New York state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018

Elections in New York, 2018

• 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.

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2018 New York State Legislature elections
General	November 6, 2018
Primary	September 13, 2018

2018 elections
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In the September 13 Democratic primaries, progressive challengers unseated six of the nine Democratic senators who helped keep Republicans in control of the chamber in recent years.

The senators facing primary challenges included eight former members of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) and state Sen. Simcha Felder (D). The IDC caucused with Republicans from 2013 to 2018 and kept them in power even though Democrats often held a numerical majority. Felder caucused with Republicans too, but he was not an IDC member.

In April, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) brokered a deal between IDC leader Jeffrey Klein and mainline Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins where the IDC was dissolved and the caucuses were reunified with Stewart-Cousins as leader and Klein as her deputy. Republicans still controlled the chamber 32-31 with the continued support of Simcha Felder.

Despite the reunification, the primary challenges went forward. The challengers focused on affordable housing policies and criticized former IDC members for having kept Republicans in power. The challengers also said the new mainline Democratic-IDC alliance would not last.

The reunification deal was meant to prohibit incumbent state senators from backing primary challenges against other incumbents. With the deal in place, Stewart-Cousins endorsed all former IDC members at the state Democratic convention in May, not their primary challengers.

However, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer (D), and NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D) endorsed some of the challengers. Their endorsements came after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D), the head of the Queens County Democratic Party, in the June 26 Democratic primary.

Below are the September 13 primaries where former IDC members lost.

• Former Andrew Cuomo staffer Alessandra Biaggi defeated former IDC leader Jeffrey Klein
• Former New York City Comptroller John Liu defeated state Sen. Tony Avella
• Former Bill de Blasio staffer Jessica Ramos defeated state Sen. Jose Peralta
• Activist Zellnor Myrie defeated state Sen. Jesse Hamilton
• Former New York City Councilman Robert Jackson defeated state Sen. Marisol Alcantara
• Syracuse University administrator Rachel May defeated state Sen. David Valesky

Simcha Felder and former IDC members Diane Savino and David Carlucci won their primaries.

A significant primary not involving the IDC-mainline Democratic conflict was Julia Salazar's defeat of state Sen. Martin Malave Dilan. Salazar, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, criticized Dilan for his positions on housing policy.

The state legislative primaries were concurrent with the Democratic gubernatorial primary where Cuomo fended off a challenge from actress Cynthia Nixon. During the primary, Nixon said Cuomo enabled the IDC because he preferred working with a Republican-controlled Senate, particularly on the state budget. Cuomo pointed to his work on the IDC reunification deal. Nixon endorsed Ramos, Salazar, and Biaggi in their primaries and supported Ocasio-Cortez before her primary win against Crowley.

For information about the Republican primary elections in New York, click here.

The candidate filing deadline was July 12, 2018.

As of September 2018, New York was one of 16 states under divided government and not one of the 32 states under a state government trifecta. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

New York Senate Democratic incumbents who faced progressive challengers
Faction	Pre-primary members	Primary defeats
Former IDC members	8	6
Non-IDC incumbents	2	1
Total	10	7

Timeline

• September 8, 2018: The New York Daily News endorsed challengers Alessandra Biaggi, Robert Jackson, and John Liu but also backed state Sen. Jose Peralta over Jessica Ramos.
• September 7, 2018: The New York Times endorsed Blake Morris in his challenge of state Sen. Simcha Felder.
• September 2, 2018: U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) endorsed Jessica Ramos, Robert Jackson, Zellnor Myrie, and Alessandra Biaggi.
• August 28, 2018: The New York Times endorsed Jessica Ramos, Zellnor Myrie, and Alessandra Biaggi.
• August 12, 2018: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed Jessica Ramos.
• August 8, 2018: New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer endorsed John Liu.
• August 8, 2018: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed Zellnor Myrie.
• July 26, 2018: U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) endorsed Jessica Ramos.
• July 13, 2018: Former New York City Comptroller John Liu announced he would challenge state Sen. Tony Avella and was endorsed by New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
• July 13, 2018: Assembly members Jo Anne Simon, Diana Richardson, Walter Mosley, and Robert C. Carroll endorsed Zellnor Myrie over state Sen. Jesse Hamilton.
• July 9, 2018: Cynthia Nixon endorsed Jessica Ramos over state Sen. Jose Peralta.
• July 9, 2018: State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D) said he would not endorse any of the former IDC members for re-election.
• June 28, 2018: New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson endorsed four of the progressive challengers: Jessica Ramos, Robert Jackson, Alessandra Biaggi, and Zellnor Myrie.
• June 26, 2018: Longtime U.S. Rep. and Queens County Democratic Party leader Joe Crowley (D) was defeated in his primary by a progressive challenger. His district overlapped with the state Senate seats held by Jeff Klein and Jose Peralta.
• May 25, 2018: Andrea Stewart-Cousins endorsed all state Senate incumbents, including the former IDC members, at the 2018 New York Democratic Convention.
• May 21, 2018: The Queens County Democratic Party endorsed former IDC state Sen. Jose Peralta.
• May 14, 2018: U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler endorsed Robert Jackson in his challenge of state Sen. Marisol Alcantara.
• April 24, 2018: State Sen. Simcha Felder (D) announced that he would continue caucusing with the Republican Party regardless of the outcomes of special elections that would determine which party would have more seats in the chamber. His announcement ensured that Republicans would remain in control of the state Senate until the 2018 elections.
• April 4, 2018: The eight members of the IDC rejoined the mainline Democratic caucus with Andrea Stewart-Cousins as caucus leader and Jeff Klein as deputy leader. Sen. Simcha Felder indicated that he would continue caucusing with Republicans but would be open to joining the Democrats. All seven primary challengers to the former IDC members said they planned on still running against them in the primaries.
• April 3, 2018: New York Democratic Party Executive Director Geoff Berman said the state party would oppose any Democrat who tried to block reunification with the IDC.
• April 2, 2018: The United Firefighters Association endorsed IDC member state Sen. Jose Peralta in his primary against Jessica Ramos.
• March 30, 2018: The New York Legislature passed its FY2019 budget. Simcha Felder held up the deal before it passed as he pushed for changes to curriculum oversight for yeshivas and other religious schools. A compromise provision passed in lieu of Felder's original proposal.
• March 29, 2018: New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer endorsed Jessica Ramos and Robert Jackson in their respective primary challenges of IDC members Jose Peralta and Marisol Alcantara.
• March 27, 2018: New York City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer endorsed Jessica Ramos in her challenge of IDC member Jose Peralta.
• March 20, 2018: New York City Councilman Costa Constantinides endorsed Jessica Ramos in her challenge of IDC member Jose Peralta.
• March 2, 2018: The Working Families Party endorsed seven challengers to members of the IDC, excluding David Carlucci in District 38.
• January 10, 2018: IDC Leader Jeff Klein was accused of sexual misconduct by a former staffer in a Huffington Post article.
• November 27, 2017: IDC Leader Jeff Klein and mainline Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins accepted a proposed deal by the New York Democratic Party to reunify their caucuses. The state party said IDC members could face primary challengers and Stewart-Cousins could lose her leadership position if reunification was not seriously considered.
• October 1, 2017: Byron Brown, the state Democratic Committee chairman and Buffalo mayor, released a letter calling for the mainline Democrats and the IDC to reunify.

