New York's 18th Congressional District elections, 2014

U.S. House, New York District 18 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Sean Maloney Incumbent	49.7%	88,993
	Republican	Nan Hayworth	47.8%	85,660
	Send Mr. Smith	Scott Smith	2.4%	4,294
	N/A	Write-in votes	0.1%	144
Total Votes				179,091
Source: New York State Board of Elections, NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns November 4, 2014," accessed August 30, 2021

2016 → ← 2012

New York's 18th Congressional District

General Election Date November 4, 2014

Primary Date June 24, 2014

November 4 Election Winner: Sean Maloney

Incumbent prior to election: Sean Maloney

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Lean D FairVote's Monopoly Politics: Toss Up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely D

New York U.S. House Elections District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 18 • District 19 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27

2014 U.S. Senate Elections

2014 U.S. House Elections

The 18th Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Rep. Sean Maloney (D) defeated Nan Hayworth (R) and Scott Smith ("Send Mr. Smith") in the general election.

New York's 18th Congressional District was a battleground district in 2014. The Cook Political Report rated the district as "Lean Democratic," while FairVote rated it as a "Toss Up." In 2012, New York's 18th District voted Democratic in both the House and presidential races. However, Rep. Maloney beat Hayworth by only 3.7 percent, and President Barack Obama won the district with a mere 4.3 percent margin of victory. Maloney was first elected in 2012.

Aside from the Independence primary, in which Hayworth defeated Maloney, neither Maloney nor Hayworth faced challengers in the 2014 primary election. In contrast, the general election was particularly competitive because these two candidates had faced off only two years prior. Republican challenger Hayworth held a U.S. House seat in the 19th District from 2010-2012, and after New York's redistricting, was defeated by Maloney in the 2012 18th Congressional District election.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
April 14, 2014	June 24, 2014	November 4, 2014

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New York utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Voter registration: To vote in the federal primary, voters had to register by May 30, 2014. To vote in the state primary, voters had to register by August 15, 2014.

See also: New York elections, 2014

Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Sean Maloney (D), who was first elected in 2012.

New York's 18th Congressional District is located in the southeastern portion of the state and includes Orange and Putnam counties in addition to parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties.

Candidates

General election candidates

• Nan Hayworth
• Sean Maloney - Incumbenta
• Scott Smith ("Send Mr. Smith")

June 24, 2014, primary results

Republican Primary

• Nan Hayworth - Prior 18th District incumbent unseated in 2012a

Conservative Primary

• Nan Hayworth - Prior 18th District incumbent unseated in 2012a

Independence Primary

• Sean Maloney - Incumbent
• Nan Hayworth - Prior 18th District incumbent unseated in 2012a

Democratic Primary

• Sean Maloney - Incumbenta

Working Families Primary

• Sean Maloney - Incumbenta

Disqualified

• Andre Barnett

Election results

General election

U.S. House, New York District 18 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Sean Maloney Incumbent	49.7%	88,993
	Republican	Nan Hayworth	47.8%	85,660
	Send Mr. Smith	Scott Smith	2.4%	4,294
	N/A	Write-in votes	0.1%	144
Total Votes				179,091
Source: New York State Board of Elections, NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns November 4, 2014," accessed August 30, 2021

Primary election

U.S. House, New York District 18 Independence Party Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Nan Hayworth	53.4%	780
Sean Maloney Incumbent	46.6%	682
Total Votes		1,462
Source: New York State Board of Elections - Official Election Results

Race background

Incumbent Sean Maloney (D) was a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline Program. The program was designed to help protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents during the 2014 election cycle.

Scott Smith back on the ballot

The New York State Board of Elections invalidated Scott Smith's petition to run in the 2014 congressional election, but on September 19, 2014, state Supreme Court Justice Sandra Sciortino reversed the board's decision after Smith challenged in court.

Endorsements

Sean Maloney

Sean Maloney was endorsed by the following:

• Republican state Senator Greg Ball

Issues

See also: Energy and the 2014 election: the ballots and beyond

Campaign themes

Sean Maloney

Sean Maloney listed the following issues on his campaign website:

“	Social Security and Medicare: Sean is committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare for future generations; in Congress, he has opposed efforts to end Medicare’s guaranteed benefits, privatize Social Security, or raise the retirement age. In fact, Sean wants to increase Social Security benefits for Hudson Valley seniors by closing corporate tax loopholes used by some to avoid payroll taxes. Jobs and the Economy: As a former business owner who created jobs, Sean knows how to grow the economy and put people back to work. He was a top adviser to President Clinton during the longest economic expansion in history and has fought to keep local manufacturing – and hundreds of jobs – in the Hudson Valley. Sean believes American manufacturing is the key to growing the economy, which is why he helped introduce the Made in America Act to spur local industries and provide job training for 21st-century workers. College Affordability and Education: Sean supports smart investments in education, job training, and high-tech research. He has worked to make college more affordable by voting to cut student loan interest rates in half, supported a $5,000 tax credit to families with college students, and wants to allow adults to refinance their student loans to today’s low rates. Women and Families: Sean is a strong advocate for women, one who supports equal pay legislation to guarantee women are paid the same as men for doing the same work. He’s also defended a woman’s right to choose, and helped pass the long-overdue Violence Against Women Act. Sean supports making permanent the Child Tax Credit and expanding the Child Care Tax Credit to ensure working moms can afford child care expenses. Balancing the Budget and Taxes: Sean was part of the team in President Bill Clinton’s White House that balanced the budget, helped grow the economy, and created millions of jobs – and he’s voted for billions of dollars in deficit reduction. Military and Veterans Issues: Sean is the son of a disabled veteran who believes no veterans or their families should have to fight their own government for the benefits they’ve earned. That’s why he wrote and passed a law to shorten wait times at the VA, voted to hold VA officials accountable for delays, and helped veterans and their families receive millions in overdue compensation — allowing them to stay in their homes or pay for medical expenses. Sean will always fight for our active duty service members, veterans, and military families.	”
—Sean Maloney, Campaign website (archive)

