Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand cruise to easy wins on Election Night

Among them were Rep. Michael McMahon, who lost his heavily Republican Staten Island seat to ex-FBI agent Michael Grimm. And Republican Nan Hayworth defeated ex-rocker Rep. John Hall (D-Westchester, lower Hudson).

An elated Schumer thanked New Yorkers for the "sacred opportunity" to serve another six years. "When we have been faced with adversity in the past, we have risen to the challenge - and we shall do so again," he told supporters in midtown after defeating GOPer Jay Townsend.

Gillibrand, appointed to the job by Gov. Paterson to replace Hillary Clinton, told the same crowd it was "time to end business as usual" in Washington.

Veteran Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-L.I.), however, was sweating out a rare challenge last night from local Nassau County pol Francis Becker, who hoped to ride the nationwide GOP wave to victory.

CNN called the race in her favor about 1 a.m.