Irish Americans were at the forefront of this week’s historic election results, which will bring sweeping changes to Washington as well as statehouses across the country.
One of the biggest names in the Irish American political community – Massachusetts Congressman Richie Neal – beat back independent challenger Nadia Milleron to claim his 20th term in the House of Representatives.
Neal, a Democrat, has long been a strong voice for the Irish on both sides of the Atlantic.
A few years back he was awarded an honorary degree from Ulster University, which he accepted “in honor of my grandmother, Mary Ward, who was born in County Down.”
For decades, Neal has worked for a just and lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
He also comes from a long line of old-school Massachusetts Irish Democrats, in the mold of his political hero Tip O’Neill.
Neal was once quoted as saying: “The Democratic Party in particular was the beneficiary [of the Irish]; they brought the right infusion of energy. And there was a great alliance between unions and the Democratic Party,”
Other Irish election winners in Massachusetts include Congressman Bill Keating, who retained his seat, as well as Maura Healey, elected to a second term as the first female governor in state history.
“I cherish my Irish roots, and I’m grateful to the brave Irish women and men who made my life possible,” Healey told the chamber in an historic address to the Irish Senate in 2024.
Irish American women also won the statewide races in Minnesota and New York.
Peggy Flanagan was elected to the U.S. Senate, after serving for many years as Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor under former vice presidential candidate Governor Tim Walz. Flanagan is of Irish and Ojibwe descent (a citizen of the White Earth Nation), and has humorously referred to herself as “O’jibwe” to reflect her dual heritage.
And Buffalo native Kathy Hochul (nee Courtney) will now serve as the Empire State’s top elected official until 2031.
“My grandparents helped start the first Buffalo Irish Center,” Hochul once said. “They used to host guests and play Gaelic football. My dad and grandfather played on the team. They were so good, my father used to play on the national team here. He really took advantage of the experiences and had a chance to really talk about our Irish heritage a lot.”
The big story this election was the Democratic Party winning the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate decisively.
As Irish America went to press, the Dems outnumbered Republicans in the Senate 54-44 and in the House a whopping 253-157.
“The Democratic House majority surged past 250 seats on Thursday as the party seized its biggest majority in nearly two decades by flipping more seats, including in Montana, where a former smoke jumper disrupted decades of Republican dominance,” The New York Times reported.
“The last time either party held so many seats was 2008, when Democrats swept to power behind Barack Obama.”
Key to the big Democratic sweep in Washington were three Irish American congressmen from New York state.
Pat Ryan (great grandparents from Tipperary), Tim Kennedy (a Congressional Friends of Ireland member he received the Charles Stewart Parnell Award from the American-Irish Legislators Society of New York in 2012), and Josh Riley (also a Congressional Friends of Ireland member) were all reelected to their congressional seats.
There were more politically mixed results for Irish Americans in Pennsylvania, which is always a battleground state.
On the Republican side, Mike Kelly and John Joyce, both members of the Friends of Ireland congressional group, were reelected to their 9th and 5th terms respectively.
Republicans took a hit, however, when Brian Fitzpatrick lost his congressional race to Bob Harvie.
But Democratic Irish Americans in Pennsylvania could also claim three big wins.
First, there’s congressman Brendan Boyle, a son of Irish immigrants who represents a district outside of Philadelphia. Boyle (PA-02) is one of the most prominent pro-Irish voices in the United States Congress, strongly advocating for Irish unity, the preservation of the Good Friday Agreement, and deep economic and diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Ireland.
Mary Gay Scanlon was also reelected in the Keystone State. Scanlon represents a region in Southeastern Pennsylvania with one of the highest concentrations of Irish Americans in the United States. Roughly 1 in 5 of her constituents (more than 151,000 people) claim Irish heritage, and includes a direct trans-Atlantic shipping line between Cork, Ireland and Chester, Pennsylvania. Proud of her Kerry heritage, and an active member of Friends of Ireland Caucus, Scanlon was part of the American delegation trip to Ireland in April, 2023 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the good Friday Agreement.
Irish American Republicans had more luck in the midwest where Ohio Congressman David Joyce and Wisconsin’s Scott Fitzgerald each held onto their seats.
Meanwhile, there’s the case of the two Dan Sullivans” in the Alaska Senate race. A retired Petersburg teacher named Dan J. Sullivan (Independent) filed to run against Republican incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan (R) causing a massive political controversy over whether the second Dan Sullivan was allegedly recruited by Democratic operatives to siphon votes away from the incumbent. As we go to press, Mary Peltola (D) at 48.17% has a slight lead over Dan S. Sullivan, 47.88% with Dan J. Sullivan at 3,600 votes or 1.68%).
One thing for sure, Democrat or Republican, what these representatives have in common is pride in their heritage and goodwill towards Ireland. Let’s hope that these points of connection will induce a willingness to work across the aisle for the greater good.
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