New York's 1st Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Democratic primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 12
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m.
Businessman Perry Gershon emerged from a five-candidate Democratic primary to take on U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R) for his Long Island-based seat.
The candidates mostly agreed on policy and instead talked about why they were the most likely to defeat Zeldin in November.[1] The two top fundraisers were Gershon and former Suffolk County legislator Kate Browning.
Gershon said he was the only candidate who could compete with Zeldin financially. He put $600,000 of his own money into the race.[2]
Browning emphasized her name recognition and record of winning votes in the district. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's Off the Sidelines PAC donated to her campaign.[2]
Despite the general agreement on issues, two candidates, former Suffolk legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher and former New York City Council staffer David Pechefsky, cast themselves as the progressives in the race. Pechefsky, in particular, emphasized his affinity for Bernie Sanders and his policies.[3]
Elaine DiMasi highlighted her background as a scientist to say she would advocate evidence-based policies in Washington.
Some election forecasters marked Zeldin's seat as competitive. Although Donald Trump won there in 2016, Barack Obama narrowly won in 2012.[4]
Candidates and election results
Perry Gershon defeated Kate Browning, Vivian Viloria-Fisher, David Pechefsky, and Elaine DiMasi in the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 1 on June 26, 2018.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 1
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Perry Gershon | 35.5 | 7,902 |
 | Kate Browning | 30.6 | 6,813 | |
 | Vivian Viloria-Fisher | 16.3 | 3,616 | |
 | David Pechefsky | 11.5 | 2,565 | |
 | Elaine DiMasi | 6.0 | 1,344 | |
| Total votes: 22,240 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brendon Henry (D)
Candidates
Kate Browning
Kate Browning ran for Congress by emphasizing her working class background, her experience in the Suffolk County legislature, and her opposition to the policies of Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.[5] U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's Off the Sidelines PAC donated to her campaign. She was previously a member of the Working Families Party before registering as a Democrat in May 2017.[6]
Her campaign website indicated her opposition to Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and support for Planned Parenthood, abortion access, tightening gun regulations, and giving DACA recipients a path to citizenship.[7]
Browning served in the Suffolk County Legislature from 2005 to 2017, when she was termed out of office.[6] Before serving in the legislature, Browning worked as a school bus driver. She immigrated to the United States from Europe after having left her home country of Ireland in the midst of The Troubles.[8]
Elaine DiMasi
Elaine DiMasi ran for Congress by emphasizing her background as a scientist and saying she would advocate for pro-science and evidence-based policies in Washington, D.C.[9]
Her campaign website indicated her support for increasing renewable energy, maintaining clean water supplies, integrating trade certification programs into public schools, and reauthorizing section 4 of the Voting Rights Act.[10]
DiMasi worked as a scientist at the National Laboratory on Long Island for 21 years. She received her bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.[11]
Perry Gershon
Businessman Perry Gershon ran for Congress by emphasizing his opposition to President Donald Trump and incumbent Lee Zeldin (R). He loaned his campaign $600,000 during the primary and said his money would make him the most competitive against Zeldin.[2]
His campaign website indicated his plans to protect the district's coastline and water supplies and to create high-paying jobs in the district by increasing skills-based training in community colleges and decreasing the tax burden on businesses. He said would work to provide a public option under the Affordable Care Act and work toward a Medicare for All system in the longterm.[12]
Gershon worked as a lender for commercial real estate investments. He received his bachelor's degree from Yale University and his M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.[13]
David Pechefsky
David Pechefsky ran for Congress as a progressive in the mold of Bernie Sanders according to Newsday.[1] With experience working for the New York City Council and international nonprofits, he emphasized his knowledge of domestic and foreign policy and his desire to broaden the Democratic Party to more younger voters.[9]
His campaign website indicated his support for Medicare for All, free higher education, a $15 minimum wage, and a commission to study reparations for black Americans due to the country's history of slavery and racial discrimination.[14]
Pechefsky worked for the New York City Council and for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Mayor’s Office of Appointments. He also worked for the National Democratic Institute and for Generation Citizen. He received his bachelor's degree from Hunter College and his Master's in international development from American University.[15]
Vivian Viloria-Fisher
Former Suffolk County legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher ran for Congress saying she was the only candidate to combine "progressive politics with the legislative experience necessary to take action."[16]
Her campaign website indicated her support for repealing the 2017 Republican tax bill, capping carbon dioxide emissions nationally, providing free tuition for community colleges and technical schools, and implementing Medicare for All.[17]
Viloria served in the Suffolk County legislature from 1999 to 2012 before being termed out of office. Prior to that, she worked as an English and Spanish teacher in public schools. She received her bachelor's degree from Hunter College and her master's degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.[18]
List of candidates
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Zeldin | Republican Party | $4,485,879 | $4,834,396 | $24,571 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Elaine DiMasi | Democratic Party | $104,204 | $100,541 | $3,663 | As of June 30, 2018 |
| Perry Gershon | Democratic Party | $5,075,782 | $5,075,628 | $154 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| David Pechefsky | Democratic Party | $303,458 | $303,416 | $42 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Vivian Viloria-Fisher | Democratic Party | $281,511 | $281,511 | $0 | As of July 31, 2018 |
| Kate Browning | Women's Equality Party, Democratic Party | $580,579 | $580,579 | $0 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Patricia Latzman | Working Families Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Campaign strategies and tactics
Ideology and electability
Vivian Viloria-Fisher, David Pechefsky, and Perry Gershon supported progressive policies like Medicare for All, while Kate Browning and Elaine DiMasi said they would want to look at other options for healthcare going forward.
Viloria-Fisher said that she, Pechefsky, and Gershon were running furthest left in the race, while Browning was running to the right. Viloria-Fisher and Pechefsky both said they feared that the progressive vote would split among them and allow a more moderate candidate to advance.[2]
Browning said she was the most electable candidate in a district that typically voted Republican. She said her name recognition from her time in the Suffolk County Legislature would also increase her chances of being elected.[19]
At a debate on June 15, Viloria-Fisher said she would not support Browning if she won the primary, saying that she had misled voters about her support from progressive groups. Browning denied doing so and said she only mentioned the groups in her campaign materials.[20]
Blue-collar voters
Browning and DiMasi emphasized their connections with blue-collar workers on Long Island and said their support could be key to defeating Zeldin.
