Sam Sutton Keeps Control of New York Senate District 22 for Democrats
The special election was called after State Senator Simcha Felder (D) won a seat on the New York City Council.
The special election occurred today in New York to fill a vacancy in the State Senate. This is the first special election in the state’s upper legislative chamber this year. The Democratic and Republican candidates were chosen by local party leaders.
The special election for New York Senate District 22 was called after State Senator Simcha Felder, a Democrat, won a special election for District 44 of the New York City Council. He represented this district from January 2013 to April 2025. He was re-elected unopposed in November 2024.
Based in southern Brooklyn, New York Senate District 22 encompasses the neighborhoods of Borough Park, Midwood, Madison, Homecrest, Gravesend, Gerritsen Beach, Sheepshead Bay, and Marine Park.
During the 2024 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump carried District 22 with a 77-22 finish against Democrat Kamala Harris. That made this district one of the most conservative in the entire nation to be held by a Democrat. However, the seat has a long history of backing conservative Democrats further down the ballot as a result of its unique orthodox Jewish community.
New York Senate (41 Democrats, 22 Republicans):
For District 22, Democrat Sam Sutton won with 67.6% (8,661) against Republican Nachman Caller with 32.4% (4,157). 12,818 votes counted.
As co-leader of the Sephardic Community Federation, Sutton has been a community advocate for several years.
New York Democrats lost their supermajority control of the State Senate following the 2024 elections. Today’s special election didn’t threaten to shift partisan control of the chamber. However, state Democrats were successfully able to defend the seat. Sutton was able to replicate the support that kept Felder in this office for over a decade.
All 63 seats in the New York Senate will next be up for regular two-year terms in November 2026.