Nan Hayworth

Nan Hayworth listed her positions on various issues on her campaign website. The following were excerpts from her website:

“	Fixing Our Economy: "Let’s make our tax code simpler and fairer for small businesses and middle-class families. Let’s close the loopholes that reward the favored few. Let’s make it easier to build American plants and create American jobs. Let’s cut the price of energy by building the Keystone XL pipeline and safely recovering our own oil and natural gas. Spending less on energy means we can spend more on growing jobs. It’s time to lift the crushing burdens from the backs of our workers, our businesses, our employers, and our taxpayers. It’s time to get our economy moving again, by allowing our small businesses to thrive, and do what they do best: create new jobs." Fixing the Tax Code: "We need a tax code that encourages the engine of our economic growth – small businesses – instead of one that taxes small businesses at a higher rate than multi-national corporations. Small and new businesses create 80% of the new jobs in our country. We need a tax code that working Americans can understand, instead of one that forces you to hire lawyers and accountants to do your tax returns. We need a tax code that actually encourages economic growth, rewards innovation, and encourages entrepreneurs, that rewards work, makes it easier for working families to save, puts food on the table, helps their children through school, and helps secure retirement." Improving Education: "If you ever needed proof that pouring billions of your hard-earned dollars into a Washington bureaucracy doesn’t guarantee success, just look at what Washington has done to education. Spending per pupil has skyrocketed, with NO improvement in scores. I have a better idea. Let’s empower our school boards, teachers, and parents to decide what is best for our children. Instead of spending more on a Washington bureaucracy, let’s equip our students with fundamental knowledge, problem-solving tools, and job-ready skills to compete in a challenging world. We should reward our teachers for excellence. Invest in classrooms, computers, equipment, and facilities, and let our teachers teach instead of pushing papers." Health Care: "It’s time to replace Obamacare with a sensible health care plan that works. My plan would take power from the bureaucrats and insurance companies, and give it back to you and your doctors, where it belongs. Four key points: Encourage every American to have their own tax-protected health savings account: personal, portable, and permanent. Give you insurance choices that make sense and lower your costs by allowing insurers to compete from all across the country. Reform the tort system to reduce the cost of defensive medicine. Empower Americans to buy health insurance that fits their individual and family needs."	”
—Nan Hayworth, Campaign website (archive)

Scott Smith

Scott Smith listed the following issues, among others, on his campaign website:

“	Affordable Care Act (ACA): It is my opinion that the Affordable Care Act should be repealed and replaced for the following reasons; first, the manner in which it was produced and the legislative process by which it was passed were both flawed and deceitful. Second, it does more harm than good, and we have only begun to feel the harm. I believe, however, that it should not be done hastily or haphazardly, as that was part of the problem with the ACA itself. We must do what Congress failed to do. Identify what is working and what is not. Walk through all of the "what ifs" and the "if, thens" working out how each action and subsequent consequence will be addressed before it ever leaves the walls of the Capitol. It should not be done on an election schedule, but rather on a get it right for the American people schedule. The Economy & Jobs: Like so many, I have a hard time putting much faith in anything the government says on these topics. I believe that government more often than not is in the way of economic prosperity and hinders job growth. The best thing the government can do for both the economy and jobs is to reduce it's politically driven meddling and create an atmosphere of certainty for businesses, employees and consumers alike. That will be difficult given the degree to which the faith and trust of the people have been abused. The Tax Code: Our tax system must be reformed. It is overgrown and convoluted, and in it’s current form it truly serves as no more than a tool to punish and reward various interests. I do not have a simple answer to how it should be remade, but it must be simpler and it must remove the ability of our government to use it in the fashion that it has. Some suggest a flat tax, others a VAT tax, and other various formats. The problem I see is that the trust that must exist between the people and our institutions in undertaking such a task is broken. This only further highlights the need to elect new independent representation in government. The 2nd Amendment & NY SAFE Act: The 2nd amendment is part of our constitution, and if elected to serve I would swear an oath to protect and defend the constitution including the 2nd amendment. If I did not intend to keep the oath, then I would have no business seeking the office. Although I recognize it is State law and I am running for Federal office I will share my opinion on the NY SAFE Act as I believe it is exemplary of what ails our legislative process at every level of government. It is a perfect example of legislation driven by political motives. Those who debated the law did not even know the vocabulary they were using. It was motivated by a desire to be the first to legislate following the tragedies of the day and to serve the higher political ambitions of our Governor. I believe the NY SAFE Act should be repealed.	”
—Scott Smith, Campaign website (archive)