Browing, a former school bus driver, said, "My parents taught me to fight for what I believe in. I do and I don’t back down. I’m blue collar. I have fought for blue collar workers. I’m the wife of a military veteran and have two sons in the military…Lee Zeldin is totally out of touch. He plays partisan politics and doesn’t do what he should for our district.”[21]
DiMasi said, “I worked side by side with the technicians who are the blue-collar workers here, with foreign nationals, with immigrants, with people who have moved to Long Island.”[9]
Viloria-Fisher, meanwhile, said she wanted to appeal to wider spectrum of working people. She said, “I support women, I take care of the environment and I look out for injustices towards immigrants. Working people wear all color collars. We don’t want to typecast. We want to be there for everyone.”[9]
Campaign advertisements
Kate Browning
|
Campaign themes and policy stances
Kate Browning
Browning’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Healthcare What I do know, is that we can't repeal the Affordable Care Act without an alternative like Lee Zeldin and his Republican House colleagues did last year. Their proposal would have cost 23 million hard-working American's their coverage and almost 30,000 American's here in the 1st Congressional District. It would have meant higher costs with limited coverage and it would have eliminated guaranteed protections for people with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, asthma or cancer. This would crush so many seniors, children and low-income families. As a former school bus driver and steward with our union, I know firsthand how difficult it was to negotiate healthcare for my colleagues. A lot of them relied on CHIP which the Republicans let expire over 100 days ago and they continue to play politics with our children's health. This is just wrong. We need to get insurance companies out of the equation. One way to do that would be to require audits of insurance companies to ensure they are not inflating administrative costs and passing them on to consumers or to allow the federal government to negotiate with drug companies to get a lower price on medications. The Environment We must ensure our environment remains a bedrock of our community’s economy and a source of expanded economic opportunity. My efforts as a Suffolk County Legislator to secure farmland rights went far in ensuring the significant role agriculture plays in our economy and community. In congress, I will lead the fight to protect our coasts that are so important to our communities and the lifestyle’s of our families. Unfortunately, Lee Zeldin has taken a number of votes that endanger the health and economic stability of the 1st Congressional District. He voted to dismantle protections for the environment and public health. He also voted to open protected lands off the Arctic coast to drilling. Imagine the message oil rigs off the south shore would send to our children. And, just like the members of Congress who voted against the restoration of Long Island after Sandy, Lee Zeldin voted against funding to replace the water infrastructure that poisoned the residents of Flint, Michigan and against funding for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. As legislator, I protected and improved our water. In Congress, Lee Zeldin attempted to block clean water infrastructure from the 8,000 children in Flint. In Congress, I will continue to fight to protect every 1st District child to clean air and water, every struggling family to economic opportunity, and every Long Islander to our shared environment. Women and Families We must stand up and fight back against attacks on Planned Parenthood - the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men and young people, and the nation’s largest provider of sex education. Defunding Planned Parenthood disproportionately affects people with low incomes, people of color and our LGBT communities. #IStandWithPP I stood with Governor Cuomo as he announced the Nation’s Strongest Paid Family Leave Policy. No family should have to choose between caring for their loved ones and risking their economic security. This was a great step but we need to expand this program nationally. Immigration Reform We need to make sure we are protecting the 800,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“Dreamers”). Unlike Lee Zeldin, I will vote for an immediate, clean bill that allows these young men and women to stay in this nation and provides them with a pathway to earn their citizenship. Gun Safety Legislation I support banning military-style assault weapons, expanding the criminal background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales, including those at gun shows and over the internet; I support the “No Fly / No Buy” bill which would prevent anyone on the FBI’s “No Fly” list from purchasing a deadly weapon; I support investing in mental health and making sure that mentally impaired individuals cannot get their hands on guns. Lee Zeldin cosponsored the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which infringes on New York’s laws by allowing residents from other states to carry concealed weapons in our communities; opposes any ban on semi-automatic weapons, like the ones used in Sandy Hook and Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School; voted to make it easier for people with mental illness to purchase weapons, including military-style assault rifles. We can do better. Education We should be making significant investments in preschool programs, increasing local control to eliminate unnecessary testing requirements and taking meaningful steps to close the achievement gap that exists in too many communities. LGBT In Congress, I will support the The Equality Act which would amend existing civil rights law to include protections that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, public education, federal funding, credit, and the jury system. [22] |
” |
| —Kate Browning’s campaign website (2018)[7] | ||
Elaine DiMasi
DiMasi’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Clean Energy Long Islanders deserve to live disaster-free lives in safe, clean communities with high-wage, good-paying, middle-class jobs. That’s why I support clean energy freedom for all Americans. It not only saves you a lot of money in the long run, it will improve public health, preserve our natural splendor, and free Americans from dependence on oil-exporting countries that aren’t our friends. I believe Long Island’s best work opportunities can be in the clean energy sector. I will work tirelessly to bring more dignified, living wage jobs in this fast growing industry to the 1st congressional district. Clean Water We are not separate from nature. Therefore, we not only have a moral obligation to protect it, we have a moral obligation to develop and make use of new ways to preserve and protect it. From families to fisheries to farms, the solutions we develop here can save the world. Long Island is already home to world leading expertise in environmental science and policy. We owe our children a future in which this expertise protects them and their communities for generations to come. The people of the first congressional district will have in me a fearless, knowledgeable scientist–a representative with the public’s viewpoint–strengthening all public protections to keep our water, air and natural splendor safe, clean and poison-free. Grow Our Trade Schools Our generation must ensure that the next generation is trained for the jobs we need. Trade schools must effectively reach into the public high school system. I remember feeling admiration and envy when, as a teenager growing up in Pennsylvania’s “Steel City,” I saw my classmates spend their afternoons at the technical schools. We should ease the path from high school into the work force, value the contributions of our young women and men while not separating them from their peers. Every student deserves a robust, fully-funded public education system, with the highest standards for every child and school district. Privatizing public education undermines and weakens the potential of every public school student to become their best versions of themselves. It drains public money intended for all students and diverts it to those who need it least at the expense of those who need it most. Two-tiered education robs our public school, trade school, and public university students of the vibrant, well-rounded educations they deserve. Skills-based certifications are crucial for the new clean energy technologies we will develop on Long Island. They are essential to making it possible for our children to remain on Long Island, to find homes and raise families of their own. I will partner with Education and Labor leaders to determine where we are challenged to provide the courses, teachers, or workers our children need, and make Long Island’s Trade School system as famous as our colleges and our K-12. A Doctor for Every Family A single payer system has been analyzed by many organizations, including New York State, concluding that it is the most cost effective way to deliver. There is more consensus about the desired outcome – lower costs, freedom to choose any provider – than the path. Everyone deserves a doctor for every family. The single most important priority for voters is not to lose the doctor-patient care they rely on. I will work with the New York delegation and with all of Congress to create a healthcare system that puts care back into the hands of doctors, not insurance company bureaucrats. I will fight to eliminate rationed care and profiteering by drug and insurance industries, and I will fight to defeat any health care bill that includes financial aid for millionaires. Safety for Children Just as our federal