Where is the RNC?
Democrat Sam Sutton has secured a decisive victory in a special election for New York’s 22nd State Senate District—a seat that overwhelmingly favored Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Sutton triumphed over Republican Nachman Caller with a commanding 67.6% to 32.4% margin, flipping a district where Trump previously garnered 77% of the vote.
The special election, held on May 20, 2025, was necessitated by the resignation of Democrat Simcha Felder, who left the State Senate to join the New York City Council.
Despite the district’s conservative leanings, Sutton’s deep-rooted connections to the Orthodox Jewish community—where he serves as co-leader of the Sephardic Community Federation—played a pivotal role in his victory .
His win not only retains the seat for Democrats but also signals potential vulnerabilities for Republicans in areas previously deemed secure.
The Democrats celebrated the win:
The DNC congratulates New York state Senator-elect Sam Sutton on his huge upset victory in the New York Senate District 22 race, in a district that Donald Trump won by 55 points in November. Sutton’s victory, by nearly a 2-1 margin, extends Democrats’ 2025 special election winning streak as we continue to overperform in elections across the country. In blue, purple, and red districts everywhere, Democrats are overperforming and winning.
As Republicans alienate their base with their deeply unpopular agenda, voters are sending a clear message to Republicans that no district is “safe” anymore.
This loss adds to a series of setbacks for the GOP.
Here are the Republican losses to date:
- Omaha, Nebraska: Democrat John Ewing has unseated Republican incumbent Jean Stothert in Omaha’s 2025 mayoral election after 12 year.s
- Beaumont, Texas: Longtime Republican City Councilman Mike Getz lost his seat to newcomer Joey Hilliard.
- Suburban Illinois: Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau, both Republicans, lost their re-election bids.
- Norman, Oklahoma: Republican Mayor Larry Heikkila lost re-election to Democrat Stephen Tyler Holman, resulting in a Democratic gain in a traditionally conservative area.
- Rock Island, Illinois: Republican Mayor Mike Thoms lost re-election to Democrat Ashley Harris.
- Iowa Senate District 35: Katie Whittington (R) lost to Mike Zimmer (D) in the Iowa special election, flipping a Republican-held seat.
- Pennsylvania Senate District 36: Josh Parsons (R) lost to James Andrew Malone (D) in the Pennsylvania State Senate special election, an upset in a historically Republican district.
- Minnesota House District 40B: Republican Paul Wikstrom was defeated by Democrat David Gottfried in a special election, with Gottfried securing over 70% of the vote. This result reversed a temporary Republican majority in the Minnesota House.
- North Carolina Supreme Court: Republican Jefferson Griffin conceded to Democrat Allison Riggs after a prolonged legal battle over ballot eligibility. Riggs secured victory by 734 votes.
- Wisconsin Supreme Court: Conservative candidate Brad Schimel lost by 10 points in the 2025 state Supreme Court race. The state GOP is conducting a review ahead of the 2026 election.
