https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Democrats-battle-it-out-for-ballot-spots-in-13014326.php
Democrats battle it out for ballot spots in November
Voting is Tuesday for North Country, Hudson Valley congressional seats
Published 9:41 am, Thursday, June 21, 2018
Democratic congressional candidates square off on Tuesday for the chance to challenge Republican incumbents John Faso and Elise Stefanik.
Democratic congressional candidates square off on Tuesday for the chance to challenge Republican incumbents John Faso and Elise Stefanik.
Democrat Pat Ryan is one of the top tier candidates for the Democratic nomination in the 19th Congressional District.
Democrat Pat Ryan is one of the top tier candidates for the Democratic nomination in the 19th Congressional District.
Democrat Gareth Rhodes has made headlines late in the race for the 19th Congressional District nomination.
Democrat Gareth Rhodes has made headlines late in the race for the 19th Congressional District nomination.
David Clegg, a Democratic candidate in the 19th Congressional District.
David Clegg, a Democratic candidate in the 19th Congressional District.
Erin Collier, a Democratic candidate for the 19th Congressional District.
Erin Collier, a Democratic candidate for the 19th Congressional District.
Actress Diane Neal, best known for her role as assistant district attorney Casey Novak on "Law & Order: SVU," is running an independent bid for the 19th Congressional District. (Photo courtesy of Diane Neal)
lessActress Diane Neal, best known for her role as assistant district attorney Casey Novak on "Law & Order: SVU," is running an independent bid for the 19th Congressional District. (Photo courtesy of Diane
... moreDemocrat Zephyr Teachout lost to Republican John Faso two years ago in the race to replace Chris Gibson.
Democrat Zephyr Teachout lost to Republican John Faso two years ago in the race to replace Chris Gibson.
Democrat Tedra Cobb is widely considered the party's front runner in the 21st Congressional District.
Democrat Tedra Cobb is widely considered the party's front runner in the 21st Congressional District.
Dylan Ratigan, a former cable news host, is pursuing the Democratic nomination in the 21st Congressional District.
Dylan Ratigan, a former cable news host, is pursuing the Democratic nomination in the 21st Congressional District.
ALBANY - Democrats hoping to flip the House of Representatives in November will need to compete among themselves first in the Adirondacks and lower Capital Region.
In Tuesday's congressional primaries there are seven Democrats lined up to take on freshman Republican John Faso and five vying to unseat two-term Republican Elise Stefanik.
The most competitive race for November is expected to be the challenge to Faso in the 19th Congressional District, which stretches into the Hudson Valley and includes all of Columbia, Greene and Schoharie counties and parts of Montgomery and Rensselaer counties. Democratic voters narrowly outnumber Republicans in the area, but 26 percent of voters aren't affiliated with a party and Faso won by about 25,000 votes two years ago.
The consensus from political prognosticators is that a top tier of Democratic candidates has emerged with Antonio Delgado, Pat Ryan, Gareth Rhodes and Brian Flynn.
Delgado has raised nearly $2.3 million during the election cycle, which is more than Faso collected during the same period, while Ryan has brought in more than $1.6 million and Flynn has raised more than $1.5 million. All three candidates recently moved to the district and have used television advertisements to promote their campaigns.
Delgado also garnered the support of the progressive Citizen Action organization and is considered to have the best field team in the district.
Rhodes, who worked for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, has come on late in the race with endorsements from the New York Times and influential labor organizations.
Democratic consultant Bruce Gyory said that Rhodes' outreach efforts, which have included traveling the district in a Winnebago, leave him well-positioned in the race. "I think he has just outworked people on the retail end of the campaign," he said.
The second tier of candidates includes Erin Collier, David Clegg and Jeff Beals.
Collier, who joined the race in February, is an economist with deep roots in the district. Clegg is an ordained deacon and works as a public defender. Beals is a former intelligence officer and U.S. diplomat who teaches history.
The meat of the Democratic vote in the district on Tuesday will come from Ulster County, where Clegg potentially has the edge.