Civil Rights laws are used when the states fall short prosecuting hate crimes, the federal government should ensure all survivors of child sex abuse receive equal justice across the country. Survivors often have great difficulty with intimate relationships, issues of trust and betrayal, the fear of being ignored, substance abuse, and deep-seated anger - and these can lead to the next generation’s cycle of danger and harm. If elected, I will co-sponsor legislation that employs these laws to combat pedophilia. It is time to end the silence about this plague afflicting us. Women’s Health & Reproductive Equality Women and their spouses/partners should have access to well-funded pre and post-natal care education to protect the health and well being of the mother and the baby. Reproductive equality means women should have the right to determine what type of family makes the most sense to them. This includes the freedom to plan their own family. Senator Kamala Harris said it best: “We all know the truth: If you are a woman trying to raise a family, you know that a good-paying job is a woman’s issue.” Family Freedom for women is a health issue, an economic issue and an equality issue and will only be achieved when women have the same rights to control their bodies as men. Racial Equality and Justice Slavery, colonialism, and their enduring legacies are stains on the history of our nation. The ruthless, barbaric, and inhumane treatment of African-Americans wasn’t limited to Southern states. Nor did it disappear in 1863. And because these practices were enshrined in law, personal prejudice has plagued generations. Today, we continue to see widespread patterns of social and political systems discriminating against people based on race: Innocent African-Americans are seven times more likely to be convicted of murder than innocent white people; Innocent African-Americans are 12 times more likely to be convicted of drug crimes than innocent whites; For profit, private prisons exploit prisoners who are disproportionately African-American and Latino; Since 2008, states across the country have passed measures to make it harder for Americans—particularly black people, the elderly, students, and people with disabilities—to exercise their fundamental right to cast a ballot. Minds will not change until we change our laws. I oppose private prisons. To earn a profit by putting people behind bars corrupts our justice system and rewards unjust incarceration of Americans. Because elected officials in state governments continue to engage in voter suppression, Congress must restore the Voting Rights Act. Americans deserve a Congress that protects their rights to vote in free elections. Americans deserve a justice system that treats all people equally, with fairness and dignity. America must strip from its books any law that fails to protect and empower its citizens. LGBTQ -Lin-Manuel Miranda For me, Equality should be the foundation of all our public policies. This makes it possible for everyone to have the same opportunities so everyone can succeed. Freedom from discrimination is necessary for all loving, committed families to enjoy the social and legal protections needed to take care of each other on all levels–in sickness and in health. I support the Equality Act of 2017 (H.R. 2282). Anything less is a violation of human dignity. Immigration A merit-based “point system” that bars entry to family members and young people ready to learn new skills impoverishes our workforce. If I were in Congress now I would proudly support the Dream Act of 2017. I support policies that reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and encourage naturalization, for legal immigrants and their undocumented family members. Working together with representatives of all industries and worker organizations, I will ensure that Federal policy gives Long Island immigrants and businesses the support and flexibility we need. Our related responsibility is to ensure that jobs are in abundance, not scarcity. The renewable energy industries that we develop here will help make this a reality. Organized Labor Unions help level the playing field, enabling workers to have a fair chance against powerful corporations and governments. Unions free workers from corporate servitude. Contracts negotiated in good faith between unions and management allow workers to earn a living wage, workplace safety, regular working hours, a deferred wage in the form of a defined benefit pension and health care. In other words, unions fight for, protect and preserve the human dignity of workers. I will always stand with working women and men and the unions who represent them because like me, Organized Labor fights every day for the basic freedoms, protections, and benefits workers deserve to have a decent life. Gun Violence You’re not free if you’re not safe. You can’t pursue happiness if you’re dead. Over the past four decades, while policy and engineering have been put to work to reduce motor vehicle fatalities, the opposite has been done with guns. Fearing political backlash from dark money campaign contributors, the NRA and its Gun Lobby, a deadly number of our representatives turn a deaf ear to the public’s viewpoint on gun safety in favor of large sums of re-election campaign funds. The result has been catastrophic. “From January 1 to October 3 [2017], there have been 273 shootings in which four or more people were injured or killed.” (CNN) No school of any kind should be forced by law to permit guns on campus. Convicted domestic abusers shouldn’t be permitted to own a gun. Guns that massacre must be eliminated. All loopholes in our background check system must be closed. In Congress I will oppose the Gun Lobby, work to reinstate Center for Disease Control research on the American epidemic of gun deaths, oppose concealed carry reciprocity, and support evidence based and constitutionally tested policy to protect citizens, soldiers, and police. Opioid Addiction If we as a nation are to effectively tackle this crisis, legislators, law enforcement, our court system, medical professionals and other scientists must be willing to work together and examine it with clear eyes. Addiction treatments have been hampered by ideological obstructions. Medical cannabis, “separation of the markets” policies and harm reduction measures for the users that include needle exchanges remain unpalatable to many lawmakers. But to prevent the spread of diseases and treat patients’ chronic pain safely, we must be open minded and clinical. Additionally, it is immoral for drug company lobbyists to push laws making it easy to prescribe large doses of opiates while simultaneously jacking up prices for naloxone. I support drug treatment programs which decrease rates of death, crime, and incarceration. I will continue to listen to and educate Long Islanders on the benefits of these programs as effective uses of their tax dollars. My commitment to evidence based policy will ensure that we take the best justified approaches to this serious medical, criminal, and social problem. Military and Public Service Republicans in Congress have, inexplicably, voted against a number of the Military’s science-based budget requests, such as the potential effects of climate change on their facilities around the world. I support science that benefits our military and keeps our service people safe, not just well-armed. All Americans should have the opportunity to serve their country. They should be respected for their choice to do so, regardless of their gender, country of origin or sexual orientation. Just as we care for our soldiers in the field, we must work to care for our veterans once they return home. I will work to maintain a society that respects and trusts public service, whether it is community volunteer work, teaching in a public school, or serving as a police officer. World It is of paramount importance now to continue an international spirit of scientific collaboration and evidence based policy negotiation. The pressure of a world population of seven billion, intersecting with climate change and the dwindling of natural resources, is the greatest danger humanity faces. In today’s global economy, diplomacy is more important than ever. Americans need to know that other nations will hold up their end of the deals we make, and our allies need to be able to rely on us. In office, I will enthusiastically support the international coalitions we need – the Paris Climate Accord, Nato, and others – to make the world safer from forces that thoughtlessly destroy lives, whether through acts of terror, unchecked economic opportunism, or climate itself. Israel I support a two-state solution that recognizes Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, and respects all human rights. [22] |
” |
| —Elaine DiMasi’s campaign website (2018)[10] | ||
Perry Gershon
Gershon’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
