New York's 1st Congressional District election, 2016

2018 → ← 2014

New York's 1st Congressional District

General Election Date November 8, 2016

Primary Date June 28, 2016

November 8 Election Winner: Lee Zeldin

Incumbent prior to election: Lee Zeldin

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Lean R Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean R Rothenberg & Gonzales: Lean R

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

2016 U.S. Senate Elections

2016 U.S. House Elections

The 1st Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as a race to watch. Incumbent Lee Zeldin (R) defeated Anna Throne-Holst (D) and Kenneth Schaeffer (Working Families) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Throne-Holst defeated Dave Calone in the Democratic primary, which remained uncalled for several weeks following the election. The primary elections took place on June 28, 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS

Incumbent Lee Zeldin (R) was a freshman member of Congress. He was swept into office in the GOP wave of 2014.

Heading into the election, Zeldin held a lead over challenger Anna Throne-Holst (D) in fundraising.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
April 14, 2016	June 28, 2016	November 8, 2016

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.

Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Lee Zeldin (R), who was first elected in 2014.

New York's 1st Congressional District is located in the eastern part of the state and includes a portion of Suffolk County.

Election results

General election

U.S. House, New York District 1 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Lee Zeldin Incumbent	58.2%	188,499
	Democratic	Anna Throne-Holst	41.8%	135,278
Total Votes				323,777
Source: New York Board of Elections

Primary election

U.S. House, New York, District 1 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Anna Throne-Holst	51.3%	6,479
Dave Calone	48.7%	6,162
Total Votes		12,641
Source: New York State Board of Elections

Candidates

General election candidates:

Lee Zeldin a
Anna Throne-Holst
Kenneth Schaeffer

Primary candidates:

Democratic

Anna Throne-Holst a
Dave Calone

Republican

Lee Zeldin - Incumbent a

Third Party/Other

Kenneth Schaeffer (Working Families) a

Race background

Incumbent Lee Zeldin was a member of the NRCC's Patriot Program. The program is designed to help raise money and assist vulnerable incumbents seeking re-election.

New York's 1st District race is one of the initial races listed on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue Program. The program "highlights top Democratic campaigns across the country, and offers them financial, communications, grassroots, and strategic support." The DCCC has not yet endorsed any of the Democratic candidates in the race.

Presidential preference

Lee Zeldin

See also: Republicans and their declared positions on Donald Trump

Zeldin endorsed Donald Trump on May 4, 2016. Zeldin said, “Even though I don’t agree with Donald Trump on everything, and I think there may be certain things or statements of his that I may disagree with, he is a better candidate by far than Hillary Clinton.”

Endorsements

Dave Calone

• Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming
• Southampton Town Councilman John Bouvier
• East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell
• East Hampton Town Board members Peter Van Scoyoc, Sylvia Overby and Kathee Burke-Gonzalez

Anna Throne-Holst

• Former U.S. Rep. Tim Bishop - "I'm proud to support my fellow Democrat and friend Anna Throne-Holst in her campaign for Congress here in Suffolk County."
• Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) - "Anna Throne-Holst has been a tireless fighter for working families on Long Island. I know that she will be a strong leader for those who need it most. In Congress I will work with Anna to provide more opportunity for every New Yorker. I am proud to endorse Anna Throne-Holst for Congress."
• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand - "Throughout her career as Southampton Town Supervisor, as a mother and as an educator Anna Throne-Holst has dedicated herself to helping create more opportunities for New Yorkers. Whether it was founding a school, running a child care center or serving as Town Supervisor, Anna has a record of fighting for families and helping those who need it most. Her commitment to creating more opportunities for others and her dedication to helping New York families is why I’m endorsing Anna Throne-Holst, who I know will be a tireless fighter for her constituents in Congress."
• Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) - "Anna Throne-Holst is a tested problem-solver who has real experience fixing Republican mismanagement. I look forward to working with her in Congress to create jobs, improve educational opportunities, and invest in our infrastructure. I am proud to endorse her for Congress."
• Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) - "Anna Throne-Holst is a fighter for the middle class and those struggling to enter it. As a public servant, she has a proven track record of obtaining results for the people she serves. The halls of Congress could use more people like Anna."
• EMILY's List - "Anna Throne-Holst is a committed public servant who is about getting things done for Long Island women and families to have fair shot. Her creative and thoughtful work to help children includes running a nonprofit child care center that serves lower income families, helping found an innovative school, and advocating for fair education funding. As Southampton Town supervisor, Anna dramatically overhauled the way Southampton spent money in order to refocus investments on the things that matter – job creation, education, public safety, senior services, and infrastructure – making sure Long Island families get a fair shot. The EMILY’s List community of over three million members is excited to support Anna Throne-Holst’s campaign to give Long Island working families a new voice in Congress."
• Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.)
• The labor union 1199/SEIU