Control of the chamber in 2018

IDC and Mainline Democratic reunification

Prior to April 2018, factions in the New York State Senate included the mainline Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and an offshoot of the Democratic Party called the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC). Republicans controlled the chamber from 2012 to 2018 through an alliance with the IDC and Democrat Simcha Felder. In April 2018, the eight members of the IDC rejoined the mainline Democratic conference, but Felder stayed with the Republicans, giving them an effective 32-31 majority in the chamber.

In the September 13 Democratic primaries, progressive primary challengers defeated former IDC leader Jeff Klein and former IDC members Tony Avella, Jose Peralta, Jesse Hamilton, Marisol Alcantara, and David Valesky. Felder and former IDC members Diane Savino and David Carlucci won their primaries. Read more here.

Click here to see more about what happened with the IDC in late 2017 and early 2018

Klein In late 2017, Buffalo Mayor and New York Democratic Party Chairman Byron Brown began applying pressure to IDC leader Jeff Klein and mainline Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to reunify their caucuses. If the two sides could not work together in the state Senate, the state party said it would run primary challengers against IDC members and possibly change up the leadership among the mainline Democrats. If they could, however, Klein and Stewart-Cousins were to hold co-leadership positions in a chamber controlled by a Democratic majority for the first time since 2010. Moreover, the IDC and the mainline Democrats would be able to approve the other side's deputies. According to the New York Times, this was important because Klein had a feud with state Sen. Michael Gianaris, who served as Stewart-Cousins' deputy and was an IDC critic. Stewart-Cousins Both Klein and Stewart-Cousins responded positively to the proposal and suggested that they were willing to work together in the 2018 legislative session. Stewart-Cousins told the New York Daily News that the proposed alliance depended on the outcome of special elections in 2018 where Democrats would need to replace two of their members--Ruben Diaz (D) and George Latimer (D)-- who resigned to take local elected positions in order to maintain a 32-31 numerical majority in the chamber. The special elections were scheduled for April 24, 2018. With the seats held by Latimer and Diaz vacant, Republicans held a 31-30 numerical majority in the chamber. She said that Democrats would also have to convince Simcha Felder (D) to end his alliance with Republicans and begin caucusing with Democrats. She said that if she was not the majority leader by the end of the 2018 legislative session, then the mainline Democrats and potentially the state party might back primary challenges against the IDC members. Felder Stewart-Cousins dismissed concerns that the Democrats would not be able to take control of the chamber from Republicans in the middle of the session due to a rule requiring 38 members to change leadership during a session. She said, “I think we will be in a position as the majority to make the rules." She also said she was not worried about a potential court challenge to a leadership change by Senate Republicans. In December 2017, Sen. Felder chose to remain with the Republicans until the state budget was passed (the deadline was at the end of March 2018), meaning Republicans would retain control of the chamber until at least mid-2018. Felder previously said that he would align with the party that focused on his legislative priorities, including securing funding for yeshivas and placing armed guards in New York City schools. On April 4, 2018, Klein and Stewart-Cousins agreed to reunify immediately in a new agreement proposed by Gov. Cuomo. The agreement was reached at a closed-door meeting at a Manhattan steakhouse on April 3, with leaders of the state's labor unions and U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (R) both present. The agreement dissolved the IDC to dissolve and put Stewart-Cousins in charge of the Democratic conference, with Klein as her deputy. It was set to go forward regardless of whether Felder began caucusing with Democrats or if Democrats won the April 24 special elections. Following the reunification, Felder said he would continue caucusing with Republicans (giving them a one-seat majority even if Democrats won the April 24 special elections), but that he was still open to joining the new Democratic caucus. He said, “I don’t feel obligated to remain with the Republicans, or obligated to join the Democrats. I’m loyal to God, my wife and my constituents, and New Yorkers.” He also said, “I think it’s fair to say that I would have to feel a compelling reason to leave [the Republican caucus]." Felder later told City and State New York, "As someone with no allegiance to either party, I’d have to be an idiot to do anything now. How do my constituents gain? There’s an election coming up in a few weeks. So, either the Republicans win and I’m 33 and it certainly doesn’t make sense for me to move at that time. Or the Democrats win both seats and we’re back to the horse trading!" As of April 5, the seven IDC primary challengers still planned on running against the former IDC members in September. Jessica Ramos, who planned to challenge state Sen. Jose Peralta (D), said that she did not trust that the reunification would last. Alexandra Biaggi, who planned to challenge Klein, said that just because the IDC dissolved, it does not "[undo] the seven years of damage that has already occurred in New York state." Gov Cuomo said that the reunification deal prohibited incumbent state senators from backing primary challenges against other incumbents. On April 9, Klein held a fundraiser for members of the IDC to help them defend themselves against primary challengers. The funds went to the Senate Independence Campaign Committee, the fundraising arm of the former IDC members. The IDC was officially dissolved on April 16, 2018, when the state Senate convened in session. Four IDC members who held committee chairs under Republican leadership--Marisol Alcantara (Labor), David Carlucci (Consumer Protection), Jesse Hamilton (Banks), and Tony Avella (Children and Families)--were stripped of their posts. On April 24, the same day the special elections for the Latimer and Diaz seats were scheduled, Felder announced that he would remain in the Republican caucus regardless of the outcome. “I believe it is my obligation to prevent an unprecedented and uncertain late-session political battle that will only hurt my constituents and New Yorkers,” he said. “Political gamesmanship must not be allowed to jeopardize the leadership, committee structure and staff of the New York State Senate and push this institution into turmoil.” Democrats won both special elections on April 24, giving them a 32-31 numerical majority with Republicans still in control of the chamber through their alliance with Felder. In early May 2018, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and nine labor union leaders wrote a letter to state Senate Democratic leadership urging them to not support primary challenges against former IDC members. A spokesman for the Senate leadership said, "it has been clear for months that we are not supporting the primary opponents of our conference members." At the May 2018 New York Democratic Convention, Stewart-Cousins announced that she was endorsing all state Senate incumbents, including the former IDC members. On May 19, the Albany Times-Union reported that 39 IDC staffers lost their positions following the dissolution of the caucus. Of the 77 staffers who kept their jobs, 30 saw pay reductions.