THE ENVIRONMENT Our district has two urgent environmental concerns that we must address. First, coastal beach erosion, as a result of rising sea levels, is already damaging homes and businesses. We must not only take steps to mitigate our changing climate, but also work with coastal residents and businesses on ways to build resilient infrastructure and strengthen their livelihoods. Global warming is real and we feel the results quite directly here on Long Island. By pulling out of the Paris Agreement, Donald Trump, with Lee Zeldin’s support, is taking us in the wrong direction. Second, we must protect our water supply by ensuring that our nitrate waste is properly treated so we don’t pollute our bodies of water. There are three layers of the aquifer, the first is polluted, the second is getting polluted, and the third is a reserve we don’t want to touch. Waste management and sewers are a serious issue in Suffolk County that requires cooperation from local, state, and federal governments. If we allow too much nitrate into the ground, we destroy the ecosystems we all rely on. The protection of Long Island’s waters is essential to both our economy and quality of life. Environmental issues affect the entire region, from Brookhaven to Montauk and all parts in between. As Congressman, I’ll fight to ensure protecting our environment is a top federal priority. Suffolk County needs good jobs, but without a healthy environment, those jobs will not be there. JOBS & THE ECONOMY I’m proud that our district is home to strong employers, like Stony Brook and Brookhaven National Labs, where some of the nation’s top research happens. But we fail to develop industry around the inventions we create. Today, the lack of industry, scarcity of high-quality jobs, and high cost of real estate force too many of our young people and families to move out of the county. Suffolk County must be a place people move to for its high quality of life, not away from. In Congress, my number one priority will be working to create high-quality jobs right here in Suffolk County. For too long, wages have remained relatively stagnant while the cost of living keeps going up. We must work hard to reverse this trend. As an entrepreneur and businessman with 30 years of experience building and growing businesses – from sports bars to real estate finance firms - I know that neither government nor private industry will solve these problems alone. We must forge private-public partnerships to redevelop our economy. I plan to encourage local employers and technical high schools and community colleges to work together to create training programs that teach students the skills they need to get good paying jobs. We need to increase our support for technical schools and continuing education programs as an alternative to traditional college. And financial cost should not be a barrier to entry in our public colleges. In addition, I’ll work to address the problems of automation by fortifying our education system so our students are prepared for the 21st century economy and expanding retraining programs so that those already in the workforce have the skills employers need. We need to bring new business to Suffolk County and we need to grow businesses from the inventions that come out of Stony Brook University and other local research centers. To do this, I will fight to decrease the tax burden on small businesses, provide tax incentives to attract new businesses, fund infrastructure upgrades, and support affordable housing options. All of this is necessary to create a favorable climate for these new businesses to operate and to create good jobs for Long Island families. HEALTH CARE Access to health care is a basic right, but it is under attack by Donald Trump and Republicans like Lee Zeldin. Zeldin voted for a plan that would impose an effective age tax, unfairly discriminating against older Americans by charging them five times more than younger Americans. And the GOP repeal of the mandate endangers the successes achieved to date under the ACA. Repealing the ACA won’t help Americans, it won’t save lives, and it won’t make health care any cheaper. The ACA is imperfect, but we need to build on its strengths and address its weaknesses – not strip health insurance from millions. The only way to fix our country’s health care problems is by working across the aisle. In Congress, I will fight to stabilize insurance exchanges through bipartisan reforms so that we’re able to increase the number of people with health insurance and lower premiums for all Americans. And I will fight to establish a Medicare for All or similar system as soon as practically achievable. In the short-term, I’ll prioritize maintaining the subsidies to stabilize the system and keep healthy people enrolled. And a public option is the only real, long-term fix for the ACA to make sure that Americans have affordable, universal health care at the lowest possible total cost to the country. EDUCATION We need to close the achievement gap and equip all students with the skills needed to succeed in the 21st century economy. To do so, we must fully fund our public schools, expand access to early childhood education, reduce class sizes, ensure students have the resources needed for learning, and retain our best teachers in the profession. Decreasing the cost of higher education and expanding access to alternative pathways – like community college and vocational training - is key to keeping America and Suffolk County economically competitive and successful. In Congress, I’ll fight to expand efforts, like those already underway in New York state, to provide tuition free education at public colleges and universities for all Americans. I’ll also fight to fully fund federal tuition assistance programs – like Pell Grants – and provide student loan relief by helping Long Islanders refinance existing student loans at lower rates. INFRASTRUCTURE We’re investing billions of dollars into the Long Island Rail Road to buy new trains, upgrade stations, and build new tracks. It’s a good start, but we need to do more. The LIRR is currently single tracked on both the South and North Fork, which limits the number of trains that can operate. We need to build parallel tracks to increase train capacity and electrify the entire LIRR system to minimize our carbon footprint. In addition to upgrading our rail system, we need to invest in big infrastructure projects, like the Cross-Harbor Freight Tunnel. This tunnel would permit freight traffic to pass under the bay between New Jersey and Long Island, bypassing Manhattan and alleviating highway congestion. We also need to invest in Long Island’s sewer lines and waste treatment plants to address water pollution, which endangers our drinking water and contaminates our marshes and fisheries. Not only will infrastructural investments make us more economically competitive and environmental sound, but the direct investments will improve our quality of life and create thousands of jobs. The Congressional Research Service estimates that more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs are created for every billion dollars invested in construction projects in New York. But local and state government can’t make these investments alone. In Congress, I’ll fight for increased federal funding so that we can not only make improvements to our current infrastructure and transportation networks, but expand them. And I’ll work tirelessly to make sure that our tax dollars are spent right here in Suffolk County so that we make Long Island a better place to live and work for everyone. STRENGTHENING NATIONAL SECURITY America must remain the premier military power in the world. We must give tireless support to the men and women who serve in our military and respect to the fallen and their loved ones. Maintaining military preeminence must remain an important U.S. priority. And this means keeping a strong military with state of the art technology, and with funding for both our troops and our veterans. But a strong military does not necessarily mean a blindly funded one. We must be smart and thoughtful in how we spend our military dollars. And we must pay particular attention to our veterans when they return home from service, especially to protect them from opioids and to care for them through a state of the art VA system. A cornerstone of America’s leadership role has been our commitment to NATO and our alliances with strong partners, such as Israel, Japan, and South Korea. These alliances have been a key element of American power and to preventing the spread of hateful ideologies in the world and maintaining global stability since WWII. Notably, NATO allies have been there to fight alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. But Donald Trump has little understanding or respect for the importance of our alliances. Creating insecurity about our commitment to these partnerships and openly squabbling with allies only weakens these alliances and gives hope to our adversaries. Nuclear proliferation is a serious threat to world peace, and the U.S. has a major security interest in ensuring that nuclear weapons do not spread, especially to unfriendly regimes. Although the nuclear agreement with Iran could be strengthened, it is a critical tool for ensuring that Iran does not gain nuclear weaponry. Weakening it risks a resumption of Iranian efforts to develop such weapons and calls into question U.S. credibility. Furthermore, baiting an unstable North Korean dictator and a paranoid regime poses grave risks and does nothing to constructively address the situation. Dealing with North Korea requires every tool at our disposal -- strength, artful diplomacy, and strategic coordination with allies. Donald Trump’s stated affection for dictators and his hostility to human rights are inconsistent with our security interests. Dictators are enemies of democracy, and promoting democracy is not just a moral imperative but also part and parcel of ensuring a world order conducive to global stability. Likewise, the promotion of human rights has been a hallmark of U.S. policy in the post-WWII period, and abandoning our commitment to them only serves to encourage a global environment contrary to U.S. interests and the well-being of peoples around the globe. TACKLING THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC It is outrageous that drug companies are too often part of the problem and not part of the solution. There is no reason drug companies should be pushing opioid painkillers when there are safer alternatives. Doctors should not freely prescribe and distribute opioids the way they do. We must educate people on the severity of the crisis. We must