How We Did
So yesterday's primary saw some mixed results. Generally, NYPAN & OR's endorsed progressive incumbents won, despite some big dark money super pacs and party bosses trying hard to unseat them. These include:
- CD16: Jamal Bowman
- SD25: Jabari Brisport
- SD30: Jessica Ramos
- SD31: Robert Jackson
- SD33: Gustavo Rivera (leading by 5%, with counting still going on).
For endorsed candidates running for open seats or challenging incumbents, results were not so good.
- CD3: Melanie D'arrigo lost, despite massive efforts on the part of NYPAN and others. This one hurt. The winner with 36%, Zimmerman, was a big Dem contributor who bought this seat.
- CD10: NYPAN endorsed Mondaire Jones, who finished 3rd with 18% of the vote, while many members voted for Yuh-Line Niou, who despite being in second place trailing by only 1300 votes or 2% and with 7000+ absentee ballots to be counted, Dan Goldman was declared the winner by the AP. Goldman, a super rich conservative Dem who received only 25% of the vote to win, essentially purchased this seat by spending $5 million of his own money and dark money and shady pacs falsely attacking Yuh-Line as anti-Semetic for defending the right to support BDS.
- CD17 Progressive State Senator Alessandra Biaggi lost 2-1 to the conservative Dem Sean Patrick Maloney.
OTOH, there were some good wins in this category:
- CD12: Jerry Nadler won big over Carolyn Maloney. Kudos to NYPAN's Upper East Side Progressives Chapter for helping power that win!
- CD19: Josh Riley won his primary, and will be on the ballot in November. Big thanks to EC member Cari Gardner and NYPAN Greene for getting that done!
- SD52: Lea Webb, in a real pleasant surprise, won the primary for this open seat, and could very well win the General. Big pickup. Congrats to our own Emily Adams, who worked hard in this campaign!
Looking at the bigger picture, the real loser yesterday was democracy itself, with the turnout being around 10% of eligible voters. No surprise when you schedule a second primary in late August.
What's on the electoral agenda for November? This big question is will the WFP, which needs to get approx. 200,000 votes for its Governor's candidate (Hochul) on its ballot line to maintain its official ballot status, run Yuh-Line on its line vs Goldman in CD10 in November? We hope so, as there is no competitive Republican running so no chance of being a spoiler, but a decent chance to win.
Solidarity,
Cari, George, Jay and Nancy
Then we'd love you to become an Associate Member. Your membership helps us fight for progressive issues like the NY Health Act. Plus gets you notification of special, members-only events. Thanks!