Background

Click here to read more background on the conflict between the IDC and mainline Democrats

In 2008, Democrats took control of the New York State Senate for the first time since the 1964 elections with a 32-30 majority. They also took trifecta control of New York for the first time since the New Deal era. Democrats lost control of the Senate in the summer of 2018 due to defections in their caucus but later regained control when the defecting members returned to them. Republicans won a 32-30 majority in the 2010 elections and Andrew Cuomo (D) won the governorship. The Independent Democratic Caucus (IDC), a group of state Senate Democrats led by state Sen. Jeffrey Klein, broke away from the chamber's mainline Democrats the same week that Cuomo took office in early 2011. Prior to his departure from the mainline Democrats, Klein had been the second-ranking Democrat in the chamber. Following the 2012 elections, where Democrats regained a numerical majority in the chamber, the IDC entered into a power-sharing agreement with Senate Republicans where Klein and Republican leader Dean Skelos alternated as Senate president. Newly-elected Democrat Simcha Felder (D) began caucusing with the Republicans as well, although he was not part of the IDC. As part of the deal, Republican and IDC leaders were to have joint authority over bills, committee assignments, and budget negotiations. Klein also said that Republicans committed to allowing some Democratic priorities to receive a vote on the floor. After the alliance was announced, Gov. Cuomo did not call for Democratic control of the Senate, with his office saying, "The governor will withhold judgment until he sees how the Senate functions and acts on critical issues facing the state." Progressives argued that the IDC-Republican alliance in the Senate prevented the state from passing healthcare, housing, and immigration policies opposed by Republican senators. Progressives also accused Gov. Cuomo of enabling the alliance in order to suit his own policy goals and political ambitions, including a possible presidential run in 2020. In 2014, Klein announced that the IDC would rejoin with mainline Democrats in January 2015, citing the Republican-controlled Senate's inability to pass on the DREAM Act, increase the state's minimum wage, or allow for the public financing of elections. Gov. Cuomo, who was under pressure from the Working Families Party according to the New York Daily News, had called for the IDC to realign with the mainline Democrats and said he would campaign against them if they did not. Cuomo and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio both issued statements in support of the IDC realignment. Republicans ended up winning an outright majority in the 2014 elections, and Klein maintained the alliance that kept them as part of the majority. He said, “I think the Independent Democratic Conference is an important, stabilizing force in the State Senate.” Democrats won a 32-31 numerical majority in the 2016 elections, but the IDC and Felder again chose to align with Republicans, giving them effective control of the chamber. They now partnered with Republican leader John Flanagan. Skelos stepped down in May 2015 following his arrest on federal corruption charges. The IDC-Republican power-sharing agreement again looked tenuous in November 2017, as more state and national figures began calling for the IDC members to rejoin the mainline Democrats. In May 2017, Felder wrote a letter to Klein where he called for the IDC to return to the mainline Democratic caucus. He said he would possibly rejoin the mainline Democrats if the IDC did. The IDC criticized Felder's alliance with the Republicans in response. Mainline Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and DNC Deputy Chairman and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) also called for the IDC to return to the Democratic caucus.

Factional conflict

The major conflict in the 2018 primaries was between members of the IDC and mainline Democrats. In this section, we collected statements by IDC members, mainline Democrats, and their respective allies that describe how each faction saw itself and how they viewed the opposition.

Anti-IDC activists

Inside the mainline Democratic coalition, there was a faction of activist, including groups like NO IDC NY and the Working Families Party, leading the opposition and primary challenges against IDC members.

• Gus Christensen, chief strategist of NO IDC NY: “After 2010, we started to elect democratic majorities in New York’s State Senate. But money interests, such as real estate, wanted to maintain Republican control over one of the critical levers of power in New York...We have people elected as Democrats, and for the sake of money and power, have chosen to support Republican leadership of that chamber...If [IDC member Marisol Alcantara] was here tonight, she would say, ‘I’m a real liberal. I’m progressive. I was a Bernie delegate. I support single-payer.’ — but through IDC, Marisol enables Republicans to block progressive legislation.”

