New York State Primaries

New York State Primaries were held on June 23rd, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to a long and complicated process of counting absentee ballots. While most races where called on Primary night, there were several competitive races where the results took up to a month to fully calculate. Below are several results of note:

New York State Assembly

  • AD 2: Laura Jens-Smith won the Democratic Primary for the 2nd Assembly District. She will face Republican Jodi Giglio in November. The seat is being vacated by Republican Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo, who is running for State Senate.
  • AD 34: Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas became one of several progressive insurgent candidates to defeat an Assembly incumbent when it was announced that she had bested Assemblyman Michael DenDekker.
  • AD 36: Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas was another incumbent who lost their Assembly seat when she was defeated by progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani.
  • AD 38: Progressive candidate, Jenifer Rajkumar defeated incumbent Assemblyman Michael Miller
  • AD 50: The most shocking result of the State Primaries came when it was announced that progressive candidate Emily Gallagher defeated longtime incumbent, and Assembly Codes Committee Chairman, Assemblyman Joe Lentol, bringing an end to his 48-year run in the New York State Assembly.
  • AD 51: Longtime incumbent Assemblyman Felix Ortiz was defeated in his Democratic Primary by progressive challenger, and tenant rights activist, Marcela Mitaynes.
  • AD 57: Progressive nurse Phara Souffrant Forrest dealt another blow to the Assembly Democrats when she defeated incumbent Assemblyman Walter Mosley.
  • AD 91: Incumbent Assemblyman Steven Otis, who entered the absentee ballot count behind challenger Meg Camera, managed to pull out a slim victory of just 83 votes.
  • AD 92: Assembly Banks Committee Chair, Thomas Abinanti, won his Democratic Primary, defeating Jennifer Anna Williams.
  • AD 108: After a close race on the night of June 23rd, Democratic incumbent Assemblyman John McDonald declared victory over progressive challenger Sam Fein.

New York State Senate

  • SD 1: Laura Ahearn won the Democratic Primary for the 1st Senate District, which is being vacated by longtime Republican incumbent, Kenneth LaValle. She will face off against Republican Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo in November. 
  • SD 25: In the Democratic Primary for outgoing Senator Velmanette Montgomery’s seat, Democratic Socialist Jabari Brisport emerged as the winner, defeating Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright, who was endorsed by Senator Montgomery.

House of Representatives

  • NY 1: Nancy Goroff won the Democratic Primary for New York’s 1st Congressional District. She will face Republican incumbent, Rep. Lee Zeldin in an effort to flip the district in November.
  • NY 2: Assemblyman Andrew Garbarino defeated Assemblyman Mike LiPetri in the Republican Primary for outgoing Rep. Peter King’s seat. Garbarino will be challenged by Democrat Jacqueline A. Gordon, who is looking to flip the seat to Democratic.
  • NY 17: One of the most competitive primaries was the Democratic Primary for New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is being vacated by Rep. Nita Lowey. To members of the State Legislature, Assemblyman David Buchwald and Senator David Carlucci ran for the seat. However, after all votes were counted, progressive candidate Mondaire Jones emerged victorious. 
  • NY 19: 16-term incumbent, Rep. Eliot Engel was defeated by progressive challenger Jamaal Brown. Engel became the fifth incumbent in the House, so far, to lose a nominating contest.