About a week ago, I discussed the dramatic shift in suburban voting patterns between 2008 and 2009, and cited Republican Ed Mangano, who led incumbent Democrat Tom Suozzi in the race for county executive in Nassau County, Long Island, New York.

Suozzi conceded defeat Tuesday, declaring, “Nobody saw this coming.” Somehow I suspect we’ll hear more incumbents saying that in the coming year.

Nassau County is home to roughly 1.3 million people; more than 250,000 people voted in the county-executive race. By comparison, roughly 140,000 people voted in the special election in New York’s 23rd congressional district.