Crowds gathered at party headquarters in Nassau and Suffolk counties Tuesday evening with their eyes on a few local races that have everybody talking.

One of the most closely watched races is the one between incumbent 3rd District state Sen. Caesar Trunzo (R) and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian Foley (D). Suffolk Democrats are hoping a win from presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama will help local politicians like Foley.

Other Suffolk races are more predictable. State Senators Ken LaValle (R-District 1) and Owen Johnson (District 4) are running virtually unopposed.

In Nassau, the focus is on Long Island?s lone Democratic state Sen. Craig Johnson (District 7), who has been in a nasty campaign with Republican challenger Barbara Donno. In her ads, Donno has attempted to link her opponent to a scandal over school district lawyer pensions. However, Johnson is confident he?ll hold onto his seat.

In Nassau?s 6th state Senate District, Democrat Kristin McElroy, a lawyer in the district attorney?s office, is hoping to unseat Republican incumbent Kemp Hannon, who has held the post since 1990.

The outcome of these races could tip the balance of power in the state Senate. However, if the GOP loses its majority, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) will be out. ?If we would lose the Senate, every single leader statewide would be from New York City,? Skelos says. ?They've never stood up for Long Island. They've never stood up for suburban communities.?

According to the Nassau County Board of Elections, Democratic voters outnumber Republican voters for the first time in history.

Click for more on the Suffolk races to watchClick for more on the Nassau races to watch