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Aaron Woolf
Aaron Woolf was a 2014 Democratic and Working Families Party candidate seeking election to the U.S. House to represent the 21st Congressional District of New York.[1][2] Aaron Woolf lost the general election on November 4, 2014. Woolf ran unopposed for both nominations in the primary on June 24, 2014.[3]
Biography
Woolf is a film producer and has directed documentaries including King Corn, Dying to Leave: The Global Face of Human Trafficking and Smuggling and Beyond the Motor City. Prior to his film career, Woolf worked as a commercial fisherman, an electrician and a camera tech.[4]
Campaign themes
2014
The following excerpts from Woolf's website explain his position on key topics. See Woolf's campaign website for more detailed explanations and for his position on other issues.
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| —Aaron Woolf, Campaign website (archive) | ||
Elections
2014
The 21st Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Because incumbent Bill Owens (D) did not run for re-election, many predicted a close race between Republican, Conservative and Independence Party candidate Elise Stefanik and Democratic and Working Families Party candidate Aaron Woolf. Contrary to expectations, Stefanik defeated Woolf by a wide margin of victory, switching the partisan control of the seat from Democratic to Republican.[6]
Matt Funiciello also ran against Stefanik and Woolf on the Green ticket. Neither Woolf nor Funiciello faced competition in the primary election on June 24, 2014, while Stefanik battled with Matt Doheny for the Republican nomination. Although Doheny won the Independence Party's nomination, he was later nominated for a state Supreme Court judgeship, which removed him from the ballot and allowed the Independence Party to endorse Stefanik.
New York's 21st was considered a battleground district in 2014. Although Democratic President Barack Obama won the district by a fairly safe 6.1 percent margin of victory in 2012, Owens won by a mere 1.9 percent margin of victory that same year. In addition, with New York's 21st being an open seat in 2014, none of the candidates possessed the advantages that often come with incumbency, such as increased campaign finances and name recognition.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Elise Stefanik |
55.1% | 96,226 | |
| Democratic | Aaron Woolf | 33.8% | 59,063 | |
| Green | Matt Funiciello | 11% | 19,238 | |
| N/A | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 141 | |
| Total Votes | 174,668 | |||
| Source: New York State Board of Elections, NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns November 4, 2014," accessed August 30, 2021 | ||||
Race background
Woolf has received support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).[7]
Endorsements
Woolf received the following endorsements:
- Rep. Bill Owens[8]
- Rep. Paul Tonko[9]
- All 12 of the 21st District’s Democratic county chairmen[10]
Media
Woolf released a campaign ad in September 2014 attacking his Republican opponent, Elise Stefanik, calling her a "Washington-insider."[11]
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Campaign finance summary
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Woolf and his wife, Carolyn, have a daughter named Eloise. Carolyn is a clinical psychologist.[4]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Aaron + Wolf + New York + Congress"
See also
- United States House of Representatives
- New York's 21st Congressional District elections, 2014
- New York's 21st Congressional District
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ syracuse.com, "Democrats choose filmmaker Aaron Woolf to run for Congress in North Country," February 12, 2014
- ↑ New York Board of Elections, "Candidate Petition List," accessed April 17, 2014
- ↑ Associated Press, "New York - Summary Vote Results," accessed June 24, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Aaron Woolf for Congress, "Meet Aaron," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Politico, "2014 New York House Election Results," accessed November 8, 2014
- ↑ DCCC, "DCCC Chairman Israel Announces Two Additions to Red to Blue List," accessed April 25, 2014
- ↑ North Country Public Radio, "Owens endorses and campaigns with Aaron Woolf in NY21 race," accessed May 19, 2014
- ↑ Watertown Daily Times, "Woolf receives endorsement from Rep. Tonko in NY21 race," accessed May 19, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "Democrats Endorse Documentary Filmmaker for Owens’ Seat," accessed May 19, 2014
- ↑ YouTube, "Storming out," accessed September 12, 2014
