Supporters at the Bronx Havana Room celebrated Tuesday night as incumbent Assemblyman Michael Benedetto secured another term representing New York’s 82nd Assembly District.
With polls closing at 9 p.m., unofficial election results showed Benedetto comfortably holding onto his seat, continuing a tenure that has made him one of the Bronx’s longest-serving state legislators. As of 9:55 p.m., Benedetto had received 61.40% of the vote, according to unofficial results released by the New York City Board of Elections.
“The voters, they notice what goes on in their district, and they don’t forget about it, and that’s what’s so important,” Benedetto said during his victory speech, thanking voters in Throggs Neck, Pelham Bay and Co-op City.
Challenger Jake Kuhl received 24.94% of the vote, while Felix Omozusi garnered 12.23%.
“Listen, a message goes out to people who will come in the future and to the public at large: do your homework. Develop a resume to prove to people that you really care about the community and haven’t woken up one morning and said, ‘Let me play candidate and run for office,'” Benedetto said. “Show you have a commitment.”
The victory allows Benedetto to continue representing the East Bronx district, which includes Throggs Neck, Pelham Bay, Country Club, City Island and portions of Morris Park.
“Mike works hard for the community. He’s a collaborative person, and he’s been helpful in my community with a lot of the environmental concerns,” said John Doyle, district leader for Part B of the 82nd Assembly District, citing his work at the state level, while also securing hyperlocal wins for the district.
Benedetto, who has represented the 82nd Assembly District since 2005, currently serves as chair of the Assembly Education Committee, one of the chamber’s most influential leadership positions. During his time in office, he has focused heavily on education policy, school funding and issues affecting public school students and families across New York State.
The race unfolded amid relatively modest voter participation across the Bronx. According to election officials, 44,965 voters cast ballots on Election Day as of 6 p.m. An additional 14,739 voters participated during the early voting period, while 4,199 valid and scanned mail-in ballots had been counted.
Despite low turnout heading into Election Day, Bronx voters continued to trickle into polling sites throughout the borough to cast ballots for Assembly, State Senate, Congress and state comptroller races.
Benedetto’s victory was one of several wins for incumbent Bronx Democrats Tuesday night. In New York’s 15th Congressional District, Rep. Ritchie Torres secured reelection with 71.96% of the vote, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won another term representing portions of the East Bronx and Queens with 86.93% of the vote.
Election results remain unofficial until certified by the Board of Elections.
Reach Marina Samuel at msamuel@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
