Bensonhurst Immigrants Flip Districts, Cite Costs Over Policy

A neighborhood turns blue — and immigrants explain why

By 10 p.m. on election night, the crowd inside a two-story house in Bensonhurst erupted. Larry He, the Democratic challenger in State Senate District 17, had beaten incumbent Republican Steve Chan by more than 14 percentage points. Beside him, Joyce Xiaoqiong Xie had defeated incumbent Republican Assembly member Lester Chang by nearly six points, according to the New York State Board of Elections. Both wins were part of a broader Democratic wave across the country on November 3.

What made these results striking was who voted for them. Bensonhurst had been drifting Republican in recent years, driven by local concerns about public safety and homeless shelter placements. On Election Day, several Chinese voters told Documented they still cared about those issues — including a recent fatal stabbing in Bath Beach. But when asked what mattered most, they kept coming back to the same thing: the cost of daily life.

Dan Chen, 44, an immigrant from Fujian, China, who became a U.S. citizen in 2016, voted for Donald Trump and Republicans in 2024. This year she voted Democratic. "Rent, food, utilities — the cost of everything in our daily lives has gone up," she said in Mandarin. Kenneth Lee, 74, a Bensonhurst resident for more than three decades, pointed to food prices: "Twenty years ago, you could buy several apples for $1. Now, a single apple costs more than $1." A third voter, Li, 70, who has voted in every election since naturalizing four years ago, said life became especially hard after the federal government stopped reimbursing stolen SNAP (food stamp) benefits in December 2024. Some voters also mentioned the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies as a concern — but for most, affordability came first.

What this means for immigrant voters

The Bensonhurst results show that naturalized citizens vote on the same kitchen-table issues as any other voter — and that their political loyalties can shift quickly when those issues change. He and Xie both campaigned on housing, affordability, support for small businesses, and public safety. Their wins suggest that immigrant communities in New York are not a fixed political bloc, and that local candidates who address everyday economic pressures can compete even in districts that have leaned the other way.

What to do

• If you are a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) and want to vote in future elections, check your eligibility for U.S. citizenship (naturalization). You generally need five years of permanent residency and continuous U.S. presence.
• If you are already a U.S. citizen and want to register to vote in New York, visit vote.nyc or your county board of elections website to register or update your address.
• If you rely on SNAP benefits and have questions about stolen benefit reimbursement, contact your local Department of Social Services or a nonprofit benefits counselor — rules changed in December 2024.
• If immigration enforcement is a concern in your community, know your rights: you have the right to remain silent and the right to speak with an immigration lawyer before answering questions from ICE agents.