Democrat Sam Sutton Clinches Victory in Key Brooklyn Senate Race, Becomes First Sephardic Orthodox State Senator in a Generation

By:  Carl Schwartzbaum

In a significant political upset with far-reaching implications for New York’s political landscape, Democrat Sam Sutton defeated Republican-Conservative nominee Nachman Caller in Tuesday’s special election for New York’s 22nd State Senate District, flipping a seat long coveted by Republicans after Donald Trump’s commanding 77% performance there in 2024. As VIN News reported on Tuesday evening, Sutton’s win reflects not just a demographic milestone, but also a powerful reminder of the Democratic Party’s organizational might in New York City’s Orthodox Jewish and immigrant communities.

The 22nd Senate District, encompassing heavily Orthodox and increasingly conservative neighborhoods like Midwood, Flatbush, and Borough Park, was left open after longtime incumbent Simcha Felder—a conservative Democrat—resigned to take a seat on the New York City Council. That vacancy set the stage for a heated special election that became a proxy battle for the ideological soul of Brooklyn’s Orthodox Jewish electorate.

Sutton, a prominent figure in the Sephardic Community Federation, now becomes the first Sephardic Orthodox Jew elected to the New York State Senate in more than a generation, a milestone that the VIN News report described as “historic for New York’s Sephardic Jews, many of whom trace their roots to Syria, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern nations.”

Running as a unifying Democrat, Sutton received robust endorsements from progressive figures like Rep. Ritchie Torres, as well as quiet support from several local Democratic machine operatives. His campaign focused on pragmatic local concerns—education funding, community safety, and housing affordability—while maintaining cultural sensitivity to the religious and ethnic mosaic of the district.

As the VIN News report highlighted, Sutton’s coalition-building across Sephardic, Ashkenazic, and immigrant communities was pivotal, signaling a new phase in Brooklyn’s Jewish political identity that doesn’t fall cleanly along national partisan lines.

“Sutton’s candidacy resonated with voters across the spectrum by emphasizing shared communal values over ideological divisions,” VIN News noted in its election coverage.

On the other side of the race, Nachman Caller, a well-known GOP district leader and real estate attorney, ran a campaign anchored in staunch conservatism. Backed by high-profile Republicans such as Rep. Elise Stefanik and Rep. Mike Lawler, Caller campaigned on tough-on-crime policies, yeshiva autonomy, and economic deregulation, hoping to capitalize on the district’s overwhelming support for Trump in 2024.

Caller’s team believed the district’s sharp turn rightward in federal elections—epitomized by Trump’s near-80% vote share—would translate into success at the local level. But Sutton’s win demonstrates the limits of Republican momentum in city politics, particularly in districts where local dynamics diverge from national trends.

“While Republicans had high hopes for a symbolic victory in a Trump-friendly district, Sutton’s win shows the enduring influence of local Democratic networks in New York City,” VIN News reported.

Despite Caller’s deep ties to the Orthodox Ashkenazic community and alignment with national GOP messaging, he struggled to break into the Sephardic bloc and failed to attract a critical mass of swing voters from Flatbush and Midwood.

The outcome is a sobering moment for Republican operatives hoping to build a post-Trump foothold in traditionally Democratic urban strongholds. Sutton’s win suggests that hyper-local outreach, ethnic coalition-building, and cultural fluency can still overcome raw partisan numbers—especially in communities that prize pragmatism over ideological posturing.

As the VIN News report observed, Sutton’s victory also reflects a generational changing of the guard in Orthodox Jewish politics: “For the first time in decades, Sephardic Jews—who have often taken a backseat to their Ashkenazic counterparts in political representation—will now have a voice in Albany.”

This is not just a symbolic win for the Sephardic community, but a potentially transformative one. Sutton is expected to focus his legislative energy on strengthening religious liberties, expanding funding for non-public schools, and ensuring that New York’s Jewish neighborhoods have a say in key budget and infrastructure decisions.

In the end, Sam Sutton’s triumph is about more than one district—it’s a case study in how Democrats can still win in culturally conservative communities by tailoring their message, respecting religious sensitivities, and forging cross-communal alliances. It also underscores the deepening fragmentation within New York’s Orthodox political landscape, where partisan loyalties no longer map neatly along communal lines.

“Sutton’s election not only brings a new voice to Albany but signals a new chapter in Orthodox political representation—one where nuance, not noise, may carry the day,” the VIN News report indicated.

With Albany’s legislative session in full swing, all eyes will be on Senator-elect Sutton to see how he delivers for a district whose political complexity has now been matched by its historic moment of unity.