also lower the cost of naloxone so that our first responders, from towns large and small, can carry this life-saving medicine with them. The “Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act” should be repealed. It is doing more harm than good. This is an instance where big pharmaceutical companies duped our Congress into raising the proof required to intercept large shipments of pain pills to suspicious buyers. It is an important step to repeal this harmful legislation, but Congress fails to act. It is significant that our country has moved beyond a sentiment of just blaming the victims who suffer from opioid addiction, but that alone is not enough. We must invest in the resources, time, and effort required to tackle this crisis. Long-term we must reduce the availability of the drugs while also addressing the root causes of the crisis to stem the rise of opioid abuse in America. Finally, we must make it our mission to defend the Affordable Care Act. Through the expansion of Medicaid and removal of lifetime caps, the ACA has helped to fund opioid treatment for millions of Americans. Now, the Republican plan to repeal the ACA would slash Medicaid funding, cutting off essential healthcare services from those struggling with addiction. If their plan had passed, these patients would be left with unaffordable premiums and likely no coverage whatsoever to pay for treatment. REAL TAX REFORM Unfortunately, the Republican “Tax Scam” cuts taxes on the richest Americans and big corporations, while it hurts the middle class. The early results from this rushed and partisan process are compounding the unfairness in our tax system. Any major tax change needs input from both parties to be fair and effective. The Republican tax plan hits New Yorker families hard, removing deductions for state and local income taxes and limiting property tax and interest deductions. The cost of living in Suffolk County is already high, and this plan will only make it higher. We cannot let this happen. In addition, I oppose eliminating the estate tax on wealthy Americans with estates over $5 million, which as Warren Buffet points out, could lead to “dynasty-building.” The vast majority of the American public, including all middle class families, will see no benefit from this giveaway to the wealthy. Instead, we’ll be rewarded with higher deficits and increased national debt. Here is what I support: The tax burden on the middle class needs to be lowered, but without the oversized cuts for the wealthy that are currently proposed. We also cannot allow the deductions, credits, and exemptions that help middle-class Americans to be eliminated. These incentives encourage and subsidize, among other things, education, healthcare, charity, adoption, home ownership, and care for family members. We can make the current system fairer by looking at abuses of the capital gains system that allow wealthy investors to pay a much lower tax rate on their income than most working class families. Eliminating the “carried interest” loophole will ensure that equal burdens of taxation fall on people who earn their income through work and labor, as opposed to simply through investing. In terms of business tax reform, the first thing we need to do is close many of the loopholes, deductions, and special interest incentives that allow corporations to get away without paying their fair share. Once we do that, simplifying and making more transparent the corporate tax code, we can look at whether tax rates on businesses are where they need to be to help our economy thrive and businesses to be me more competitive. Regardless of what reforms are implemented, it is vital they should be bipartisan, and that they are revenue neutral. The goal should be to simplify the system, not to reduce the burden on corporate taxpayers at everyone else’s expense. PREVENTING GUN VIOLENCE Unfortunately, partisan politics and an increasingly powerful gun lobby have taken us backwards – the assault weapons restrictions have expired and background check loopholes remain. To make progress on gun violence, we need to set aside politics and bring Republicans and Democrats together to find common ground again and common sense. When it comes to gun violence prevention, I have a few basic priorities. Background checks should be required at a national level before guns may be purchased – and we must close the loopholes in the current system. Certain guns such as assault weapons should be registered, just as cars are today. Assault weapons should not be freely available, and I support a renewal of the provisions of the old 1994 law, as well as a ban on “bump stocks.” And most of all, we should not impose “concealed carry” laws on our states. Representative Zeldin frequently advocates for a new federal gun law allowing a person to carry a legal concealed weapon into a state where it is otherwise illegal. So if a Texan visits New York, he or she would be immune to New York’s more restrictive gun laws and bound only by Texas law. We cannot let this happen. PROTECTING WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE Women’s health care is under attack. We see it every day. It’s why I believe we must strengthen Planned Parenthood, which provides critical health care – like cancer screenings and preventative care -- to so many in need. And we must repeal outrageous legislative over-reach – like the Hyde amendment – which attempts to prevent abortions even in cases required to save the life of the mother. Rather than protect and strengthen women’s health care, Congressman Zeldin has been doing the exact opposite, voting for restrictions on abortion that would take us back to the time before Roe v. Wade became the law of the land. Some Republicans in Congress have even sought to restrict access to birth control – which is critical to ensuring that abortions remain safe, legal, and rare. The decision in the 2014 Hobby Lobby case, which allowed employers to deny coverage for contraceptives turns back the clock on women’s health care, setting us down a dangerous path. Everyone should have equal access to reproductive health care, pre-natal care, and post-natal care – no matter who you are or where you live. SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS Sadly, our veterans suffer disproportionately from mental health issues, substance abuse, unemployment, and homelessness when they return home. And far too often bureaucratic red-tape prevents them from receiving critical care. This is unacceptable, and our government must spare no expense to address these challenges. Yet, despite a lot of pro-veteran rhetoric out of Washington, the Trump Administration and a hostile Republican Congress stand in the way of reform to veterans’ care. Veterans who return with injuries are at the highest risk for opioid abuse, yet we do little proactively to help them transition to civilian life. We should be following up on pain medications, devoting extra resources if necessary, to be sure they don’t go down the wrong track of substance addiction. And most of all, we should be working hard to be sure veterans can find good paying jobs and affordable housing. We must be pro-active in partnering highly-skilled, highly trained veterans with small businesses and entrepreneurs. We must ensure that all volunteers, no matter who you are or where you’re from, have the right to serve in our armed services. The Trump Administration’s ban on transgender individuals in the military is nothing short of backward and discriminatory. Our service members and veterans deserve better. They’ve earned our fullest possible support, and I will work to see that they get it! COMMONSENSE IMMIGRATION REFORM I’m fed up with our leaders in Washington—Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress like Rep. Lee Zeldin— who are stoking fears and dividing us, rather than bringing us together. Immigration reform should be a real priority, not just a foil used to cry out for Trump’s unnecessary and impractical border wall. The current practice in Washington of breaking up families is cruel and must be stopped. The visuals of immigrant babies still nursing being separated from their mom’s is unacceptable. Our immigration system is broken. It’s time someone in Congress rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Our path forward on immigration reform must focus on keeping families together, being tough on security, and implementing policies that grow our economy and create jobs. We need a tough but fair path to earned citizenship for those who work hard and play by the rules. We do better when our hard-working, talented immigrants can stay together as a family to contribute to the success of our country. I support a clean Dream Act because these young people grew up in the United States, they are positive contributors to our economy, and they should have a path to permanent residency and eventually citizenship. Members of both parties agree that hard-working people should be able to contribute fully to the country they have built their lives in. Not only must we focus on a responsible pathway to citizenship, we must also allocate resources for law enforcement to prevent threats. On our southern border, this includes resources like intelligence-gathering devices, personnel, and information sharing methods that help the U.S. and Mexico stop drugs and weapons from being trafficked on the border. On Long Island, we will combat the dangerous threat of MS-13 by providing more resources for law enforcement to eliminate gang violence and investing in social services programs that prevent gang involvement. Countless Long Islanders have died at the hands of this gang. We must take bold action to stop MS-13 from taking more innocent lives. Finally, we must focus on growing our economy and creating jobs. Economic