In NY primaries, important progressive wins and splits

Late Tuesday night, most of the results for the New York congressional primaries had been called. The chaotic and controversial redistricting that ended up pitting allies against one another were difficult to predict, given the crowded redrawn fields.

One of the most-watched congressional races was that of District 12, which saw two veteran establishment incumbent Democrats face off against one another.

With most of the votes in, the race had been called for Jerry Nadler, who won by around 55.4 per cent, followed by Carolyn Maloney with 24.4 per cent, followed by two newcomers.

Though Nadler and Maloney are often described as having similar positions, Nadler distinguished himself by highlighting his vote against the 2003 Iraq war, his vote against the Patriot Act, which helped usher in an era of increased mass domestic surveillance, and his support for the Iran Nuclear Deal. Though Nadler is Jewish, Maloney won the endorsement of AIPAC, likely due to her voting record related to the Middle East.

Another closely watched district in New York’s primaries has been District 16, where incumbent Jamaal Bowman won by 56.9 per cent.

Despite his incumbent status, his win was not clear, even in the days leading up to the race. His first term in Congress saw a turbulent period several months ago when a trip he took to Israel and the West Bank with the centrist Jewish lobby group J Street, leading to criticism from critics and supporters of Israel alike.

Moreover, his closest competition, Vedat Gashi was supported by his 2020 opponent veteran congressman Eliot Engel. In the end, voters in the solidly blue district chose the most progressive candidate.

As of midnight on Tuesday, the race had not yet been called for district 10, with the largely self-funded lawyer Dan Goldman leading with nearly 26 per cent, followed by Yuh-Line Niou with nearly 24 per cent and Mondaire Jones with just over 18 per cent.

Though southern New York state is generally deeply blue, it would be unusual for a self-funded candidate to make it to the top. However, if he does win, it appears that it would be in large part due to the progressive vote being split between two candidates.

In the end, Tuesday’s voting in New York was not as chaotic as many feared after months of debates over its controversial redistricting.
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