Polls

General election polls

General election candidates
Poll	Sean Maloney (D)	Nan Hayworth (R)	Scott Smith (I)	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Public Opinion Strategies (October 23 & 25, 2014)	42%	42%	3%	+/-4.9	400
Public Opinion Strategies (October 12‐13, 2014)	43%	39%	2%	+/-4.9	400
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Sean Maloney vs. Nan Hayworth
Poll	Sean Maloney (D)	Nan Hayworth (R)	Unsure	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Time Warner Cable News/Siena College (October 24-27, 2014)	49%	44%	7%	+/-3.8	682
Human Events and Gravis Marketing (September 26, 2014)	46%	40%	15%	+/-4	601
Time Warner Cable News/Siena College (September 12-17, 2014)	50%	42%	8%	+/-4	590
Human Events and Gravis Marketing (July 17-19, 2014)	40%	44%	16%	+/-4	523
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Campaign contributions

Sean Maloney

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Maloney’s reports.

Sean Maloney (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	April 15, 2013	$11,162.67	$516,763.51	$(75,253.43)	$452,672.75
July Quarterly	July 15, 2013	$452,672.75	$491,463.32	$(263,293.73)	$680,842.34
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$680,842.34	$354,426.53	$(126,174.03)	$909,094.84
Year-End Quarterly	December 31, 2013	$909,094	$381,609	$(145,087)	$1,144,636
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$1,144,636.37	$472,420.15	$(155,009.94)	$1,462,046.58
Pre-Primary	June 12, 2014	$1,462,046.58	$243,914.02	$(202,260.76)	$1,503,699.84
July Quarterly	June 30, 2014	$1,503,699.84	$336,869.25	$(53,120.30)	$1,787,448.79
October Quarterly	October 15, 2014	$1,787,448.79	$777,709.76	$(1,410,614.71)	$1,154,543.84
Pre-General	October 23, 2014	$1,154,543.84	$220,914.03	$(479,802.53)	$895,655.34
			Running totals
			$3,796,089.57	$(2,910,616.43)

Nan Hayworth

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Hayworth's reports.

Nan Hayworth (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	April 15, 2013	$54,521.63	$13,830.99	$(60,891.79)	$7,460.83
July Quarterly	September 12, 2013	$7,460.83	$376,395.34	$(61,107.84)	$322,748.33
October Quarterly	October 14, 2013	$322,748.33	$154,077.58	$(36,241.89)	$440,584.02
Year-End	April 7, 2014	$440,584.02	$87,117.04	$(31,512.33)	$496,188.73
April Quarterly	April 13, 2014	$496,188.73	$281,822.16	$(115,428.58)	$662,582.31
			Running totals
			$913,243.11	$(305,182.43)

District history

Candidate ballot access
Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

2012

On November 6, 2012, Sean Maloney (D) won election to the United States House. He defeated incumbent Nan Hayworth (R) in the general election.

U.S. House, New York District 18 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Sean Maloney	51.9%	143,845
	Republican	Nan Hayworth Incumbent	48%	133,049
	N/A	Write-in votes	0.1%	169
Total Votes				277,063
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns Nov. 6, 2012," accessed September 1, 2021

2010

On November 2, 2010, Nita Lowey won re-election to the United States House. She defeated Jim Russell (R) in the general election.

U.S. House, New York District 18 General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Nita M. Lowey incumbent	61.9%	114,810
	Republican	Jim Russell	37.7%	70,015
	N/A	Write-in votes	0.4%	761
Total Votes				185,586

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2014
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2014

External links

• New York State Board of Elections

Footnotes

[show]

New York's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

Chuck Schumer (D)

Representatives

District 1

Nicholas LaLota (R)

District 2

Andrew Garbarino (R)

District 3

Tom Suozzi (D)

District 4

Laura Gillen (D)

District 5

Gregory Meeks (D)

District 6

Grace Meng (D)

District 7

Nydia Velazquez (D)

District 8

Hakeem Jeffries (D)

District 9

Yvette Clarke (D)

District 10

Daniel Goldman (D)

District 11

Nicole Malliotakis (R)

District 12

Jerrold Nadler (D)

District 13

Adriano Espaillat (D)

District 14

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)

District 15

Ritchie Torres (D)

District 16

George Latimer (D)

District 17

Michael Lawler (R)

District 18

Pat Ryan (D)

District 19

Josh Riley (D)

District 20

Paul Tonko (D)

District 21

Elise Stefanik (R)

District 22

John Mannion (D)

District 23

Nick Langworthy (R)

District 24

Claudia Tenney (R)

District 25

Joseph Morelle (D)

District 26

Tim Kennedy (D)

Democratic Party (21)

Republican Party (7)