New York is a blue state. We’ve all heard it a thousand times. But if you actually sit down and look at the NYS election results by county, that sea of blue starts looking a lot more like a patchwork quilt—and lately, the red patches are getting a whole lot bigger. Honestly, the 2024 results weren't just a win for Kamala Harris in the Empire State; they were a massive wake-up call for anyone who thinks New York is a political monolith.
The margin was thin. Well, thin for New York. Harris took the state with about 55% of the vote, but that’s the narrowest Democratic victory since 1992. Donald Trump didn't just "show up"; he clawed back serious ground, moving the needle in 61 out of 62 counties compared to 2020. That's not a fluke. It's a trend.
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The Red Wall on Long Island and the Hudson Valley
If you want to understand what happened, you've gotta look at the suburbs. Nassau and Suffolk counties used to be the ultimate swing territory. Not anymore. Trump carried both, winning Nassau by about 4 points and Suffolk by a whopping 10. You can basically see the political map shifting in real-time when you drive from Queens into Nassau.
Rockland County also flipped red, with Trump winning by 12 points. It’s kinda wild when you think about how these areas used to lean blue or at least stay purple. The Hudson Valley was a complete dogfight too. While Westchester stayed deep blue (D+26), Orange County went for Trump by 8 points.
Why? People are frustrated. Talk to anyone at a diner in Middletown or a grocery store in Levittown, and they’ll tell you the same thing: prices are too high and the border situation feels local now. Even with New York’s massive Democratic registration advantage, the GOP successfully mobilized their base. Republican turnout hit nearly 74%, while Democratic turnout lagged at 65%.
NYC Isn't the Liberal Fortress It Used to Be
The biggest shock in the NYS election results by county actually came from within the five boroughs. Nobody expected Trump to win Manhattan, and he didn't—Harris crushed it there with 82%. But look at the margins in the other boroughs.
In the Bronx, a place that is practically synonymous with Democratic strongholds, Trump pulled over 27% of the vote. In 2016, he barely got 9%. That is a massive shift. Queens and Brooklyn saw similar rightward swings. It turns out that working-class voters, particularly Latino and Asian American communities, are moving away from the "ivory-towered nonsense" (as Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres put it) and focusing on the economy.
- Richmond County (Staten Island): The lone red borough stayed redder than ever, going R+30 for Trump.
- Queens County: Harris won by 25 points, but that’s a steep drop from Biden’s 53-point margin.
- Kings County (Brooklyn): Still blue (D+44), but the Republican gains in neighborhoods like South Brooklyn were enough to unseat Democratic State Senator Iwen Chu.
Upstate: A Tale of Two Geographies
Upstate New York is basically two different worlds. You have the "College Towns and Cities" vs. "The Rural Heartland."
Tompkins County, home to Cornell, remains the bluest spot in the state outside of Manhattan, with Harris winning by 51 points. Albany, Monroe (Rochester), and Onondaga (Syracuse) also held the line for the Democrats. These urban centers are the only reason New York stays blue on the national stage.
But once you step outside those city limits? It’s a different story. Trump dominated the rural counties. In places like Allegany and Lewis, he was pulling over 70% of the vote. Hamilton County, the least populated county in the state, saw a huge GOP turnout. Interestingly, even in these rural areas, the "blue" presence is often concentrated in tiny pockets—like the village of New Paltz in Ulster County or the city of Saratoga Springs.
The Congressional Tug-of-War
Even though the top of the ticket moved right, New York Democrats actually had a decent night in the House races. It’s a weird contradiction. While voters were okay with Trump, they weren't necessarily okay with every Republican incumbent.
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In NY-19, which stretches from the Hudson Valley through the Southern Tier, Democrat Josh Riley managed to unseat Marc Molinaro. Over in Central New York (NY-22), John Mannion flipped a seat for the Democrats in the Syracuse area. And on Long Island, Laura Gillen pulled off a win against Anthony D’Esposito.
It suggests that New Yorkers are "split-ticket" voters more than we realize. They might want a change in the White House, but they’re picky about who represents their specific backyard in D.C.
The Ballot Proposal Factor
We can't talk about the NYS election results by county without mentioning Proposition 1. This was the "Equal Rights Amendment" that sought to enshrine abortion rights and other protections in the state constitution.
It passed comfortably statewide, but the "No" vote was surprisingly strong in rural areas. The opposition managed to frame it around issues like trans athletes and parental rights, which played well in the more conservative counties. Even so, the Democratic strategy of using Prop 1 to drive turnout worked—it just wasn't enough to save the margins for Harris.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
If you’re a political junkie, a candidate, or just a concerned New Yorker, here is how you should read these numbers:
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- Stop Ignoring the Suburbs: If you’re a Democrat, you’re losing the "Burbs." The 2024 data shows that the "Kitchen Table" issues like the cost of eggs and gas are outweighing social rhetoric in Nassau and Rockland.
- Watch the City Margins: If the GOP continues to make 5-10% gains in the Bronx and Queens every four years, the "Blue Wall" of NYC will eventually crack enough to make the state competitive in midterms.
- Voter Turnout is King: The GOP is better at getting their people to the polls right now. Unaffiliated voters (who make up over 20% of the state) are staying home because they feel ignored by the closed primary system.
- Local Matters: The Congressional flips prove that a good local candidate can overcome a bad national trend. Focus on local issues—infrastructure, crime, and taxes—rather than national culture wars if you want to win in purple districts.
Check the official New York State Board of Elections website for the granular, precinct-level data if you want to see exactly how your specific neighborhood voted. The numbers don't lie, but they do tell a very complex story about a state in transition.
To get a better sense of how these shifts might impact upcoming local elections, you should look into the specific voter registration changes in your county over the last two years.