• Sami Koblah Disu, NO IDC NY activist: "Although IDC members co-sponsor a lot of progressive bills, it’s all a bunch of hogwash. Last year they supported the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (legislation in bringing billions of dollars owed to NYC public schools), but when it was time to engage in a committee vote and get it onto the Senate’s floor, all IDC members were somehow absent.”

IDC

• State Sen. Jeff Klein, founder of the IDC: "These fringe [anti-IDC] groups have repudiated efforts by the state Democrats, Senate Democrats and the governor to go into the November elections with a unified party. If there is anyone who is responsible for the failure of the Democratic Party in November, it will be them. Their divisive, empty platform is largely responsible for Donald Trump’s election in the first place.”

Media coverage

The section contains selections from media coverage of the IDC vs. mainline Democratic conflict.

• Politico (June 27, 2018): "[Incumbent Joe Crowley's (D) defeat by progressive Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] might just breathe some new life into the campaigns of Nixon, who has trailed Cuomo badly in recent polls, and candidates hoping to oust the former members of IDC. The IDC challengers all gained significant attention several months ago but have mostly faded into the background since the breakaway conference ended its relationship with Republicans in April. There was little reason to think that the results would be much different than they were in 2014, when a never-materialized deal to reunite the Senate’s two Democratic conferences eroded support for the IDC challengers, and all of the incumbents cruised to victory.

But Crowley's Bronx and Queens district heavily overlaps with the Bronx district held by state Sen. Jeff Klein and state Sen. Jose Peralta’s Queens district. Both of these former IDC members are being challenged by young women running to their left, Alessandra Biaggi and Jessica Ramos."

• City and State NY (April 2, 2018): It remains to be seen whether [Cythnia] Nixon’s campaign will seriously threaten Cuomo, but there’s also the possibility that by boosting turnout from more left-leaning voters her campaign helps the candidates running against Independent Democratic Conference members in the state Senate. Depending on who you ask, Nixon either won’t have much of an impact on races that depend on the dynamics of individual districts, or she’ll be a perfect way to introduce voters to state Senate politics and the chance to upend it...Studies of the “coattail effect” have shown that a candidate at the top of a party’s ticket can affect its performance in down-ballot races in statewide general elections, but there’s less established literature on it for primary campaigns. Steven Greenberg, a communications consultant and pollster who has worked on statewide and local campaigns, told City & State that the IDC challengers would not necessarily pick up the votes of Nixon voters, due to every candidate being a member of the same party."

• New York Times (March 28, 2018): "For their part, the members of the I.D.C. say they have pulled the Senate Republicans to the left and have helped pass progressive legislation, from a $15 minimum wage to raising the age of criminal responsibility. Mainline Democrats say that the I.D.C.’s real motive is power and the perks that come with it — committee chairmanships, larger offices and lucrative stipends. They say that Mr. Klein, through his coalition with Republicans, also has tremendous say over which bills reach the floor for a vote. Democratic activists argue that many more pieces of progressive legislation would have become law, had the mainstream Democrats controlled the Senate."

Post-reunification responses

This section contains responses by key political actors in the aftermath of the April 2018 reunification of the Democratic caucus:

• State Sen. Jeff Klein, founder of the IDC: “I still believe that seven years ago when we created the Independent Democratic Conference there was a strong need for it. The Senate was dysfunctional, couldn’t get anything done. We, I think, proved that government could work in a bipartisan fashion.”

“Clearly the election of Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress changed the dynamic. We now spend most of our time battling federal policies and their impact on New Yorkers.”

• Gov. Andrew Cuomo: What we’re saying here today is we have a common enemy. And the common enemy is defeating Trump and Ryan and McConnell and defeating their agenda and taking over the New York state Senate so we can protect the state the way it needs to be protected.”

• Cynthia Nixon, primary challenger to Gov. Cuomo: "Today’s announcement on the IDC deal shows the power of our movement. Power concedes nothing without a demand. We demanded — and now a terrified establishment is throwing voters a bone."

Nixon on Cuomo's involvement in reunification: "If you’ve set your own house on fire and watched it burn for eight years, finally turning on a hose doesn’t make you a hero.”

• Letter from primary challengers to IDC members: "While we all support a unified, progressive Democratic majority in the State Senate under the leadership of Andrea Stewart-Cousins, your claims of unity cannot undo the damage that you have done by blocking a single Democratic State Senator in the room to advocate for common-sense progressive priorities. You failed to represent Democratic priorities at the negotiating table, and no Albany deal should or will prevent a competitive, healthy primary in which New Yorkers strongly consider your allegiance with the Republicans. New Yorkers will not be fooled into believing you are 'Democrats' when it is politically convenient for you."

• Sean McElwee, NO IDC NY activist: "Grassroots groups are not gonna let up the pressure particularly when a lot of these candidates are getting momentum. Spending 2, 4 or 6 of the last 8 years caucusing with Republicans ― the Democratic base isn’t gonna forget that in a second because you had a steak dinner with Andrew Cuomo.”

• Simcha Fedler: “I don’t feel obligated to remain with the Republicans, or obligated to join the Democrats. I’m loyal to God, my wife and my constituents, and New Yorkers...I think it’s fair to say that I would have to feel a compelling reason to leave [the Republican caucus]."

"As someone with no allegiance to either party, I’d have to be an idiot to do anything now. How do my constituents gain? There’s an election coming up in a few weeks. So, either the Republicans win and I’m 33 and it certainly doesn’t make sense for me to move at that time. Or the Democrats win both seats and we’re back to the horse trading!"

• Senate Republican Spokesman Scott Reif: “Let’s be honest — the only reason that any of this is happening now is because Andrew Cuomo is scared to death of Cynthia Nixon.”

