” if elected.

Santos, an investor who attended the Jan. 6 rally, says he'll work to repeal the bail reform, introduce a bill that would change the tax code to a flat tax rate, and secure funding for the electric grid.

26th Assembly District

The Assembly District 26 race wasn't called but preliminary BOE numbers showed as of 11:30 p.m. that Edward Braunstein was expected to win the seat.

• Edward C. Braunstein (D): 53.87% (17,748)
• Robert J. Speranza (R): 42.30% (13,935)

(There 99% of scanners reporting, as of 11:35 p.m.)

Braunstein is up for reelection against Speranza to represent the district that covers Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, and other neighborhoods.

Braunstein, who was born and raised in Bayside, was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2010 and serves as the Chair of the Cities Committee. During his terms, he has introduced legislation to cap the increase in property tax assessments for co-ops and condos and provide tax credits for small businesses that hire senior citizens.

Speranza, a retired police officer, said he would vote to repeal the bail reform laws, invest in the police, and advocate for the Specialized High School Test and the Gifted and Talented assessment.