Election Day brought few surprises on Tuesday, as Haredi leaders’ preferred candidates won local races in New York and New Jersey. Here are the four biggest takeaways from the general election for Haredi communities, from Rockland to Brooklyn to Lakewood.

Schnall wins in New Jersey

In a race with high voter turnout, Rabbi Avi Schnall pulled off an upset on Tuesday, defeating Republican incumbent Edward H. Thomson to win a seat on the state legislature. Schnall won thanks to the fast-growing Haredi community in Lakewood. Over 86% of Lakewood voters picked him, according to unofficial results reported by the Asbury Park Press. 

For years, Schnall directed the New Jersey office of the Haredi political advocacy group Agudath Israel of America. “The unprecedented high voter turnout and unity displayed by the community demonstrates the increasing voice of the Orthodox Jewish community in elections,” said Rabbi Shlomo Schorr of Agudah, according to a press release from the organization.

According to a recording of a phone call published by the Lakewood news site FAA News, at least one Haredi rabbi wanted to know more about the rationale behind Schnall’s endorsement. “I’m trying to clarify what the position is,” Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter, who leads an anti-LGBTQ group called Torah Jews for Decency, is heard saying. Agudah leader Elyah Brudny compared Leiter to Korach, a figure in the Torah who leads a rebellion against the prophet Moses.

Haredi leaders’ preferred candidates win in Rockland County

District Attorney Thomas Walsh and Spring Valley justice Christopher Exias both won in Rockland County, with help from Haredi leaders, according to unofficial results released by the Rockland County Board of Elections.

Walsh, the incumbent candidate, won after being challenged at the last minute by write-in candidate Theresa DiFalco, an attorney. DiFalco launched her campaign in October after consulting with firefighters who were dissatisfied when Walsh agreed to a no-prison sentence for two rabbis who pleaded guilty to causing a fatal fire. Haredi leaders campaigned heavily for Walsh and accused his opponents of antisemitism. Walsh received over 79% of the vote.

Exias, Haredi leaders’ preferred candidate for Rockland County family court judge, ran unopposed in Tuesday’s election after winning his primary in June. Haredi leaders helped him win, as Shtetl has reported. During the summer, they launched a robust Yiddish-language ad campaign, appeared on a Yiddish-language telephone hotline to endorse him, and contributed financially to his campaign. Over 98% of voters in three areas with large Haredi communities — New Square, Monsey, and Kaser — voted for Exias in the primary, Shtetl’s analysis found.

Vernikov reelected to New York City Council

Republican Inna Vernikov won reelection to the City Council on Tuesday, according to unofficial election results from the New York City Board of Elections. Vernikov defeated Democratic challenger Amber Adler, winning over 67% of the vote in the district, which includes parts of Southern Brooklyn, including Sheepshead Bay and Midwood. 

Vernikov’s win comes less than a month after she was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm after images posted on social media showed her carrying a gun at a pro-Palestinian rally at Brooklyn College.

Incumbents win City Council races

In addition to Vernikov, several incumbent candidates for City Council won their races on Tuesday, according to unofficial election results

Councilmember Kalman Yeger, who represents the largely Haredi community of Borough Park, Brooklyn, won over 80% of the vote in his district, defeating radio show host Heshy Tischler, a colorful local personality who became known in 2020 for his opposition to COVID-19 lockdown measures. During interviews in Borough Park on Tuesday, multiple voters told Shtetl they would be supporting Yeger.

“Mr. Tischler likes to make a lot of noise,” a Haredi man on 18th Avenue, who gave his name only as Josh, said. “He’s a get-goer, so he has his pluses,” the man added, but he ultimately favored the incumbent.

Yeger, a Democrat, serves alongside Vernikov in the council’s Common Sense caucus, a small group that hopes to be a counterweight to the council’s progressive majority. Due to City Council term limits, Yeger’s third term will be his last.

Elsewhere in Haredi Brooklyn, other incumbents also won: City Council members Lincoln Restler, Rita Joseph, Crystal Hudson, and Shahana Hanif all won their races handily. 

Because of redistricting, two Brooklyn City Council members faced off in a district that includes parts of southwest Brooklyn. Democrat Justin Brannan defeated Republican colleague Ari Kagan. Meanwhile, Democrat Susan Zhuang was elected City Council member for a newly created district that includes a small part of Borough Park.