Battleground races

New York State Legislature: Democratic primaries Battleground races
Senate seats
Senate District 11
Senate District 13
Senate District 17
Senate District 18
Senate District 20
Senate District 23
Senate District 31
Senate District 34
Senate District 38
Senate District 53

Ballotpedia identified ten battleground races in the 2018 New York State Senate Democratic primary elections.

New York Senate Democratic incumbents who faced progressive challengers
Faction	Pre-primary members	Primary defeats
Former IDC members	8	6
Non-IDC incumbents	2	1
Total	10	7

Senate primary battlegrounds

Senate District 11

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Queens-based District 11 Incumbent Tony Avella joined the IDC in 2014. Although the Working Families Party initially endorsed John Duane (who later withdrew) in the race, former New York City Comptroller John Liu announced he would challenge Avella in July 2018. Liu previously challenged Avella in 2014 and lost by less than 1,000 votes. Avella endorsements Queens County Democratic Party Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Bertha Lewis Liu endorsements The New York Daily News New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer New York City Councilman Paul Vallone Communications Workers of America

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 11

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Liu	52.3	12,578
		Tony Avella	47.7	11,489

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 24,067 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Senate District 13

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Queens-based District 13 incumbent Jose Peralta joined the IDC in 2017. He faced a challenge in the Democratic primary from Jessica Ramos, a former staffer for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Activist Andrea Marra announced a challenge against Peralta as well. In January 2018, U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D), the head of the Queens County Democratic Party, said he agreed to give Peralta the support of his political organization if he rejoined the mainline Democrats by April 24. After Peralta rejoined, the Queens County Democrats endorsed him. The candidates debated on June 21. See full coverage here. The candidates were both interviewed on the Max & Murphy show on WBAI on August 29. Read more here. Peralta endorsements The New York Daily News Bertha Lewis Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Queens County Democratic Party United Firefighters Association IBEW Local 3 UNITEHERE! Local 100 Democratic Association of the 21st Century, Frederick Douglass Club, and the Pan-American Club Ramos endorsements U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) The New York Times Cynthia Nixon, 2018 gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas New York City Councilmen Costa Constantinides and Jimmy Van Brame United Auto Workers Union Region 9A Communications Workers of America Tenants PAC Make the Road Action Our Revolution The People for Bernie Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club Himalayan Democratic Club The New York Amsterdam News People For the American Way

"Re-Elect Senator Jose Peralta for State Senate," released June 18, 2018

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 13

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jessica Ramos	54.8	12,550
		Jose Peralta	45.2	10,362

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,912 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Senate District 17

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Brooklyn-based District 17 incumbent Simcha Felder began caucusing with Republicans after he was first elected in 2012, but he did not join the IDC. Felder ran as a Democrat in a heavily Orthodox Jewish area of Brooklyn that voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton by 8 points in 2016. Policy areas where he aligned with Republican included opposition to New York City's tax on grocery bags and support for an education tax credit that provided subsidies for his constituents who attended yeshivas. The 2018 New York Democratic Convention passed resolution that symbolically ousted Felder from the party. Blake Morris announced he would challenge Felder in March 2018. Morris said that Felder was key to Republican control of the state Senate and added, "Take out Felder, and you take out the eight IDC members.” Morris gave this interview to City & State New York on April 5. Morris endorsements The New York Times

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 17

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Simcha Felder	65.5	15,589
		Blake Morris	34.5	8,200

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,789
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Senate District 18

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Brooklyn-based state Sen. Martin Malave Dilan, who was not a member of the IDC, faced a challenge from Julia Salazar, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Salazar said she was challenging Dilan because he was part of “the political machine in North Brooklyn” and for not being supportive enough of rent control for New York City rentals. In response to her criticisms about his position on housing policy, Dilan said, "“This is a decades’-old misinformation campaign to feed a long-standing political grudge. To claim that one man is at fault for the affordable-housing crisis is absurd.” Salazar endorsements Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Cynthia Nixon U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez New York City Councilman Antonio Reynoso The Jewish Vote New York State Immigration Action Fund

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 18

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julia Salazar	58.9	21,419
		Martin Malave Dilan	41.1	14,974

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,393
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Senate District 20

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Brooklyn-based District 20 incumbent Jesse Hamilton joined the IDC in 2016. Attorney Zellnor Myrie challenged him in his primary. The candidates met in a debate on August 30. Watch it here and here. Hamilton endorsements Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Vanguard Independent Democratic Association Bertha Lewis Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams Myrie endorsements U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) The New York Times New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson Assembly members Jo Anne Simon, Diana Richardson, Walter Mosley, and Robert Carroll New York City Council members Brad Lander, Carlos Menchaca, and Antonio Reynoso Communications Workers of America Independent Neighborhood Democrats The New York Amsterdam News People For the American Way

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 20

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Zellnor Myrie	54.0	23,784
		Jesse Hamilton	46.0	20,266

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 44,050
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Senate District 23

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Brooklyn- and Staten Island-based District 23 incumbent Diane Savino joined the IDC in 2011. In May 2018, Jasmine Robinson announced she would challenge Savino. Savino endorsements Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Robinson endorsements People For the American Way

"Jasi Robinson: The Real Choice," released September 8, 2018

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 23

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Diane Savino	67.5	13,270
		Jasmine Robinson	20.4	4,015
	Submit photo	Brandon Stradford	12.0	2,363

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 19,648
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Senate District 31

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

West-side Manhattan-based District 31 incumbent Marisol Alcantara joined the IDC in 2016. Former New York City Councilman Robert Jackson announced his bid to unseat Alcantara in November 2017. Jackson ran unsuccessfully for District 31 in 2014 and 2016. He was defeated in the primary election in both years. Alcantara endorsements U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat Bertha Lewis Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins 1199 SEIU DC 37 New York State Nurses Association New York State Immigration Action Fund Jackson endorsements U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) The New York Daily News New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler Former Mayor David Dinkins Former U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel Daily Kos

