5 takeaways from congressional, State Senate primaries
Democratic candidate Pat Ryan and Gov. Kathy Hochul appear onstage together during a campaign rally for Ryan Monday in Kingston, N.Y. Credit: AP / Mary Altaffer
A rare August primary, for which voter turnout was patchy, had the potential to produce some surprises around New York State.
Extreme right candidates were trying to take out party-backed Republicans. An array of Democratic progressive and socialist candidates were vying for open seats. Incumbents, regardless of party, faced possible losses.
But, by and large, surprises didn’t happen when voters went to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in congressional and State Senate primaries.
Here are some takeaways from Tuesday’s results:
Roe v. Wade turns a marquee race
It wasn’t a primary but rather a special election to replace now-Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado for the House of Representatives seat in the Hudson Valley's 19th District. Earlier in the year, Marcus Molinaro, the Republican Dutchess County executive, was considered the favorite.
But it began to turn after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the case legalizing abortion rights. The Democrat, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, leaned heavily into the issue, urging voters to send a message.
Molinaro opposes abortion rights but also said he opposed a national ban and wouldn’t fight to change New York’s abortion laws. He sought to make the race about crime and inflation.
Instead, Ryan won, 52% to 48% and Molinaro acknowledged Democrats were motivated by the Supreme Court ruling.
It’s an outcome that could resonate in the fall, analysts said.
“This is not a race Molinaro would have lost two months ago,” said Lawrence Levy, dean of Hofstra University’s Center for Suburban Studies.
Mainstream wins on LI, other key races
Long Island saw an unprecedented set of primaries as the pending departure of three congressional veterans produced a scramble for open seats. And in the Island’s other congressional district, a freshman incumbent faced two challengers.
Republican contests featured party-backed candidates trying to fend off challengers who often called themselves more aligned with former President Donald Trump.
The Democratic races had candidates from across the party’s spectrum.
In the end, no candidate from either the extreme right or progressive left won. Party-backed Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) in the 2nd Congressional District and Nick LaLota in the 1st District won GOP primaries in Suffolk. Former Hempstead Supervisor Laura Gillen in the 4th District and public-relations executive Robert Zimmerman in the 3rd District won Democratic contests in Nassau.
Elsewhere in New York, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-Cold Spring) crushed progressive challenger State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D-Pelham) in the 17th District race in the Hudson Valley. Dan Goldman, a former federal prosecutor, declared victory in the Manhattan-based 10th District where he was considered a moderate in a field of more than 10 candidates.
In the 23rd Congressional District in Western New York, Nick Langworthy, the Republican state chairman, defeated Carl Paladino, the party’s 2010 gubernatorial candidate who had a history of making inflammatory and offensive comments, including praising Adolf Hitler.
Langworthy said he jumped in the primary in part because he thought Paladino’s presence on the ballot could hurt Republicans around the state in November.
Some progressive wins
Though they didn’t pull off congressional upsets, several progressive Democratic incumbents fended off moderates. Among them were incumbent State Sens. Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) and Jabari Brisport (D-Brooklyn).
In the 16th Congressional District primary, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-Yonkers) defeated two moderate opponents. That said, incumbents generally win New York, regardless of political stripe.
Beyond incumbents, the only other notable progressive victory was notched by Kristen Gonzalez, a political newcomer, over moderate Elizabeth Crowley for an open State Senate seat in a Brooklyn-Queens district.
Adams' endorsements had mixed results
New York Mayor Eric Adams, who has been trying to push state legislators in Albany on multiple issues, backed moderate Democrats in eight legislative races. Five won, three lost, Politico reported.
And Adams’ candidates fell short in the arguably highest-profile contests of the bunch, the Gonzalez-Crowley race and the attempts to oust Brisport and Rivera.
Crypto cash didn’t help on the Island
Political-action committees tied to people in the cryptocurrency field tried to influence several of the Island’s primaries. They didn’t get much in results.
One recipient of crypto contributions, Josh Lafazan, finished third in the five-way Democratic primary for the Nassau-based 3rd Congressional District.
Another, Republican Michelle Bond — who also is a crypto executive — was considered to have a chance for an upset in the Suffolk-based 1st Congressional District. But she finished nearly 20 percentage points behind winner LaLota.
The final recipient, Democrat Laura Gillen, a former Hempstead supervisor, did win in the Nassau-based 4th Congressional District. But her victory was so overwhelming — 38 points over her nearest rival — it’s doubtful any one source of political contributions had any impact.
Things to do now on LI Rock climbing? Indoor beach volleyball? Water parks? Arts and crafts? NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to spend your winter break.
Things to do now on LI Rock climbing? Indoor beach volleyball? Water parks? Arts and crafts? NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to spend your winter break.
