An individual approached me because they wanted to ask the 5TJT to get involved in an important matter, which is to ask our community leaders and yeshivas to arrange for our 18-year-old boys and girls to register to vote, and then to go out on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, and vote.
It’s easy for young people to feel as though their vote doesn’t matter, and many older folks feel that way too. But here’s the truth: every single vote counts, and even a few votes can decide an election. Regardless of one’s schedule, it’s incumbent upon all of us to make the time to vote regardless of how busy we are, and regardless of the fact there will be long lines. To save time on Election Day, first-time voters should go online to register and out-of-state students should request an absentee ballot.
At this juncture, we’ve analyzed the upcoming election from a variety of angles and directions. It is abundantly clear that we are all behind Donald Trump, with the hope that both the House of Representatives and the Senate will end up with Republicans majorities.
A few days prior to Election Day, Mr. Trump will be holding one of his trademark rallies at Madison Square Garden on October 27th. New York has not elected a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan won 49 states in his 1984 landslide election against Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale (Mondale won Minnesota).
The pollsters and pundits do not think Trump has a chance to score a win in New York, but as unrealistic as it might be, I’d like to think that with Trump anything is possible. But if you think the aim of the second New York rally is only winning the presidency, think again. The point of Trump’s blue state presence is more about the down ballot Republican candidates than anything else.
This is, I believe, the catalyst of the strategy. If Trump successfully manages to win the presidency, but the Democrats win a majority of the House, you can rest assured that we will be quickly plunged into another round of impeachment hearings. A well-attended rally in New York City with tens of thousands of people will demonstrate not just support for Mr. Trump, but for down-ballot candidates as well.
It’s important to note that in 2022, Congressmen like Marc Molinaro, Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler, and Anthony D’Esposito all won seats previously held by Democrats as a result of the great turnout of voters who cast their ballots for Lee Zeldin, who ran for Governor against Kathy Hochul. Even though Hochul won the governorship, Zeldin had a good-enough showing to pull four New York Republicans into office and that effort determined the Republican majority currently in the House.
Here on Long Island, there is a tight race between incumbent Tom Suozzi (D) and Assemblyman Mike LiPetri (R) for New York’s 3rd congressional district, a position Suozzi has held since 2024 and previously from 2017 to 2023. In their televised debate last week, LiPetri was impressive and made an excellent case that he represents a new generation and a break from the usual Washington politics.
So, when you hear people saying that voting Republican in New York will not determine the outcome because New York is hopelessly liberal, consider the above and think again.
Marc Zell, Chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, comments, “I can say that PA votes are running about 12% of the total ballots being sent through us. About the same as NJ. NY is clearly the largest contingent. There we are getting good turnouts in Rockland and Nassau Counties which should bode well for our congressional races there. While enthusiasm is high, the most energy is evident among Haredi voters who are registering in the thousands.”
There are other tough congressional battles taking place around the country like that of Nebraska’s Republican Congressman Don Bacon and State Senator Tony Vargas, amongst others.
On the Senate level, the outlook is good for the Republican Party to take a majority 53 to 55 seats, which means we can hopefully wave goodbye to Chuck Schumer as Majority Leader.
Read more of Larry Gordon’s articles at 5TJT.com. Follow 5 Towns Jewish Times on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates and live videos. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome at 5TJT.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