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 31

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert Jackson	56.2	29,140
		Marisol Alcantara	38.3	19,885
	Submit photo	Tirso Santiago Pina	4.0	2,076
	Submit photo	Thomas Leon	1.5	778

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 51,879
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Senate District 34

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Bronx-District 34 incumbent Jeffrey Klein created the IDC in 2011 and remained its leader into the 2018 legislative session. After Klein was accused of sexual misconduct in January 2018, Alessandra Biaggi, a former attorney in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration, filed to run against him in the primary. According to the New York Daily News, Biaggi previously met with state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D), a mainline Democrat in charge of the group's campaign organization, about challenging Klein. Klein spent about $3 million, while Biaggi spent $200,000. The candidates met in a debate on August 29. Watch it here and here. Biaggi endorsements U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) The New York Times The New York Daily News Cynthia Nixon, 2018 gubernatorial candidate New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer Former U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel Former Assemblyman and councilman G. Oliver Koppell 32BJ SEIU Communications Workers of America Daily Kos The Jewish Vote People For the American Way Klein endorsements Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Bronx borough president Rubén Díaz 1199 SEIU Teamsters Local 831

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 34

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alessandra Biaggi	54.3	19,318
		Jeffrey Klein	45.7	16,290

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 35,608
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Senate District 38

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Based just north of New York City, District 38 incumbent David Carlucci joined the IDC in 2011. On May 31, Julie Goldberg announced she would challenge Carlucci in his primary. Carlucci endorsements Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Goldberg endorsements Indivisible Westchester

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 38

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Carlucci	53.9	13,066
		Julie Goldberg	46.1	11,174

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 24,240
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Senate District 53

Did the incumbent file to run for re-election?

Yes

What made this a battleground race?

Syracuse-based District 53 incumbent David Valesky joined the IDC in 2011. Rachel May, a Syracuse University administrator, challenged him. The candidates debated on WRVO Sept. 1. Read more here. Valesky endorsements Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins Syracuse-Onondaga NAACP President Linda Brown-Robinson Greater New York Hospital Association May endorsements Attorney General candidate Zephyr Teachout Lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Jumaane Williams Indivisible NY-24 Our Revolution Citizen Action of New York VoteProChoice Equality New York PAC New York Progressive Action Network Uplift Syracuse Voices of Women CNY

"I Support Dave Valesky: "Because I'm a Good Democrat"," released August 23, 2018

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New York State Senate District 53

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rachel May	51.8	8,553
		David Valesky	48.2	7,943

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,496
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign activity

September 2 fundraising

On September 2, the candidates reported their final campaign finance figures prior to the primary. Ballotpedia includes each candidates' cash on hand and the amount they raised and spent since the last filing deadline in mid-August.

District 11

• State Sen. Tony Avella
  • Cash on hand: $104,298.14
  • Raised (August-September): $94,037.00
  • Spent (August-September): $111,692.50

• John Liu
  • Cash on hand: $148,165.92
  • Raised (August-September): $53,354.73
  • Spent (August-September): $94,966.03

District 13

• State Sen. Jose Peralta
  • Cash on hand: $101,114.35
  • Raised (August-September): $102,100.01
  • Spent (August-September): $112,585.35

• Jessica Ramos
  • Cash on hand: $108,065.29
  • Raised (August-September): $36,892.36
  • Spent (August-September): $31,647.12

District 17

• State Sen. Simcha Felder
  • Cash on hand: $606,944.36
  • Raised (August-September): $6,620.00
  • Spent (August-September): $12,719.07

• Blake Morris
  • Cash on hand: $27,664.91
  • Raised (August-September): $29,105.21
  • Spent (August-September): $18,574.81

District 18

• State Sen. Martin Milave Dilan
  • Cash on hand: $110,754.16
  • Raised (August-September): $72,820.50
  • Spent (August-September): $63,105.38

• Julia Salazar
  • Cash on hand: $72,235.91
  • Raised (August-September): $42,938.15
  • Spent (August-September): $63,535.65

District 20

• State Sen. Jesse Hamilton
  • Cash on hand: $42,782.14
  • Raised (August-September): $63,741.00
  • Spent (August-September): $156,342.41

• Zellnor Myrie
  • Cash on hand: $85,640.12
  • Raised (August-September): $47,215.46
  • Spent (August-September): $106,640.42

District 23

• State Sen. Diane Savino
  • Cash on hand: $141,777.90
  • Raised (August-September): $27,195.00
  • Spent (August-September): $93,762.78

• Jasmine Robinson: N/A

District 31

• State Sen. Marisol Alcantara
  • Cash on hand: $60,592.58
  • Raised (August-September): $171,889.50
  • Spent (August-September): $147,802.97

• Robert Jackson
  • Cash on hand: $111,384.60
  • Raised (August-September): $43,328.95
  • Spent (August-September): $84,100.06

District 34

• State Sen. Jeff Klein
  • Cash on hand: $957,827.45
  • Raised (August-September): $138,044.79
  • Spent (August-September): $836,172.64

• Alessandra Biaggi
  • Cash on hand: $263,113.17
  • Raised (August-September): $75,643.80
  • Spent (August-September): $87,629.37

District 38

• State Sen. David Carlucci
  • Cash on hand: $305,299.72
  • Raised (August-September): $33,717.99
  • Spent (August-September): $95,664.11

• Julie Goldberg
  • Cash on hand: $12,669.57
  • Raised (August-September): $16,886.00
  • Spent (August-September): $20,717.80

District 53

• State Sen. David Valesky
  • Cash on hand: $396,581.60
  • Raised (August-September): $46,714.00
  • Spent (August-September): $286,118.87

• Rachel May
  • Cash on hand: $40,677.88
  • Raised (August-September): $9,590.98
  • Spent (August-September): $35,847.32

July 13 fundraising

On July 13, the candidates reported how much they raised from January 2018 through July 2018 and their cash on hand. The former IDC members received some of their funds from the Senate Independence Campaign Committee account (SICC) they jointly managed with the Independence Party.

