The five members of Long Island’s congressional delegation were all re-elected Tuesday, although there is one new face among them thanks to the once-a-decade redistricting process.
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-St. Albans) beat Republican challenger Allan Jennings in the race for the 5th congressional district, which now straddles the New York City line to include part of western Nassau County. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), who is retiring, held a seat that similarly crossed the Nassau-Queens line before his district migrated west amid redistricting, which compensates for population shifts after the census.
The most-watched House race on LI was the rematch between Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) and Republican businessman Randy Altschuler, who Biship topped by 593 votes two years ago. The campaign got testy with Bishop being accused of questionable campaign fundraising and Altschuler’s history of outsourcing jobs overseas remaining an issue.
In another rematch, Rep. Crolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola), a gun-control advocate whose husband was killed and son was maimed in the Long Island Rail Road massacre, beat Republican Nassau County Legis. Francis X. Becker (R-Lynbrook) for the second time in two years.
Rep. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, beat Republican challenger Stephen Labate. And the lone Republican congressman from LI, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), head of the homeland security committee, topped Democratic challenger Vivianne Falcone.