Onyx Bugett | TalkLife News
November 4, 2026 · Morning report · Results remain unofficial pending certification
BROOKLYN — Democrats Chris McCreight and Joey Cohen-Saban defeated Republican incumbents in two closely watched southern Brooklyn Assembly races on November 3, according to local election reporting, returning the seats to their party after Republican victories in recent election cycles.
McCreight defeated Alec Brook-Krasny in Assembly District 46, while Cohen-Saban defeated Michael Novakhov in neighboring District 45. City & State’s report published early November 4 described the outcomes using unofficial Board of Elections returns.
Two rematches produce different outcomes
Brooklyn Paper’s election-night coverage reported McCreight ahead with about 55% of the vote as most scanners had reported. Brook-Krasny had captured the district in 2022 and held it against McCreight in 2024. This year’s reported result reverses the outcome of their previous contest.
The district includes communities stretching from Bay Ridge toward Coney Island. Its changing representation has been part of a broader struggle between the parties in southern Brooklyn, an area where Republicans had made gains within an otherwise heavily Democratic city.
In District 45, Brooklyn Paper reported Cohen-Saban’s victory after his narrow loss to Novakhov two years earlier. City & State’s later account placed Cohen-Saban at approximately 62%. District 45 includes parts of Midwood, Gravesend and Manhattan Beach.
Other contests require careful reading
City & State also reported Democratic advantages in Assembly District 49 and state Senate District 17. Its account said Joyce Xiaoqiong Xie was positioned to defeat Lester Chang and that Larry He had declared victory over Steve Chan, while noting that those two races had not yet been called on The New York Times tracker as of midnight.
Those descriptions reflect different stages of election reporting. A candidate’s declaration, an outlet’s race call and an official certification are separate events. This article does not treat the cited midnight tracker status as a claim about every subsequent update.
For residents, the Assembly results change who is expected to represent their neighborhoods in Albany. The next useful steps are to follow certified results and the incoming representatives’ announcements about district offices, constituent services and legislative priorities. Campaign victories establish who will have the opportunity to govern; their eventual policy records will require separate reporting.