Michael McMahon's victory in the Staten Island district attorney race has some saying the tides are changing for borough Democrats, who have struggled to keep a stronghold there. NY1's Amanda Farinacci filed the following report.
The chants at Democrat Michael McMahon's victory party on Tuesday night may have been for the candidate, but for the many supporters of the newly elected district attorney, they’re also a rallying cry for the island's Democratic party.
"It proves that with the right teamwork, unity, in the party, we can win island-wide elections," said Staten Island Democratic Party Chairman John Gulino. "And I smell blue in the air."
McMahon's victory over Republican Joan Illuzzi put an end to a seven-year losing streak that has plagued Democrats seeking island-wide office. McMahon was the last Democrat to win borough-wide, being elected to Congress in 2008.
Determined to bring home a win this time, Democrats chose not to challenge Republican Joe Borelli in his bid for a South Shore City Council seat, in a move that was designed to depress voter turnout in a conservative section of the borough. Add that to Illuzzi's lack of name recognition and McMahon's many union endorsements, and, according to Richard Flanagan of the College of Staten Island, "Team Republican that Guy Molinari headed up in the 1970s and 1980s doesn't really work anymore."
It wasn't so long ago that Democrats dominated island politics. Now, the party's chairman says the McMahon win is a signal that that's a possibility once again."
"We held the district attorney seat. We held the congressional seat. We held the borough president's seat. We held the councilman's seat. So we're back," Gulino said.
Not so fast, Flanagan says. He points out that just 12 percent of voters turned out to vote.
"I don't think it's a brand-new day for the Democrats," Flanagan said. If the turnout had been 30 or 40 percent, then I think the overall mood of the borough might matter more. And the overall mood of the borough is certainly anti-de Blasio, and to some extent, anti-city Democrat."
Democrats will find out soon enough. They're already targeting Republican Dan Donovan's Congressional seat for next fall. However, like McMahon, Donovan has name recognition and strong ties to the community, making him someone who will be tough to beat.