Just before midnight on Friday May 20th, State Supreme Court Judge Patrick F. McAllister approved the final set of redistricted congressional and State Senate maps drawn by court appointed Special Master Jonathan Cervas. Many of the lines from Cervas’ initial maps remained intact, but there were a few changes. Most notably, Cervas altered the congressional lines so that the communities of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights are no longer split. Now both communities are fully intact in their own districts. Also, the final congressional maps reunite Chinatown in Manhattan with Brooklyn’s Sunset Park. Lastly, the most notable change upstate comes in Paul Tonko’s district, which will now reunite all of Saratoga County into one district with the cities of Albany, Schenectady and Troy. The final maps led to a scramble in New York’s Congressional and State Senate primary elections. Some of the most notable announcements made since the new lines were approved are:
- Democratic Senator James Gaughran announced he will no longer be seeking re-election to the State Senate after the new lines would have placed him in a Republican-leaning District, where he would have to face incumbent Republican State Senator Mario Mattera in November.
- Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou announced she was dropping her campaign for State Senate, and announced she will instead be seeking election to New York’s new 10th congressional District, where she will face a crowded Primary against Rep. Mondaire Jones, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Councilmember Carlina Rivera, and former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman.
- Senator Alessandra Biaggi announced that her Congressional campaign will continue, however, she will be challenging Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney for New York’s 17th congressional district.
- Senator Hoylman announced he was dropping his campaign for New York’s 10th congressional district, choosing instead to run for re-election in the new 47th State Senate District.
- Former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who previously announced he was running for State Senate in the 47th District, announced he was ending his campaign, allowing Senator Hoylman to run for the seat without facing a Primary challenge.
- Democratic State Senator James Skoufis announced he is dropping his bid for congress, and will instead seek re-election to the New York State Senate.
- Democratic Senator John Brooks initially announced he would not be running for re-election, but just days later, announced he will seek re-election for New York 5th State Senate District.
- Republican Senate James Tedisco is holding firm in his decision to run for re-election in the new 44th Senate District. He will be primarying his colleague, Senator Daphne Jordan who said she was “surprised and disappointed” with Tedisco’s decision.
- Republican Assemblyman John Salka announced he will be dropping his campaign for State Senate, saying, “after the new maps were issued, and I was assigned the most gerrymandered assembly district in the State, I decided to run for Senate District 55, which encompassed most the region I was familiar with. We went to work campaigning and getting to know the issues of the 55th. Then the maps changed again and we were now running in the 53rd Senate District. Although the change gave us a new opponent, we forged on. Then came the third iteration of the maps, which would place me in a primary against Senator Joe Griffo, a friend and colleague. This we found to be unacceptable. Therefore, I have decided to withdraw my intentions to run for the State Senate and support Senator Joe Griffo in his new district which now includes Madison County, an area that I have served for many years.”
However, before the Senate and Congressional Primaries take place, the Executive and Assembly Primaries are still being held on June 28th. Some key races to watch on that day include:
- Governor Hochul is facing primary challenges from Rep. Tom Suozzi and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams;
- New Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado will face a competitive primary against Progressive candidate Ana Maria Archila and the more moderate Diana Reyna;
- Democratic Assemblyman David Weprein, who has served since 2010 and chairs the Assembly Correction Committee is facing a primary against candidates Albert Baldeo and Mizan Choudhury;
- Democratic Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, who is Chair of the Assembly Children & Families Committee will face a primary challenge from District Leader Ethan Felder;
- Real estate developer Everly Brown will challenge incumbent Democratic Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman;
- Longtime Democratic Assemblywoman Vivian Cook will face a challenge from Anthony Andrews Jr;
- Assemblyman Clyde Vanel will face off against Oster Bryan in the June 28th Democratic Primary;
- Longtime Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry is facing a challenge from former State Senate Hiram Monserratte, who is hoping for a political comeback after he was expelled from the State Senate in 2010 for a misdemeanor conviction for assaulting his then-girlfriend, and later serving prison time for pleading guilty to federal corruption charges;
- Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim is facing a primary challenge from Kenneth Chiu;
- Democratic Assemblyman Erik Dilan will face off against Samy Nemi Olivares;
- Tracey Cashaw is challenging Democratic Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, who also chairs the Assembly Election Law Committee;
- Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, who Chairs the Assembly Higher Education Committee, and has served since 1990 is facing a primary challenge from entrepreneur Ryder Kessler;
- Chair of the Assembly Racing & Wagering Committee, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow will face Andrae Mitchell;
- Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti, who Chairs the newly formed People with Disabilities Committee is being challenged by Westchester County Legislator Maryjane C. Shimsky;
- Assembly Insurance Committee Chair Kevin Cahill will face off against Sarahana Shrestha;
- Democratic Assemblyman Angelo is facing a challenge from school teach and civil rights leader Justin Chaires; and
- Several freshmen Assemblymembers, many of whom are Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates are facing primary challenges, including: Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Jennifer Rajkumar, Mathylde Frontus, Emily Gallagher, Marcela Mitaynes, and Phara Souffrant Forrest.