Congressional Primaries Guide
Jack O'Donnell | June 15, 2020
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NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES GUIDE
We are just eight days
from this year’s primaries for state and federal offices. Early voting began over the weekend. Last cycle, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez changed Washington with her upset of Joe Crowley, an up and coming member of Congressional leadership, while wins by several progressive challengers changed Albany by defeating several members of the centrist/Republican allied Independent Democratic Caucus.
This week, we look at Congressional primary races. Next week we will take a look at the primaries to watch in the State Legislature.
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Congressional District 1
—Long Island’s 1st Congressional District features a crowded Democratic field. The favorite, businessman
Perry Gershon
, lost a close race to incumbent Rep. Lee Zeldin, after spending heavily in 2018. Zeldin’s staunch support for Trump means the President’s standing will help decide this race in November.
Congressional District 2
—Moderate Rep. Peter King is retiring, leaving an open seat that both parties believe they can win. Babylon Town Board Member Jackie Gordon has the Democratic line but there is a primary for the GOP nod. Most of the Republican establishment is backing Assemblyman Andrew Garbarino while his colleague, Assemblyman Michael LiPetri, has the support of conservative activists. Long Island experienced a “blue wave” in 2018 but Nassau County’s powerful Republican machine sees this race as an opportunity to get back in the game. This general election is likely to be the most expensive race in New York in 2020.
Congressional District 9
—In 2018, Rep. Yvette Clarke eked out a primary win against community organizer Adem Bunkeddeko in this Brooklyn based district. Bunkeddeko is back again, this time earning the coveted
endorsement
of the
New York Times.
While Clarke has the support of the Brooklyn Democratic establishment, that can be a double edged sword in Prospect Heights and other independent minded parts of the district. Council Member Chaim Deutsch is also running for the seat; his ability to draw more centrist and conservative voters makes the outcome even more unpredictable.
Congressional District 10
—Rep. Jerry Nadler was first elected to Congress in 1992. The powerful House Judiciary Committee Chairman has not faced a serious electoral challenge since. This year,
six candidates have lined up
to challenge him.
Congressional District 12
—Rep. Carolyn Maloney has recently been quarantining, fearing a COVID infection. She recently tested negative but not before having missed several debates. The fact that she was still able to attend a fundraiser has her opponents crying foul. Attorney Suraj Patel ran a spirited race against Maloney in 2018 and is running again. Erica Vladimir, a leader in the movement to hold Albany accountable for sexual harassment, qualified for the ballot but recently dropped out.
Congressional District 13
—Race has always been front and center in this multi-ethnic district, and many observers saw the Dominican Republic-born Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s 2016 election as a sign that power was shifting from historically black Harlem into the Latino stronghold of Washington Heights. That dynamic will be at play once again in 2020, with Harlemite James Felton Keith mounting a primary challenge against Espaillat.
Congressional District 14
—Politically moderate Democrats have taken aim at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the democratic socialist movement she represents in Congress. It will be hard to unseat the extremely well-funded international celebrity, but
three Democrats are trying.
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Congressional District 15
—After serving three decades in Congress, Rep. José E. Serrano is not seeking reelection next year, making this South Bronx seat one of the few open seats in the state. Now it is the busiest race in the state, with
12 Democrats running to replace Serrano,
including a handful of prominent current and former liberal elected officials. City Council Members Richie Torres and Rubén Díaz, Sr., a socially conservative Democrat and former State Senator, are the two favorites while
Samelys López has been endorsed by
Rep. Alexandria Occasio-Cortez.
Congressional District 17
—Rep. Nita Lowey, a Member of Congress since 1989 and current chairwoman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, announced in October she would not be running for reelection, making this seat one of the hottest – and biggest – races in the state. Among the
top contenders
are the two Davids: State Sen. David Carlucci and Assemblyman David Buchwald. Another candidate,
Mondaire Jones
, an official in the Department of Justice in the Obama administration and a former lawyer in the Westchester County Law Department, received the
New York Times
'
endorsement,
while
Evelyn Farkas
has significant support from the Democratic establishment, including former Secretary of State John Kerry, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Representative Tom Malinowski, and Emily’s List.
Congressional District 27
—The resignation of former Rep. Chris Collins makes this an open seat, albeit a relatively safe Republican seat. June 23rd will feature two races: a Special Election to fill the seat through January 1st as well as a Republican Primary to appear on the November ballot for a two year term. The Special, between Republican state Senator Chris Jacobs and Democrat Nate McMurray has been interesting, especially because of the familial relationships—McMurray works for Jacobs’ cousins and has been very
critical of both his employers
and
his opponent.
After running close against Collins (post indictment and post Collins dropping out/getting back into the race in 2018), most observers expected a more robust race but all of the action has been on the GOP primary side where Beth Parlato, an attorney and one time FOX News commentator earned the
endorsement of the Conservative Party,
usually a kingmaker in state Republican circles, however Jacobs earned the endorsement—by official
tweets
nonetheless!—of President Trump. Stefan Mychajliw, the Erie County Comptroller, is also in the race. Parlato and Mychajliw were both hoping the Club for Growth would spend to neutralize Jacob’s financial advantage but after months of teasing the issue,
they will not engage.
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Other Congressional Races in the News
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