inequities in other countries cause individuals to seek economic stability in the United States, making it imperative to pursue trade policies that level the playing field for workers abroad so that livable wages are available to those citizens. This allows us to invest in jobs right here at home. When those jobs come home, we must hold businesses that traffic in illegal immigration accountable. Additionally, immigrants who are already here should pay their fair share of taxes and continue the good work they have been doing. We must remember immigrants are a vibrant part of our communities. I’m rooted in lasting, practical and comprehensive policies that respect the rule of law. It’s time to act. EQUALITY AND CIVIL RIGHTS Federal law broadly protects the ideals of equality and fairness for all Americans. Yet, the current Administration seeks to undermine them at every turn – with extreme executive orders, legal positions, and judicial appointments. Our civil rights laws must be vigorously enforced and, where appropriate, expanded. All Americans should be protected against discrimination. In this connection, we must endeavor to ensure that our law enforcement authorities treat all citizens with fairness and due process. Dramatic progress has been made over the past decade in the area of LGBTQ rights, as the Supreme Court swept away DOMA and made marriage equality the law of the land. Yet more progress needs to be made. In too many states, it is still legal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. This is unacceptable and that’s why I support a federal guarantee of equal rights for all. Another frontier in the area of achieving greater equality is seeking to combat ageism. For too long, older Americans have been excluded from their proper place in the workforce and culture. In many societies, older people are revered for their wisdom and experience; in ours they are discriminated against and discounted. (I am proud that both my parents are still researchers and teachers well into their 70s and am glad that they have the ability to choose to continue working). Although discrimination on the basis of age is prohibited under federal law, the rights of older Americans have not been sufficiently enforced and defended. I want to ensure that this does not continue and that there are strong voices in Congress to speak up for the interests of older Americans. Ensuring that all Americans have the unfettered right to liberty, opportunity, and happiness – no matter who you are or where you are from – is the cornerstone of American democracy. It is why I will always work for greater protections against discrimination and oppression and towards greater fairness and equality for all Americans. LABOR & WORKERS’ RIGHTS Strong unions are good for workers, their families, and our economy. We would not have a middle class in America without a vibrant labor movement. Unions brought us the 40-hour work week, overtime pay, workplace safety standards, the end of child labor, pensions and benefit packages, and more. As a strong supporter of the labor, here are a few of the issues we need to work on together: Restore Collective Bargaining and Defend Workers’ Rights. The need for collective bargaining cannot be overstated. In Congress, I’ll support efforts to protect worker’s rights and strengthen the ability of workers to join unions while strongly opposing any anti-union efforts and any pushes for “right to work.” These laws in states like Michigan and Wisconsin, which allow workers to opt-out of their unions, are really “right to scab” laws and have been repressive to labor. Oppose Unfair Trade Deals That Ship Jobs Overseas & Hurt Long Island Workers. Long Island workers are among our nation’s best and, on a level playing field, can compete with anyone. But unfair trade deals have enabled corporations to offshore jobs to developing countries. Any trade policy should be negotiated in the open and designed to help Long Island workers, not hurt them. I’ll reject any trade agreements that don’t meet high standards and have strong enforcement tools to ensure other countries are playing by the rules, especially fair pay for workers overseas. Protect Pension Plans Americans Depend On. We must ensure that the pension plans that Americans thought they could depend on in their retirement will be there for them, with no reductions. Pensions are compensation that came out of collective bargaining process and it is unfair to devalue them. Invest in Infrastructure That Creates Good Paying, Union Jobs. At a time when we should be investing more federal dollars into environmentally-friendly infrastructure, we must ensure that the construction workers on these American jobs that can’t be outsourced have the wage protections we’ve promised them for 85 years through the Davis-Bacon Act. I’ll oppose any efforts that attempt to repeal the guarantee of middle class wages for construction workers in New York and across the country. Protect the Freedom of Working People to Join Together in Strong Unions to Better Themselves and Their Community. Working people should have the freedom to form unions to earn a decent living and get ahead, have access to health benefits, have retirement security, and more. That’s why I’ve been on the side of working people and fighting against the special interests in the Janus v. AFSCME case. Opting out of dues in whole or in part cannot be an option. I support a $15/hour minimum wage and equal pay for equal work because anyone who works full time should have the means to provide for their family and live a sustainable life in our community. Suffolk County working families need someone who is on their side in Congress and will put forward bold, progressive ideas that put them first. I’ll stand up to the attack on unions and American workers that started in the 1980's with Reaganomics, its trickle-down theory, and its attacks on good, union paying jobs, and which still continues by Republicans today. |
” |
| —Perry Gershon’s campaign website (2018)[12] | ||
David Pechefsky
Pechefsky’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
HEALTHCARE INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE JOBS PARENTAL LEAVE NATIONAL SECURITY THE MIDDLE EAST ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT INVESTING IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE RESPECTING OUR COMMUNITIES WOMEN'S HEALTH IMMIGRATION CRIMINAL JUSTICE CAMPAIGN FINANCING REFORM GUN CONTROL EQUAL RIGHTS TAX POLICY HOUSING REPARATIONS |
” |
| —David Pechefsky’s campaign website (2018)[14] | ||
Vivian Viloria-Fisher
Viloria-Fisher’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Economic Opportunity for All AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, I WILL: - Fight for a national living wage - Support job growth in sustainable energy and medical research industries - Repeal Republican tax scheme that favor corporations and the wealthy - Reinstate tax deductions for workers and students - Restore Net Neutrality, leveling the playing field for smaller internet companies - Work to reduce student tuition and debt - Ensure equal pay for equal work - Oppose cuts to Social Security and public healthcare - Increase the economic self-sufficiency of women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ community members, and people with disabilities I HAVE: - Co-sponsored a bill to instate a living wage on Long Island, as a Suffolk County legislator - Expanded public transportation services, especially for Long Island veterans - Sponsored creation of Food Policy Council, making healthy foods more accessible in Suffolk County - Financed my Congressional campaign through Long Island families' contributions, not corporate bribes or super PACs - Spread education on earned income tax credits to maximize workers' tax benefits - Created a Welfare-to-Work Commission in Suffolk County to create clearer pathways towards employment for those earning income benefits - Increased LGBTQIA+ couples' economic self-suffiency by supporting marriage equality prior to its legalization in NYS Protecting our Environment I WILL: - Create more jobs by investing in sustainable energy industries - Ensure we participate in the Paris Climate Accord - Fund climate change research - Cap CO2 emissions nationally - Regulate our air and water quality - Preserve farmland and National Parks - Protect endangered and threatened species
