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New York won’t be the center of the political world until November, when its six battleground House races could decide control of Congress. But this month’s Democratic primary elections include their own bellwether races that are seen as referendums on socialist strength and Israel’s war in Gaza.
Early voting starts Saturday for the June 25 primary election in New York, where both state and federal offices will be on the ballot. From the marquee Jamaal Bowman-George Latimer race for Congress down to state Assembly races around the city, here are the key contests to watch.
Congress: Bowman vs. Latimer
Among the most competitive races in the country, Westchester County Executive George Latimer is trying to unseat Congressman Jamaal Bowman in his district that covers southern Westchester and parts of the Bronx. Latimer’s campaign centers in large part on his own support for Israel, contrasted with Bowman’s opposition to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The clash between Latimer, a relative centrist, and Bowman, a democratic socialist, has become the focus of millions in dollars in outside spending; the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group, has also raised upwards of $1.6 million for Latimer. Latimer enjoyed a significant fundraising edge as of late March, and a PIX11 poll this week showed Latimer with a large lead over Bowman, 48% to 31%.
Debates between the two men have been bitter. This week, Latimer accused Bowman of paying insufficient attention to the district, adding that the incumbent considered his constituency to be “Dearborn, Michigan” — a statement that Bowman latter described as an “Islamophobic dogwhistle” for its reference to the Arab-American enclave.
Bowman is seen as facing a serious risk of losing his seat, and his peril has only grown after reports emerged that he had subscribed to conspiracy-oriented accounts on YouTube. But he maintains support from influential labor unions like 1199 SEIU, and has gotten a campaign boost from the Working Families Party.
State Assembly: proxy battles and insurgent candidates
A number of hard-fought contests for state Assembly are playing out at the neighborhood level, including several that could help the Democratic Socialists of America grow their ranks in Albany.
A proxy battle in Bedford-Stuyvesant
In Central Brooklyn, incumbent Assemblywoman Stefani Zinerman faces a serious challenge from DSA-backed candidate Eon Huntley, a tenant organizer. The race has been heavy on housing, with Huntley hammering Zinerman for her past opposition to “good cause” eviction protections for tenants while Zinerman’s campaign casts Huntley as the candidate of “gentrifiers.”
It also functions as a proxy battle for Congressman and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, whose district overlaps the area and who maintains a long-running distaste for Brooklyn’s insurgent socialists. André Richardson, a senior advisor to Jeffries, has been an outspoken critic of Huntley on social media. State Attorney General Letitia James, who once represented the area, has also endorsed Zinerman.
“I view this as a test: Can old-school Central Brooklyn hold on against a DSA-backed insurgency?” said Trip Yang, a Democratic strategist.
Socialist candidates have successfully run in several neighboring districts in recent years, including Jabari Brisport, who has held an overlapping state Senate seat since 2021. Zinerman herself faced an unexpectedly close race in 2020, when a low-profile progressive opponent won 43% of the vote against her.
Zinerman’s campaign has also benefited from spending by an independent committee funded by the real estate industry, The City reported. Two Trees, Tishman Speyer, SL Green and the Brodsky Organization have all donated to the committee.
A rare vacancy on the Upper West Side
Five candidates are running to succeed retiring incumbent Danny O’Donnell in a heavily engaged district covering parts of the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights.
Micah Lasher, a government veteran who until recently served as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s policy director, looks to be the front-runner thanks to his intense institutional support — but the race was complicated last month when O’Donnell endorsed progressive candidate Eli Northrup, a public defender.
Lasher’s high-profile supporters include Congressmen Jerry Nadler and Adriano Espaillat, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and several neighboring city and state officials.
An embattled incumbent in Queens
Assemblyman Juan Ardila was elected in 2022 to a Western Queens district that stretches from the Long Island City waterfront to inner neighborhoods like Ridgewood and Fresh Pond. Months after his election, however, he was accused by two women of sexual assault, which Ardila initially apologized for but has subsequently denied.
The accusations sapped Ardila of political support and gave rise to two primary challengers: Claire Valdez and Johanna Carmona.
Valdez, a union organizer, is affiliated with the DSA, while Carmona, an attorney, is backed by the Queens County Democratic Party.
“This is perceived as another proxy fight between then Queens County Democratic organization, led by Congressman [Gregory] Meeks, versus progressives,” Yang said.
Progressives face challenges in Flushing and Greenpoint
Left-leaning incumbents are trying to hold onto their seats in Eastern Queens and North Brooklyn.
In Flushing, progressive incumbent Ron Kim is facing a serious threat from local activist and business owner Yi Andy Chen, who is running a more centrist campaign. Kim only barely won re-election in 2022 over a Republican, and the heavily Asian district has trended more conservative in recent years amid concerns over crime.
“What this race really shows is, how are Asian American Democrats in Queens feeling about public safety versus their relationship with a longtime incumbent?” Yang said.
The pro-housing group Open New York endorsed Chen over Kim, and Chen has also trumpeted an endorsement from the Police Benevolent Association, an officers’ union.
Meanwhile, in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, incumbent Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher is being challenged by Anathea Simpkins, an executive for the anti-gun violence nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise. That race has been defined in part by Gallagher’s support for the city’s safety-oriented redesign of McGuinness Boulevard, which was opposed by local businesses including the film studio Broadway Stages. (Simpkins opposes the redesign plans.)
In Harlem, racial politics and a possible dynasty
Harlem, always a political hotbed, has two competitive Assembly races this month.
In the heart of the neighborhood, incumbent Inez Dickens is retiring from her Central Harlem seat, and the front-runner to succeed her appears to be Jordan Wright — son of Keith Wright, who held the same seat for two decades and still chairs the Manhattan Democratic Party. The younger Wright has three opponents but has racked up a long list of endorsers, including Dickens herself.
Next door in East Harlem, incumbent Eddie Gibbs made history after winning a 2022 special election to become the first formerly incarcerated person to serve in the New York state Legislature, as well as the first Black person to hold what had been perceived as a Latino seat. But Gibbs faces three challengers this year, led by Xavier Santiago, a TV producer and chair of the neighborhood community board. Gibbs won by a relatively narrow margin in his previous primary election in 2022.
Santiago has secured support from influential Congressman Espaillat, who has boosted Latino colleagues citywide. That has led to some grumbling from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who supports Gibbs, Politico reported. And it’s another example of the continued significance of racial politics in New York.
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Nick Garber , 2024-06-14 11:48:03
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