N.B: The Politicker is reaching out to some of the wiser heads of New York politics to get their take on what was learned last night.

Got something to say? Email us at dfreedlander@observer.com

"New York bucks the red tide to some degree. You have an overwhelming Cuomo victory, DiNapoli pulling it out because of troops on the ground-a great victory for Shelly Silver by the way.

"The AG's race was a fascinating race....

Carolyn McCarthy has declared victory this morning after a hard-fought contest against Fran Becker.

Becker, a county legislator, made this race surprisingly close. Eric Cantor even came into the district to campaign for him. McCarthy flirted with running for the Senate against Kirsten Gillibrand because of what she saw as Gillibrand's lax position on gun control, but ultimately decided against it. The McCarthy campaign tried as much as possible to tie Becker to top-of-the-ticket mate...

One of the big surprises last night was Michael Grimm's victory over Mike McMahon in NY-13, a district that covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn.

NY-13 voted for John McCain, the only urban district in the country to have done so, but McMahon was considered a fairly safe bet. He spent 6 years in the City Council, voted against health care reform, and was generally seen as a moderate. Grimm, meanwhile, was a Tea...

Comptroller Tom DiNapoli disappointed party faithful by failing to make an appearance at last night's Democratic Party headquarters. Today he is out with a statement claiming victory.

I received a call from Harry Wilson this morning and he was very gracious in conceding this close and hard fought contest.  Mr. Wilson ran a strong campaign and I wish him the very best.  

Public service has been what my life has been about.  To...

At the Republican Party in Manhattan this evening, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino said he will support Andrew Cuomo if the governor-elect follows through on his pledges for reform.

"I will support him publicly and stand with him on some of these reforms, because they have to be done," Astorino said. "If he has the courage to actually do it, I will stand with him and support him."

Astorino said a property tax cap could only...

Eric Schneiderman just delivered a victory address to the few dozen Democrats who have remained in the midtown Sheraton until his race was called after midnight tonight.

In his speech, Schneiderman returned again to the themes that he has brought up again and again on the campaign trail: restoring social justice to communities around New York.

"This is a campaign of activists, and boy did we show what a campaign of activists can do," Schneiderman said.

And...

Andrew Cuomo just delivered a boisterous address to Democrats at the state party's election night headquarters at the midtown Sheraton, capping off a clean sweep for the top of the ticket in New York on a night that has seen Democratic losses nationwide.

In his address, Cuomo sounded the themes of unity that Barack Obama stressed in his 2004 speech to Democratic National Convention and took a few swipes at the campaign of his Republican...

Andrew Cuomo just delivered a boisterous address to Democrats at the state party's election night headquarters at the midtown Sheraton, capping off a clean sweep for the top of the ticket in New York on a night that has seen Democratic losses nationwide.

In his address, Cuomo sounded the themes of unity that Barack Obama stressed in his 2004 speech to Democratic National Convention and took a few swipes at the campaign of his Republican...

Andrew Cuomo just delivered a boisterous address to Democrats at the state party's election night headquarters at the midtown Sheraton, capping off a clean sweep for the top of the ticket in New York on a night that has seen Democratic losses nationwide.

In his address, Cuomo sounded the themes of unity that Barack Obama stressed in his 2004 speech to Democratic National Convention and took a few swipes at the campaign of his Republican...

It was only occasionally during this year's campaign for governor that we caught a glimpse of what things might have looked like without Carl Paladino, the hapless Republican challenger who Andrew Cuomo finally dispatched by a wide margin on Tuesday night.

Two weeks ago, on a sunny afternoon in front of City Hall, Mr. Cuomo unveiled his Urban Agenda-the sixth policy "book" of his campaign.

"As I've been saying all through this campaign, I...

New York Republican State Committee Chairman Ed Cox certainly has high hopes, some coming from the most unlikely places. 

Cox said he got encouraging news from RNC Chairman Michael Steele after the two appeared at an event last week for Charlie Rangel's challenger, Michael Faulkner.

"Steele told us that Mr Faulkner--according to his polls, the Republican National Committee polls--thatwithin four percentage points of beating Charlie Rangel. That was what Chairman Steele said, and that district is...

Kirsten Gillibrand came out after Schumer and gave her appreciation to New York Democratic leaders across the state.

Coming in for thank-you's: Hillary Clinton, "who inspired me to get into public service;" her "partner" Chuck Schumer; the soon-to-be governor Andrew Cuomo; Joe DioGuardi; and of course, David Paterson, who is the reason we have a Senator Gillibrand.

Gillibrand will have to face the voters again in two years, and her speech seemed like a warm-up for...

Chuck Schumer was the first of the big Democratic winners of the night to come out and address the crowd.

He walked out to the sound of Bachman Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" and gave a speech that paid tribute to his family, to New York and to the middle class upon which he has built so much of his campaign rhetoric.

"We must create an economy that focuses on the middle class," he...

New York Republican State Committee Chairman Ed Cox kicked off the formal festivities at the GOP victory party in the Hilton ballroom tonight.

He addressed the crowd of about 150 people briefly, talking about a rising tide of Republican power that will change Albany and Washington D.C.

"My friends, there is one party control in Albany for the first time since 1933 and one party control in Washington, and it's not our party and so this...

NY1 is calling it.

Congrats to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand.

You think Carl Paladino has called to concede...

We are live at the state Democratic Party headquarters a good 20 minutes before polls closed and things are barely getting started at the Sheraton in midtown, other than that door guys are being very strict about letting press on to floor.

Also, the folks that are supposed to be feeling confident--Andrew Cuomo, Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand--are feeling confident.

Meanwhile, Republicans are racking up huge victories around the country. Except Christine O'Donnell. As one reporter sitting...

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli stopped by labor union headquarters 32BJ this afternoon in lower Manhattan, thanking volunteers and checking in on response rates.

"It sounds like turnout is holding up in the city which is very important for us and so were feeling good about it," the comptroller candidate said.

DiNapoli had been criss-crossing the city, trying to drum up Democratic turnout to bolster his chances against his Republican challenger, Harry Wilson.

"Tremendous amount of...

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani joined Staten Island natives, and fellow Republicans, attorney general candidate Dan Donovan and congressional candidate Michael Grimm as they campaigned at South Ferry terminal this afternoon.

The three men posed for photos with supporters and shook the hands of commuters, urging them to vote once they arrived home in their district.

"I think Staten Island is going to have a record turnout, a record vote, it looks that way right...

Harry Wilson met with reporters at Grand Central Station today just as a crush of commuters was coming down the stairwell. Eventually he was joined by Gov. George Pataki, who exhorted those headed to the suburbs to "Meet Harry Wilson, your next comptroller!"

Pataki's daughter, Emily, now an official in the Bloomberg administration, happened to be passing through the station and ended up joining her father and Wilson for some last minute stumping.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani...

Keep your sets tuned to this dial, folks!! Will have updates throughout the evening. In the meantime:

CNN checks out the voting scene on the Upper West Side

Hasidic leaders make it very clear who you should vote for.

Parents are apparently being, like, a major drag on Prop 19 efforts in California

If Allen Jennings wins his council  race today, he could owe much moola.

Erie County GOP head Nick Langworthy is a winner tonight, regardless of what...