I HAVE: - Placed cap on CO2 emissions from power plants, reducing greenhouse gases - Banned MTBE (a carcinogenic additive in gasoline) - Prohibited the sale, introduction and cultivation of invasive plant species in Suffolk County - Sponsored program to encourage Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), modernizing Suffolk County architecture - Required new municipal buildings to use green technologies and pass LEED standards - Created Victory Garden Task Force to promote community gardening and healthy, sustainable food sources in Suffolk County - Preserved historic farmland in Suffolk County, including Sherwood-Jayne Farmstead, Forsythe Meadow Woods, and Detmer Farm Investing in Education I WILL: - Provide affordable education and training for our workforce - Discontinue privatized testing - Create new "Poor Man's Ivy League" colleges with free tuition for high achievers - Support tuition-free community colleges and technical training - Emphasize support for apprenticeship programs - Prevent teachers from having to carry weapons - Protect students by banning assault weapons and passing common sense gun reform I HAVE: - Made education the first step in dealing with drug abuse - Served as former chairperson of the Education and Youth Committee - Secured affordable childcare by passing EARNS program - Sponsored programs to educate and retain childcare providers - Combatted teen pregnancy through the Teen Pregnancy Task Force, which supported and educated young women at risk - Taught at and supported public schools on Long Island for over 30 years (see corresponding awards) Universally Affordable Healthcare I WILL: - Fight for Medicare for All (HR 676) - Establish affordable access to mental health services - Make school meals healthier without raising their cost - Expand affordable access to addiction treatments - Publicly fund preventative reproductive healthcare by protecting Medicaid and Planned Parenthood - Preserve women's reproductive rights by opposing the Hyde Amendment and protecting Roe v. Wade I HAVE: - Vice-Chairperson of the Health & Human Services Committee - Served as a Planned Parenthood board member - Required NYS insurance companies to reimburse or cover cervical cancer test - Sponsored creation of Food Policy Council, making healthy foods more accessible in Suffolk County - Protected Public Health Nurse program in Suffolk County - Declared Melanoma Awareness Month in May in Suffolk County to raise awareness for this preventable disease Everyone deserves equal treatment Black, white, Latino, Native or Asian, LGBTQ+ or straight, we are all diverse parts of the same American Dream. We cannot tolerate those that would pull us apart, or exploit socially constructed divisions for political gain. I WILL: - Protect the Dream Act/DACA - Be a bridge between people of color and law enforcement - Fight for equitable sentencing laws for all races - Prescribe rehabilitation instead of incarceration - Fight for equal pay for equal work - Ensure LGBTQ+ people have access to adequate, affordable healthcare - Reinstate transgender people's positions in the military - Prevent religious freedoms from upholding discriminatory practices - Institute fairer community policing I HAVE: - Been a Democrat for over 50 years - Pioneered as the first ethnic minority person elected to the Suffolk County Legislature - Stood up for progressive values all my life - Served as a public school teacher for more than 30 years - Fought to extend public transportation for our veterans to access healthcare at the Stony Brook Vet's Center - Hired female, LGBTQ, and Latino people to leadership positions - Sponsored the Domestic Registry Bill in Suffolk County in 1999 - Supported LGBTQ marriage equality prior to its legalization in New York State - Created a majority-minority district in Brentwood, giving people of color representation Everyone is welcome I WILL: - Pass the Dream Act - Create reasonable pathways for immigrants to gain citizenship - Prevent the deployment of local police as immigration agents - Oppose municipalities honoring administrative warrants from ICE - Restore reproductive rights of women in ICE custody I HAVE: - Voted against Steve Levy's unconstitutional anti-immigration law in Suffolk County - Worked with the Suffolk County Police Department to prevent racial profiling - Publicly supported Eliot Spitzer’s proposal to make driver licenses available to immigrants I will Speak Truth to Power I WILL: - Stand up to the NRA to keep guns away from those who should least have them - Overturn Citizens United and place limits on political campaign spending - Provide public forums for transparency, questions, and input - Fight for public financing of elections. - I will fight for an independent, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - I will work to keep Wall Street accountable to Main Street - Create a nonpartisan commission to draw district lines to avoid "gerrymandering" I HAVE: - Prevented gerrymandering in a federal court case - Voted to regulate campaign financing in Suffolk County - Tackled racist rhetoric in policymaking and law enforcement - Held the wealthy accountable for taxes, creating more revenue for healthcare and public resources - Stood at the barricades, to work and protest for social change, fairness and opportunity for all Supporting Our Troops I HAVE: - Been an active member of the Veterans & Seniors Committee - Provided extension of bus routes to Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook I WILL: - Not send troops to fight illegal wars - Help veterans find jobs and housing when they return from duty - Assist veterans in furthering their education and job training - Provide comprehensive healthcare to all former military personnel |
” |
| —Viloria-Fisher’s campaign website (2018)[17] | ||
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
| Race ratings: New York's 1st Congressional District election, 2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | October 9, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+5, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made New York's 1st Congressional District the 197th most Republican nationally.[23]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.02. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.02 points toward that party.[24]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Eighteen of 62 New York counties—29 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Broome County, New York | 2.01% | 5.31% | 8.02% | ||||
| Cayuga County, New York | 11.64% | 11.40% | 8.48% | ||||
| Cortland County, New York | 5.58% | 9.11% | 9.96% | ||||
| Essex County, New York | 1.14% | 18.77% | 13.32% | ||||
| Franklin County, New York | 5.45% | 26.07% | 22.23% | ||||
| Madison County, New York | 14.20% | 0.89% | 0.87% | ||||
| Niagara County, New York | 17.75% | 0.84% | 1.00% | ||||
| Orange County, New York | 5.50% | 5.65% | 4.13% | ||||
| Oswego County, New York | 21.99% | 7.93% | 2.44% | ||||
| Otsego County, New York | 11.13% | 2.72% | 5.91% | ||||
| Rensselaer County, New York | 1.41% | 12.19% | 9.34% | ||||
| St. Lawrence County, New York | 8.82% | 16.71% | 16.33% | ||||
| Saratoga County, New York | 3.21% | 2.44% | 3.40% | ||||
| Seneca County, New York | 11.01% | 9.08% | 2.60% | ||||
| Suffolk County, New York | 6.84% | 3.69% | 5.99% | ||||
| Sullivan County, New York | 11.23% | 9.02% | 9.46% | ||||
| Warren County, New York | 8.47% | 2.32% | 2.64% | ||||
| Washington County, New York | 18.40% | 1.90% | 0.81% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won New York with 59 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 36.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1792 and 2016, New York voted Democratic 45.6 percent of the time and Republican 35 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, New York voted Democratic all five times.[25]
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in New York. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[26][27]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 114 out of 150 state Assembly districts in New York with an average margin of victory of 46.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 99 out of 150 state Assembly districts in New York with an average margin of victory of 50.3 points. Clinton won four districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 36 out of 150 state Assembly districts in New York with an average margin of victory of 10.5 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 51 out of 150 state Assembly districts in New York with an average margin of victory of 17.6 points. Trump won 13 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 Presidential Results by State Assembly District ' | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 54.04% | 44.82% | D+9.2 | 48.70% | 47.90% | D+0.8 | D |
| 2 | 46.01% | 52.77% | R+6.8 | 38.67% | 58.09% | R+19.4 | R |
| 3 | 55.11% | 43.52% | D+11.6 | 41.78% | 54.70% | R+12.9 | R |
| 4 | 53.31% | 45.30% | D+8 | 48.48% | 48.05% | D+0.4 | D |
| 5 | 47.32% | 51.31% | R+4 | 36.36% | 60.40% | R+24 | R |
| 6 | 78.89% | 20.28% | D+58.6 | 72.98% | 24.24% | D+48.7 | D |
| 7 | 47.06% | 51.56% | R+4.5 | 39.08% | 57.31% | R+18.2 | R |
| 8 | 39.57% | 59.23% | R+19.7 | 36.18% | 60.77% | R+24.6 | R |
| 9 | 43.39% | 55.49% | R+12.1 | 36.87% | 59.96% | R+23.1 | D[28] |
| 10 | 51.06% | 47.80% | D+3.3 | 52.08% | 44.85% | D+7.2 | R |
| 11 | 64.66% | 34.40% | D+30.3 | 55.00% | 42.21% | D+12.8 | D |
| 12 | 47.31% | 51.62% | R+4.3 | 44.00% | 52.67% | R+8.7 | R |
| 13 | 58.37% | 40.78% | D+17.6 | 60.78% | 36.72% | D+24.1 | D |
| 14 | 46.14% | 52.73% | R+6.6 | 41.36% | 55.64% | R+14.3 | R |
| 15 | 45.71% | 53.03% | R+7.3 | 44.85% | 52.11% | R+7.3 | R |
| 16 | 52.05% | 47.10% | D+5 | 56.95% | 40.38% | D+16.6 | D |
| 17 | 45.79% | 53.00% | R+7.2 | 39.11% | 57.86% | R+18.7 | R |
| 18 | 91.22% | 8.41% | D+82.8 | 87.68% | 10.41% | D+77.3 | D |
| 19 | 42.58% | 56.33% | R+13.7 | 43.26% | 53.52% | R+10.3 | R |
| 20 | 48.06% | 51.13% | R+3.1 | 47.00% | 50.24% | R+3.2 | R |
| 21 | 52.67% | 46.29% | D+6.4 | 51.99% | 45.07% | D+6.9 | R |
| 22 | 65.29% | 33.82% | D+31.5 | 63.90% | 33.38% | D+30.5 | D |
| 23 | 61.90% | 37.47% | D+24.4 | 53.34% | 44.39% | D+9 | D |
| 24 | 78.38% | 20.78% | D+57.6 | 76.56% | 21.44% | D+55.1 | D |
| 25 | 67.95% | 31.02% | D+36.9 | 64.73% | 32.56% | D+32.2 | D |
| 26 | 60.52% | 38.40% | D+22.1 | 57.04% | 40.31% | D+16.7 | D |
| 27 | 66.10% | 32.78% | D+33.3 | 65.49% | 31.64% | D+33.8 | D |
| 28 | 64.51% | 34.05% | D+30.5 | 64.36% | 32.54% | D+31.8 | D |
| 29 | 96.48% | 3.31% | D+93.2 | 93.79% | 4.84% | D+89 | D |
| 30 | 69.24% | 29.36% | D+39.9 | 66.29% | 30.73% | D+35.6 | D |
| 31 | 94.67% | 5.11% | D+89.6 | 90.76% | 7.84% | D+82.9 | D |
| 32 | 98.08% | 1.76% | D+96.3 | 94.74% | 4.01% | D+90.7 | D |
| 33 | 91.02% | 8.63% | D+82.4 | 87.81% | 10.57% | D+77.2 | D |
| 34 | 83.56% | 15.45% | D+68.1 | 81.22% | 16.12% | D+65.1 | D |
| 35 | 87.16% | 12.34% | D+74.8 | 83.53% | 14.41% | D+69.1 | D |
| 36 | 79.87% | 18.03% | D+61.8 | 77.61% | 18.78% | D+58.8 | D |
| 37 | 83.87% | 14.68% | D+69.2 | 81.38% | 15.40% | D+66 | D |
| 38 | 80.79% | 18.38% | D+62.4 | 76.29% | 20.96% | D+55.3 | D |