District 11

• State Sen. Tony Avella
  • Raised: $147,000 ($68,000 from SICC)
  • Cash on hand: $170,000

• John Liu
  • Raised: N/A
  • Cash on hand: $3,000

District 13

• State Sen. Jose Peralta:
  • Raised: $322,000 ($113,500 from SICC)
  • Cash on hand: $182,000

• Jessica Ramos
  • Raised: $171,000
  • Cash on hand: $99,000

District 17

• State Sen. Simcha Felder
  • Raised: $430,000
  • Cash on hand: $637,000

• Blake Morris
  • Raised: $41,000
  • Cash on hand: $10,000

District 18

• State Sen. Martin Milave Dilan
  • Raised: $52,805.00
  • Cash on hand: $76,244.74

• Julia Salazar
  • Raised: $118,417.02
  • Cash on hand: $66,174.60

District 20

• State Sen. Jesse Hamilton
  • Raised: $295,000 ($109,700 from SICC)
  • Cash on hand: $212,000

• Zellnor Myrie
  • Raised: $163,000
  • Cash on hand: $156,000

District 23

• State Sen. Diane Savino
  • Raised: $451,000
  • Cash on hand: $259,000

• Jasmine Robinson
  • Raised: $6,034.54
  • Cash on hand: $4,442.23

District 31

• State Sen. Marisol Alcantara
  • Raised: $116,000 ($66,000 from SICC)
  • Cash on hand: $132,000

• Robert Jackson
  • Raised: $156,000
  • Cash on hand: $157,000

District 34

• State Sen. Jeff Klein
  • Raised: $740,000 ($200,000 from SICC)
  • Cash on hand: $2.1 million

• Alessandra Biaggi
  • Raised: $313,959.14
  • Cash on hand: $214,417.94

District 38

• State Sen. David Carlucci
  • Raised: $114,000 ($26,000 from SICC)
  • Cash on hand: $440,000

• Julie Goldberg
  • Raised: $16,594.52
  • Cash on hand: $12,422.86

District 53

• State Sen. David Valesky
  • Raised: $126,000 ($36,000 from SICC)
  • Cash on hand: $665,000

• Rachel May
  • Raised: $84,000
  • Cash on hand: $81,000

Anti-IDC groups

Ballotpedia identified the following progressive groups supporting the challengers to the former IDC members as a whole:

• The Working Families Party
• No IDC NY
• TrueBlue NY
• Empire State Indivisible
• The Arena

No IDC NY campaign videos

"Tube Man Peralta," released August 27, 2018

"Tube Man Klein," released August 27, 2018

"Tube Man Hamilton," released August 27, 2018

"Tube Woman Peralta," released August 27, 2018

Possible DLCC opposition to IDC

On November 27, 2017, the New York Daily News reported that the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) was considering supporting primary challenges to Democratic members of the IDC if they did not re-align with the mainline Democratic caucus. Jessica Post of the DLCC said, "Our mission at the DLCC is to elect more Democrats in order to gain control of legislatures and advance Democratic values. Right now in the New York Senate the IDC is standing in the way of these goals. We hope that these rogue members return to the mainline but until they do, all options are on the table for returning this chamber to its rightful Democratic majority.”

In response, IDC member Diane Savino said "with [the DLCC's] track record, it will not only guarantee that Republicans maintain their majority, but they will grow it. We are about electing Democrats. If they want to be helpful, they can work with us."

In June 2017, DNC Deputy Chairman and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) said that the IDC members could face primary challenges if they did not re-align with the mainline Democrats.

Noteworthy events

Joe Crowley (D) defeated in primary

On June 26, 2018, U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley (D), who was the head of the Queens Democratic Party, was defeated in his primary by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a first-time office seeker who ran to his left.

After his defeat, Gus Christensen, the chief strategist for NO IDC NY, wrote the following to Ballotpedia:

“

We think that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's upset of Joe Crowley was only stunning to an establishment that hasn't been paying attention to the grassroots. Rank and file Democrats are beyond frustrated with a corporatist Democratic establishment that protests Trump loudly in public but doesn't fight nearly hard enough in the legislative and electoral trenches to win and pass the legislation that progressives want. The protection of the IDC by the NYS Democratic establishment is a perfect example of that, and this should serve as a klaxon alarm bell to the world that people like former [IDC members] Jeff Klein and Jose Peralta, both of whose districts overlap with Crowley's, that their days are numbered.

”

On June 28, New York City Speaker Corey Johnson endorsed four progressive challengers to IDC members: Jessica Ramos (challenging Peralta), Robert Jackson (challenging Alcantara), Alessandra Biaggi (challenging Klein), and Zellnor Myrie (challenging Hamilton). Johnson said the endorsements were not related to Crowley's defeat. Crowley had backed Johnson as speaker when he ran for the position in early 2018.

According to the New York Post, Johnson's endorsements violated the truce that Gov. Cuomo negotiated with IDC members, which was that other Democrats would not oppose them if they reunified with the mainline caucus.

Political consultant George Arzt said, “The Ocasio election was a bombshell to the Democratic Party and everyone is now keenly aware of shifting political attitudes in their districts. So there’s going to be a more progressive approach. You’ll have a lot more anti-IDC.”

The IDC challengers reported unusually high fundraising numbers following Ocasio-Cortez's win. Read more from Politico here.

