Rep. Carolyn Maloney handily won the Democratic primary Tuesday in the New York City congressional district she’s represented for 25 years, fending off a challenge from unconventional progressive opponent Suraj Patel.
The New York Times and Associated Press called it for Maloney at around 10: 20 PM ET. She earned 58 percent of the vote with 87 percent of the votes counted.
NY-12, which covers much the East Side of Manhattan plus upscale neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, is the wealthiest congressional district by per capita income, known for its dismal primary turnout.
Those circumstances gave an advantage to incumbent Maloney, who campaigned on her years of experience on Capitol Hill and focused on New York-specific issues like securing funds for the 9/11 Health Compensation Act and Second Avenue Subway.
Patel—a hotel executive, former Obama campaign staffer, and NYU business ethics professor—argued that it was time for a change of leadership and for New York City’s leaders to move left to meet their voters. One notable policy position was a call for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to be defunded.
But despite raising over $1 million, Patel’s quirky campaign never got much traction. It was hampered by questions over his voter registration, which he has switched multiple times over the past few years, and his self-consciously hip get-out-the vote methods. Those included handing out campaign-branded condoms and courting voters through bogus profiles created on dating apps like Bumble and Grindr.
Not in this race, but I’d like to see voter turn out numbers compared to the last mid-term election.
My district. That dating app thing relegated him to a level of decidedly not at all hip status. Plus the homophobic, smug attitudes of his campaign posse absolutely grated on people’s nerves. I had a few campaign staff members in extremely expensive, tight pants and fashionable accessories completely ignore me in a supermarket when I tried to ask them questions. One dismissively told me there was a gay bar down the street. I was in shock not because I’m not gay but because the arrogance was so thick. Glad he lost.
I always appreciate the local take.
I’m afraid we are going to see a lot more candidates who are Trumpp- like in that they care little about many of the issues and will join the majority party in their district and unabashedly campaign on whatever positions the majority of voters prefer. Once in office, they will put their own interests above the district’s.
Nobody wants to confidently extrapolate this out to its undeniable significance for the DNC etc.? Because in the other…well. Anyway. Sounds like the better candidate won.
I worked for years in East Harlem when Carolyn Maloney was the City Council person for a district that included East Harlem and part of Yorkville. She patiently bided her time till the Silk Stocking congressional district seat became available for her. And could often be seen in her constituent service office on East 116th St.