| 39 | 84.83% | 14.30% | D+70.5 | 82.52% | 15.37% | D+67.2 | D |
| 40 | 73.69% | 25.42% | D+48.3 | 67.21% | 30.28% | D+36.9 | D |
| 41 | 64.24% | 34.88% | D+29.4 | 60.37% | 37.52% | D+22.9 | D |
| 42 | 88.34% | 11.08% | D+77.3 | 87.37% | 10.69% | D+76.7 | D |
| 43 | 92.71% | 6.67% | D+86 | 89.50% | 8.18% | D+81.3 | D |
| 44 | 75.88% | 22.30% | D+53.6 | 78.35% | 18.67% | D+59.7 | D |
| 45 | 39.57% | 59.45% | R+19.9 | 38.92% | 58.66% | R+19.7 | D |
| 46 | 57.36% | 41.53% | D+15.8 | 52.25% | 44.97% | D+7.3 | D |
| 47 | 57.51% | 41.30% | D+16.2 | 52.70% | 44.71% | D+8 | D |
| 48 | 23.67% | 75.67% | R+52 | 28.29% | 69.34% | R+41 | D |
| 49 | 63.97% | 34.98% | D+29 | 56.74% | 40.36% | D+16.4 | D |
| 50 | 81.31% | 16.33% | D+65 | 83.62% | 13.09% | D+70.5 | D |
| 51 | 85.66% | 12.87% | D+72.8 | 83.02% | 13.97% | D+69.1 | D |
| 52 | 90.09% | 8.07% | D+82 | 91.91% | 5.33% | D+86.6 | D |
| 53 | 92.91% | 5.37% | D+87.5 | 91.06% | 6.07% | D+85 | D |
| 54 | 96.13% | 3.35% | D+92.8 | 92.39% | 5.36% | D+87 | D |
| 55 | 98.83% | 0.99% | D+97.8 | 96.15% | 2.40% | D+93.7 | D |
| 56 | 98.41% | 0.96% | D+97.4 | 95.55% | 2.09% | D+93.5 | D |
| 57 | 96.67% | 1.84% | D+94.8 | 95.21% | 2.19% | D+93 | D |
| 58 | 98.43% | 1.45% | D+97 | 96.16% | 2.69% | D+93.5 | D |
| 59 | 79.70% | 19.86% | D+59.8 | 74.78% | 23.64% | D+51.1 | D |
| 60 | 97.18% | 2.69% | D+94.5 | 95.26% | 3.68% | D+91.6 | D |
| 61 | 73.38% | 25.49% | D+47.9 | 66.08% | 31.15% | D+34.9 | D |
| 62 | 33.53% | 65.59% | R+32.1 | 23.48% | 74.50% | R+51 | R |
| 63 | 52.73% | 46.28% | D+6.4 | 44.62% | 52.97% | R+8.3 | D |
| 64 | 48.50% | 50.32% | R+1.8 | 40.32% | 56.79% | R+16.5 | R |
| 65 | 81.18% | 17.32% | D+63.9 | 82.52% | 14.32% | D+68.2 | D |
| 66 | 82.48% | 15.83% | D+66.6 | 88.65% | 8.07% | D+80.6 | D |
| 67 | 79.90% | 18.81% | D+61.1 | 86.93% | 10.33% | D+76.6 | D |
| 68 | 93.24% | 6.07% | D+87.2 | 91.42% | 6.29% | D+85.1 | D |
| 69 | 89.05% | 9.58% | D+79.5 | 90.82% | 6.34% | D+84.5 | D |
| 70 | 97.06% | 2.16% | D+94.9 | 94.78% | 2.82% | D+92 | D |
| 71 | 94.24% | 4.79% | D+89.4 | 92.52% | 4.99% | D+87.5 | D |
| 72 | 92.83% | 6.15% | D+86.7 | 90.73% | 6.93% | D+83.8 | D |
| 73 | 66.15% | 32.87% | D+33.3 | 78.99% | 17.96% | D+61 | D |
| 74 | 82.49% | 15.93% | D+66.6 | 85.40% | 11.22% | D+74.2 | D |
| 75 | 81.59% | 16.96% | D+64.6 | 86.45% | 10.67% | D+75.8 | D |
| 76 | 71.08% | 27.66% | D+43.4 | 80.57% | 16.33% | D+64.2 | D |
| 77 | 97.58% | 2.20% | D+95.4 | 94.60% | 4.19% | D+90.4 | D |
| 78 | 93.63% | 5.85% | D+87.8 | 91.24% | 6.90% | D+84.3 | D |
| 79 | 97.75% | 2.07% | D+95.7 | 94.79% | 4.02% | D+90.8 | D |
| 80 | 84.17% | 15.09% | D+69.1 | 81.92% | 15.88% | D+66 | D |
| 81 | 80.56% | 18.48% | D+62.1 | 81.08% | 16.20% | D+64.9 | D |
| 82 | 77.59% | 21.72% | D+55.9 | 72.94% | 25.01% | D+47.9 | D |
| 83 | 97.51% | 2.29% | D+95.2 | 95.42% | 3.44% | D+92 | D |
| 84 | 96.67% | 3.01% | D+93.7 | 93.79% | 4.84% | D+88.9 | D |
| 85 | 96.67% | 3.09% | D+93.6 | 93.54% | 5.11% | D+88.4 | D |
| 86 | 96.98% | 2.77% | D+94.2 | 93.95% | 4.68% | D+89.3 | D |
| 87 | 94.79% | 4.94% | D+89.8 | 91.38% | 7.06% | D+84.3 | D |
| 88 | 58.31% | 40.76% | D+17.6 | 65.37% | 31.47% | D+33.9 | D |
| 89 | 85.20% | 14.17% | D+71 | 82.85% | 15.16% | D+67.7 | D |
| 90 | 61.30% | 37.80% | D+23.5 | 60.47% | 37.11% | D+23.4 | D |
| 91 | 61.44% | 37.46% | D+24 | 67.67% | 29.24% | D+38.4 | D |
| 92 | 63.32% | 35.59% | D+27.7 | 67.46% | 29.61% | D+37.8 | D |
| 93 | 55.29% | 43.50% | D+11.8 | 63.29% | 33.24% | D+30 | D |
| 94 | 43.95% | 54.77% | R+10.8 | 42.07% | 54.54% | R+12.5 | R |
| 95 | 60.73% | 37.96% | D+22.8 | 60.71% | 35.75% | D+25 | D |
| 96 | 55.79% | 43.29% | D+12.5 | 53.99% | 43.30% | D+10.7 | D |
| 97 | 55.96% | 42.95% | D+13 | 56.12% | 41.13% | D+15 | D |
| 98 | 42.17% | 56.42% | R+14.3 | 37.01% | 59.04% | R+22 | R |
| 99 | 48.43% | 50.22% | R+1.8 | 42.54% | 53.63% | R+11.1 | D |
| 100 | 58.43% | 40.15% | D+18.3 | 48.34% | 47.78% | D+0.6 | D |
| 101 | 46.72% | 51.54% | R+4.8 | 37.09% | 57.64% | R+20.6 | R |
| 102 | 46.17% | 51.68% | R+5.5 | 36.02% | 58.61% | R+22.6 | R |
| 103 | 63.55% | 33.96% | D+29.6 | 58.26% | 36.29% | D+22 | D |
| 104 | 63.92% | 34.66% | D+29.3 | 58.16% | 37.80% | D+20.4 | D |
| 105 | 44.96% | 53.53% | R+8.6 | 40.21% | 55.76% | R+15.5 | R |
| 106 | 54.56% | 43.55% | D+11 | 48.51% | 46.87% | D+1.6 | D |
| 107 | 53.05% | 44.89% | D+8.2 | 44.90% | 49.10% | R+4.2 | R |
| 108 | 70.55% | 27.28% | D+43.3 | 61.59% | 32.95% | D+28.6 | D |
| 109 | 65.84% | 31.84% | D+34 | 64.15% | 30.37% | D+33.8 | D |
| 110 | 58.81% | 39.29% | D+19.5 | 55.68% | 39.07% | D+16.6 | D |
| 111 | 52.50% | 45.71% | D+6.8 | 41.48% | 53.27% | R+11.8 | D |
| 112 | 48.89% | 49.13% | R+0.2 | 44.94% | 48.94% | R+4 | R |
| 113 | 52.68% | 45.50% | D+7.2 | 45.69% | 47.82% | R+2.1 | D |
| 114 | 51.63% | 46.49% | D+5.1 | 41.02% | 52.47% | R+11.4 | R |
| 115 | 61.84% | 36.53% | D+25.3 | 46.11% | 47.66% | R+1.6 | D |
| 116 | 54.55% | 43.93% | D+10.6 | 42.31% | 51.66% | R+9.4 | D |
| 117 | 45.01% | 53.43% | R+8.4 | 31.76% | 62.47% | R+30.7 | R |
| 118 | 43.83% | 54.51% | R+10.7 | 31.43% | 63.31% | R+31.9 | R |
| 119 | 51.36% | 46.95% | D+4.4 | 41.04% | 53.84% | R+12.8 | D |
| 120 | 51.15% | 46.82% | D+4.3 | 37.11% | 57.05% | R+19.9 | R |
| 121 | 49.52% | 48.41% | D+1.1 | 39.87% | 53.28% | R+13.4 | D |
| 122 | 45.53% | 52.49% | R+7 | 34.61% | 59.78% | R+25.2 | R |
| 123 | 55.57% | 42.04% | D+13.5 | 52.23% | 41.96% | D+10.3 | D |
| 124 | 46.07% | 52.15% | R+6.1 | 37.50% | 56.97% | R+19.5 | R |
| 125 | 66.01% | 31.04% | D+35 | 64.17% | 29.17% | D+35 | D |
| 126 | 52.22% | 45.79% | D+6.4 | 43.09% | 50.74% | R+7.7 | R |
| 127 | 53.56% | 44.89% | D+8.7 | 47.85% | 46.23% | D+1.6 | D |
| 128 | 67.41% | 30.84% | D+36.6 | 62.44% | 32.51% | D+29.9 | D |
| 129 | 67.56% | 30.34% | D+37.2 | 61.81% | 32.63% | D+29.2 | D |
| 130 | 46.79% | 51.25% | R+4.5 | 34.92% | 59.04% | R+24.1 | R |
| 131 | 49.38% | 48.73% | D+0.6 | 42.69% | 50.88% | R+8.2 | R |
| 132 | 43.99% | 54.12% | R+10.1 | 33.52% | 60.54% | R+27 | R |
| 133 | 44.81% | 53.27% | R+8.5 | 41.66% | 52.66% | R+11 | R |
| 134 | 46.94% | 51.52% | R+4.6 | 40.25% | 54.77% | R+14.5 | R |
| 135 | 48.95% | 49.37% | R+0.4 | 49.07% | 45.18% | D+3.9 | R |
| 136 | 65.47% | 32.54% | D+32.9 | 63.46% | 31.09% | D+32.4 | D |
| 137 | 82.06% | 16.74% | D+65.3 | 76.04% | 20.42% | D+55.6 | D |
| 138 | 63.64% | 33.69% | D+30 | 60.14% | 33.54% | D+26.6 | D |
| 139 | 39.87% | 58.03% | R+18.2 | 30.20% | 63.82% | R+33.6 | R |
| 140 | 57.07% | 40.83% | D+16.2 | 49.45% | 45.32% | D+4.1 | D |
| 141 | 90.73% | 8.28% | D+82.5 | 87.56% | 9.85% | D+77.7 | D |
| 142 | 54.21% | 43.95% | D+10.3 | 44.65% | 50.57% | R+5.9 | D |
| 143 | 53.02% | 45.22% | D+7.8 | 43.36% | 52.14% | R+8.8 | D |
| 144 | 41.30% | 56.97% | R+15.7 | 33.65% | 61.58% | R+27.9 | R |
| 145 | 51.63% | 46.76% | D+4.9 | 41.99% | 53.80% | R+11.8 | R |
| 146 | 50.81% | 47.67% | D+3.1 | 51.71% | 43.66% | D+8.1 | R |
| 147 | 40.61% | 57.59% | R+17 | 30.82% | 64.29% | R+33.5 | R |
| 148 | 39.92% | 58.13% | R+18.2 | 28.76% | 65.82% | R+37.1 | R |
| 149 | 64.10% | 33.69% | D+30.4 | 58.11% | 37.05% | D+21.1 | D |
| 150 | 45.20% | 53.09% | R+7.9 | 35.59% | 58.89% | R+23.3 | R |
| Total | 63.43% | 35.22% | D+28.2 | 59.48% | 36.81% | D+22.7 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
External links
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2018
- United States House elections in New York (2018 Democratic primaries)
- New York's 1st Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Newsday, "Progressive groups looking toward LI congressional primaries," June 10, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 27 East, "Six Democrats Campaign For Chance To Challenge U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin In November," February 20, 2018
- ↑ Twitter, "David Pechefsky for Congress on May 31"
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2016, 2012, and 2008," November 19, 2012
- ↑ Kate Browning for Congress, "WHY I'M RUNNING," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Newsday, "Kate Browning to challenge Lee Zeldin for Congress in Suffolk," October 12, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kate Browning for Congress, "Issues," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ Kate Browning for Congress, "Meet Kate," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Long Island Advance, "Who will it be? Dems to face off in primary election," June 14, 2018
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Elaine DiMasi for Congress, "Issues," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ Elaine DiMasi for Congress, "About," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Perry Gershon for Congress, "Key Issues," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ Perry Gershon for Congress, "About," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 David Pechefsky for Congress, "Issues," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ David Pechefsky for Congress, "DAVID'S BIO," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ Vivian Viloria-Fisher, "Home," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Vivian Viloria-Fisher for Congress, "STANCES," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ Vivian Viloria-Fisher for Congress, "BIOGRAPHY," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ East Hampton Star, "Dems Ready for a Fight, but Not With Each Other," May 31, 2018
- ↑ Newsday, "Tense debate among Democrats vying to face Republican Lee Zeldin," June 15, 2018
- ↑ Riverhead Local, "Democratic congressional hopefuls pitch their candidacies," February 12, 2018
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ 270towin.com, "New York," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ Democrats won Assembly District 9 in a special election on May 23, 2017. The seat was previously held by a Republican.
