Daily Brew: September 13, 2018

September 13, 2018

Today's Brew covers yesterday's elections in Rhode Island and preview's today's elections in New York   Welcome to the Thursday, September 13 Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day: New York statewide primary results tonight Missed our WV Supreme Court webinar? And an update on the situation Rhode Island general election candidates set New York statewide primary results tonight Happy last day of primaries (not counting Louisiana’s jungle primary system on November 6)! It will only get more fun as we enter the last eight weeks of the 2018 midterm cycle. New York is holding its statewide primary today. Races on the ballot include governor and lieutenant governor and two other state executive positions, all 63 state Senate seats, and all 150 state Assembly seats. We are also covering local elections in Buffalo, New York, and Erie County. Here is what is keeping us on the edge of our seats today: Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is seeking a third term in 2018 but faces a challenge in the Democratic primary from actress Cynthia Nixon. State and national Democratic leaders have lined up behind Cuomo. He has endorsements from Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and DNC Chairman Tom Perez. Cuomo is running on his record, including raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and legalizing same-sex marriage. Nixon was among the first Democrats to call for abolishing the federal agency, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. She supports single-payer health care and says increasing education funding is her top priority. Nixon is running with endorsements from the New York chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, The Working Families Party, and Our Revolution. Cuomo has a fundraising advantage over Nixon. On Sept. 7, Cuomo reported more than $24 million cash on hand, while Nixon had less than $450,000. Public polls have shown Cuomo with 50 to 66 percent support, while Nixon has received between 19 and 28 percent.   The key Democratic state Senate primaries in New York are in seats held by former members of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), who, until recently, caucused with Senate Republicans. Progressive challengers are targeting the eight former IDC members and state Sen. Simcha Felder (D), who was not a member of the IDC but still caucuses with the GOP. There are five noteworthy primaries in the New York City area, including Jessica Ramos’ challenge of state Sen. Jose Peralta, John Liu’s challenge of state Sen. Tony Avella, Robert Jackson’s challenge of state Sen. Marisol Alcantara, Zellnor Myrie’s challenge of state Sen. Jesse Hamilton, and Alessandra Biaggi’s challenge of state Sen. Jeffrey Klein, the former IDC leader.   In the Democratic primary for New York Attorney General, law professor Zephyr Teachout and New York City Public Advocate Tish James lead the field in the endorsements. Teachout is supported by progressive groups like Our Revolution and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. She recently received endorsements from the New York Times and the New York Daily News. James is backed by the state Democratic Party and many of its leaders, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo and 10 Democratic U.S. representatives from the New York City area. U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and former Hillary Clinton aide Leecia Eve are also running. The winner will likely replace Eric Schneiderman (D), who resigned in May after being accused of choking and striking women. He denied the allegations and said the activities had been consensual. This is the second time in 2018 that New Yorkers will head to the polls in statewide elections, as Congressional primaries were held on June 26. Learn more Missed our WV Supreme Court webinar? And an update on the situation ICYMI: Yesterday, Ballotpedia staff writer Sara Reynolds and I discussed the situation with the West Virginia State Supreme Court. An update since we recorded the webinar: On September 11, the West Virginia State Senate held a pretrial hearing. Senators rejected a motion to adopt a censure resolution against Justices Beth Walker and Margaret Workman. The resolution would have required the justices to accept and acknowledge the problems identified during the proceedings, take responsibility for their role, and commit to continuing the process of establishing and implementing preventative policies. In exchange, the charges would have been dropped. Del. John Shott (R) said he thought the resolution was fair, necessary, and would be "a good first step to rebuilding the trust" in the judiciary. Sen. President Mitch Carmichael (R) said senators needed to hear evidence before they could vote on the resolution. The Senate also rejected a motion, 15-19, from Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Trump (R) to remove Justice Robin Davis from the impeachment trials. Trump argued Davis' resignation meant she no longer qualified to be tried. Sen. Robert Karnes (R) said Davis should be tried to prevent her from serving as a senior status judge, should she be found guilty. Sen. Craig Blair (R) said, "We want to make sure that, if the judge is guilty, they can’t run for office again." He also said he wanted Davis to have an opportunity to dispute the charges. Acting Chief Justice Paul Farrell set trial dates for Justices Davis, Loughry, Walker, and Workman. They are: October 1: Justice Walker October 15: Justice Workman October 29: Justice Davis November 12: Justice Loughry. All of the justices denied the charges against them. The Senate adjourned until Walker's trial on October 1. Read our full review of the situation→ Rhode Island results Gubernatorial primary Incumbent Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) defeated Former Secretary of State Matt Brown (D) and state Rep. Spencer Dickinson (D) in Rhode Island's Democratic gubernatorial primary. Raimondo faced a challenge from the left in Brown, who was backed by progressive groups such as Our Revolution RI and Justice Democrats. Raimondo was endorsed by former Vice President Joe Biden (D) as well as several local unions and town Democratic committees. Raimondo campaigned on the decreased unemployment rate and job gains in the state during her tenure, which she attributed in part to the implementation of tax credits for businesses. Brown described Raimondo's economic policies as corporate socialism, adding, "It’s not real economic development if most taxpayers who are struggling to make ends meet have to pay for jobs. That’s a subsidized economy." Raimondo declined to attend a debate on August 28, saying that Brown had lied at the state's Democratic Convention in June about the sources of some of her donations. Brown's campaign responded by claiming that Raimondo did not want to publicly defend her record. Raimondo will face Republican Allen Fung in the general election. Lieutenant gubernatorial primary Incumbent Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee (D) defeated state Rep. J. Aaron Regunberg (D) in the Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial primary by a margin of fewer than 2500 votes with all but two precincts reporting. Regunberg challenged McKee from the left, picking up an endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) in the final week of the campaign. Regunberg's advocacy for universal healthcare and firearm regulations illustrated the divide between some progressives and the Democratic Party of Rhode Island. Mckee had the backing of the state party and highlighted efforts to combat the opioid crisis and provide workforce training dollars to small business as examples of successes during his tenure. He will again run on a joint ticket with Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) in the general election. Full list of results→