Polls

New York's 1st District - Lee Zeldin vs. Anna Throne-Holst
Poll	Lee Zeldin	Anna Throne-Holst	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Siena College September 28-October 4, 2016	53%	38%	+/-3.8	661
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

Media

Anna Throne-Holst

Support

"Audit" - Ad supporting Throne-Holst, released May 2016

"My Friend" - Ad supporting Throne-Holst, released May 2016

"Proven" - EMILY's List ad supporting Throne-Holst, released June 2016

"Audit" - Throne-Holst's first general election ad, released August 2016

Opposition

"Anna Throne-Holst won’t keep us safe" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad opposing Throne-Holst

Lee Zeldin

Support

"Safe, Secure and Free" - Zeldin campaign ad, released October 2016

"Accomplishments" - Zeldin campaign ad, released October 2016

Opposition

"Even" House Majority PAC ad opposing Zeldin, released November 2015

"Sham" Throne-Holst ad opposing Zeldin, released September 2016

Dave Calone

"Only One" - Calone's first ad, released May 2016

"Endorse" - Calone ad touting endorsements, released June 2016

"Fact" - Calone ad attacking Throne-Holst, released June 2016

Campaign themes

Lee Zeldin

“	Protecting America’s Security at Home and Abroad: Strongly believes that America should be strengthening our relationships with our allies, treating our enemies as our enemies, and never send our troops into harm’s way unless they are sent with a clear plan and the resources necessary to win. Helping Grow Our Economy: As a New York State Senator, reduced middle income tax rates to the lowest level in 60 years, co-sponsored the nation’s strongest property tax cap, and led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers. Supporting Our Veterans and First Responders: Vocal believer that our veterans and first responders deserve the highest possible amount of love, care and respect for their incredible sacrifices to keep our country safe, secure and free. Improving the Quality of Education: Introduced a proposal that was passed and signed into law ensuring that states that choose to opt-out of Common Core do not lose federal funding. Repairing Our Nation's Infrastructure: Only majority member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure committee in the entire New York metropolitan region.	”
—Lee Zeldin's campaign website

Anna Throne-Holst

“	Creating Good Jobs On Long Island: In Congress, Anna Throne-Holst will focus on creating good, career-building jobs right here on Long Island – just like she did as Southampton Town Supervisor. Defending Women’s Right To Choose: Anna Throne-Holst is pro-choice and thinks women should be able to make health care decisions in consultation with their doctor and without government intrusion. Anna is endorsed by Emily’s List, one of the nation’s leading pro-choice advocacy groups. Reducing Gun Violence: Anna Throne-Holst believes it is time to stop simply talking about gun violence and start doing something about it. A large majority of Americans support common sense gun laws and public safety measures, recognizing that too many people are dying or losing loved ones at the hands of weak gun safety laws. Quality Education For Every Child: Anna Throne-Holst is a single mother of four, and while raising her young children, she co-founded the Hayground School, where children of diverse backgrounds and learning needs attend and learn together. The school continues to thrive today. Respecting Your Tax Dollars: When Anna was first elected to the Southampton Town Board and began her review of the town’s financial situation and budgetary practices, her probing revealed a financial mess. She called for forensic audits, which revealed just how serious and systemic the budgetary problems were, including a long history of co-mingled funds, multimillion dollar deficits and run away borrowing, with a large and unsustainable debt burden. The Town was placed on credit watch and downgraded by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s rating agencies.	”
—Anna Throne-Holst's campaign website, http://annathrone-holst.com/issues

Campaign contributions

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Anna Throne-Holst

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Lee Zeldin

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

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The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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District history

2014

See also: New York's 1st Congressional District elections, 2014

The 1st Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Lee Zeldin (R) defeated incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, New York District 1 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Tim Bishop Incumbent	45.5%	78,722
	Republican	Lee Zeldin	54.4%	94,035
	N/A	Write-in votes	0.1%	108
Total Votes				172,865
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns November 4, 2014," accessed August 30, 2021

2012

See also: New York's 1st Congressional District elections, 2012

The 1st Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Tim Bishop (D) defeated Randy Altschuler (R) in the general election.

U.S. House, New York District 1 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Tim Bishop Incumbent	52.5%	146,179
	Republican	Randy Altschuler	47.5%	132,304
	N/A	Write-in votes	0.1%	176
Total Votes				278,659
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns Nov. 6, 2012," accessed August 30, 2021

Important dates and deadlines

See also: New York elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in New York in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline	Event type	Event description
April 14, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing federal designating petitions
April 21, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing federal opportunity to ballot petitions
June 28, 2016	Election date	Federal primary election
July 14, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing state/local designating petitions
July 21, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing state/local opportunity to ballot petitions
August 2, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for independent candidates for federal office
August 23, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for independent candidates for state/local office
September 13, 2016	Election date	State/local primary election
November 8, 2016	Election date	General election
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "Draft 2016 Political Calendar," accessed April 15, 2016

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2016
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2016

Footnotes

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For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!

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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)