Lisa Kaul defeats Rob Rolison, wins New York Senate seat

Indian-born Democrat Lisa Kaul has defeated Republican incumbent Rob Rolison in New York’s 39th State Senate District, winning 55.2 percent of the vote in the midterm elections. Kaul received 62,883 votes against Rolison’s 51,009, according to reported election results, securing a margin of 11,874 votes. Rolison received 44.8 percent of the vote. The result ended his tenure representing the Hudson Valley district, which includes parts of Dutchess, Orange and Putnam counties. Kaul’s victory flipped the Republican-held seat to the Democrats. Kaul’s victory came after she defeated two other candidates in the Democratic primary in June, receiving 62 percent of the vote. She had entered the general election against Rolison, who had held the Senate seat since 2022 and was seeking a third term. READ: Saba Haider wins Illinois House seat with 71.2% of vote (November 8, 2026) The November result was also a reversal of the previous two election cycles in the district.

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