Meet the Candidates
-
Tedra Cobb touts experience in Congressional primary
-
Ex-cable news host eyes Stefanik seat
-
Keene Democrat looks to disrupt politics as usual
-
Policy drives North Country congressional campaign
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Congressional candidate Martz seeks Medicaid, food stamp protection
- Faso opponent new to the 19th District
-
Tech entrepreneur running for Congress vows to regulate Big Data
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Ex-Cuomo staffer running for Congress gains momentum
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Faso foe has long history of activism, familiar residency questions
-
NY19 race hits Woodstock: David Clegg, Jeff Beals
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CD 19 candidate Erin Collier: A fresh face with deep roots
There is a steeper climb for Democrats looking to take on Stefanik, who enjoys a fundraising advantage and partisan enrollment edge in the 21st Congressional District, which spans the Adirondacks and stretches down into the northern half of Saratoga County.
Former St. Lawrence County Legislator Tedra Cobb is considered the front runner in the Democratic primary because she raised the most money and has an extensive network of volunteers. Her campaign also has had a significant presence on television during the final weeks of the race, which should aid her name recognition in the vast district.
"If it was a one-on-one race, I have very little doubt that Cobb would win," Gyory said.
But it's a crowded field that includes former cable news host Dylan Ratigan, whose late February entry into the race upset the established dynamic. His fundraising hasn't been very robust and his ground game is middle of the pack, but he attracted some support from labor groups.
"Ratigan has the celebrity pizazz factor," Gyory added.
Also running are Katie Wilson, Emily Martz and Patrick Nelson, who each have distinct identities in the race. Wilson portrays herself as the voice for the ordinary citizen in the district, Martz touts her pragmatic business record and Nelson highlights his ties to Bernie Sanders and strong grasp of policy.
Votes could be siphoned off by Don Boyajian, who dropped out of the Democratic primary late in the process to run for an Assembly seat and will still have his name on the ballot.
In both primaries, Gyory anticipated the winners will be the candidate who is competitive across the district. "The candidate who finishes no lower than second or third in most of the district is the one who is going to wind up finishing first," he said.
Turnout is expected to be very low, and Sean Magers, a communications consultant who helped Democrat Bill Owens win the north country congressional seat twice, emphasized the importance of efforts to get out the vote.
"There are few tools more effective in the final days of a campaign than a well-developed field campaign to make sure your voters get to the polls," he said.
Any Democrat that emerges victorious on Tuesday will need to consolidate the primary factions to have a shot in the fall. Gyory anticipated the Democratic base will come together because neither campaign had been too divisive.
Voting in the Capital Region is between noon and 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Voters are only able to participate in primaries for the party in which they're enrolled.
Around the state
Republican voters on Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn will have their own contentious primary on Tuesday, when incumbent Dan Donovan takes on Michael Grimm, who resigned the seat in 2014 after pleading guilty to felony tax evasion charges.
The race is considered emblematic of the internal struggles in the national Republican Party, with Donovan representing the moderate establishment and Grimm standing in for Trump and outsiders. A public poll released earlier this month gave Grimm a 10-point lead with likely primary voters.
The primary with the biggest impact on Albany is in western New York, where Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle, a Rochester-area Democrat, is hoping to succeed Louise Slaughter, who died this year after serving three decades in Congress.
Morelle is the front runner in the four-way Democratic primary and the favorite to win in November.
One incumbent playing defense on Tuesday is U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley, the Democratic Queens party boss, who is being challenged by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He is the favorite in the race, but she has made him work this campaign and attracted support from progressive groups.
Democrats nationally have their eyes on a primary in central New York, where they're hoping to unseat two-term Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. John M. Katko, who represents a moderate area around Syracuse. Juanita Perez Williams, the preferred choice of the national Democratic establishment, had a 13-point lead in a recent public poll over Dana Balter, who has the backing of the county Democratic committees.
There is also a large field of Democrats vying for the uphill battle of unseating four-term Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Reed in the Finger Lakes.
Democrats in Long Island are competing to challenge Republican congressional incumbents Peter King and Lee Zeldin.
David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87