Legal dispute over IDC fundraising account

On July 20, 2018, Chief Enforcement Counsel Risa Sugarman of New York's Division of Election Law Enforcement sent a letter asking IDC members to return $1.4 million in contributions from a $2.5 million account called the Senate Independence Campaign Committee (SICC). The money in the account was jointly raised by the IDC and the Independence Party. The state Supreme Court ruled in June that the contributions to the account were illegal because the IDC was not an official political party, which was required because the account allowed for larger donations and unlimited transfers.

An attorney for the IDC argued that Sugarman's request went beyond the court ruling. IDC spokeswoman Barbara Brancaccio said Sugarman was "unwilling to abide by the decision of the court and the counsel to the committee will be asking the court to sanction her if she persists in distorting the judgment of the court. Her release of this letter to the press in the middle of a heated political campaign is an abuse of her powers."

On August 9, the New York State Board of Elections voted 3-to-1 to limit Sugarman's powers, ordering her to seek permission from them before issuing subpoena for campaign finance violations.

Sugarman said the decision was politically motivated and would interfere with her job. The commissioners who voted to limit Sugarman said she was secretative and pursued cases in order to generate media attention.They also said she failed at other aspects of her job, such as sanctioning campaign committees that did not file their reports by deadlines.

At a August 9 rally outside New York City Hall, Jessica Ramos and Alessandra Biaggi called for the former IDC members to return the money.

Ramos said they should "return the money that they took — the dirty money that they took, the illegal money that they took!”

Biaggi said, “They cooked up this scheme to use the corrupt Independence Party to get even more special interest money … They should follow the law and return the money.”

On August 16, the deadline that Sugarman set for the former IDC members to return the $1.4 million in contributions passed. None of the members returned the money.

The last filing prior to the primaries showed that IDC members had received $345,000 from the account in the final days of the campaign with $125,000 going to Alcantara and $100,000 going to Klein.

Tom Croci's (R) departure

After Simcha Felder said he would maintain his alliance with Republicans, giving the GOP a one-seat edge despite Democrats having a 32-31 majority, state Sen. Tom Croci (R) announced in May 2018 that he was leaving the Senate after being recalled to active duty in the United States Navy. This gave each party 31 members in the chamber. Although Republicans maintained control of the Senate floor until the 2018 legislative session ended on June 20, Democrats were able to vote against Republican priorities en masse and defeat bills on the Senate floor for the first time since 2014.

Jeff Klein accused of sexual misconduct

On January 10, 2018, the Huffington Post published an allegation from former Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) staffer Erica Vladimer that IDC leader state Sen. Jeffrey Klein (D) had forcibly kissed her outside a bar in March 2015. State Sen. Diane Savino (D), another IDC member who was dating Klein at the time, was also present. Klein and Savino held a conference call on January 10 where they denied that the incident happened. Klein's lawyer, Michael Zweig, said the following: "...it simply defies credibility and reason to suggest that Sen. Klein would have, in full view of both his longtime girlfriend, numerous staff members, and in the middle of a very visible and public street, assault Ms. Vladimir, as her allegation inaccurately suggest."

After the allegations came out, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and Democratic leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins called for an investigation into the allegations. Klein said he would cooperate with any investigation and wrote a letter to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics requesting that they look into the claims. Senate Leader John Flanagan said that the Senate would not investigate the matter. He said that was because the complaint was not formally made and it fell outside the Senate's jurisdiction.

The Working Families Party, which opposes the IDC, called on Klein to be removed his leadership position after the allegations went public and Klein responded, saying, "We believe Senator Klein’s response attempting to discredit the former employee who accused him was unacceptable."

Democratic activist and IDC supporter Bertha Lewis said, "It is clear that some groups are more concerned with taking down the IDC than addressing real concerns about abuse by men in power. Let truth, not politics or agenda, rule the day."

On January 14, 2018, the New York Daily News reported that some Democratic operatives believed the allegations against Klein might threaten the announced alliance between the IDC and the mainline Democrats while other Democratic operatives were unsure of the impact the allegations would have. According to the report, IDC members blamed mainline Democrats for the allegations because Vladimer met with mainline Democratic Sen. Liz Krueger before making her claims public.

According to Democratic operative Hank Sheinkopf, “It wouldn’t make sense. It makes it less likely that there will be any kind of compromise between the Democrats and the Independent Democratic Conference for the time being.”

Democratic consultant George Arzt said the allegations might not affect the alliance. He said, "It has to play out. Someone has to investigate it. I think it would have an impact if there is any evidence against Klein. At this point, no one quite knows what happened except for the accuser and Klein’s denial.”

An unnamed insider said, "[Stewart-Cousins] is going to let this play out a little bit to see if others come forward. If it approaches something like what happened with U.S. Sen. Al Franken, should there be other accusers, I can’t see it happening.”

Stewart-Cousins later endorsed Klein and all other former IDC members in their primaries.

In response to Stewart-Cousin's endorsement of Klein, Vladimer said, "It's hard as a victim to hear elected officials say things in Albany need to be changed, that we know it's systemic. But their actions completely contradict that."

Media coverage

• David Freedlander, New York Magazine (August 9, 2018): "But then Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez happened. The 28-year-old democratic socialist became an international superstar overnight when she upended Queens congressman Joe Crowley’s bid to become House Speaker. And it wasn’t just Ocasio-Cortez. Across the state in June’s congressional primaries, little-known and littler-funded challengers came dangerously close to ending the careers of long-serving members of New York’s delegation. Meanwhile, the IDC challengers had grown into something of a slate. They endorsed each other, gathered signatures for each other, shared campaign tips and hit the trail together. Nixon endorsed them, and they her. Zephyr Teachout, an attorney general candidate who pulled a third of the vote against Cuomo in 2014 and is now running a spirited race against Letitia James, his chosen pick for AG, joined in as well. Instead of eight disparate candidates running for local legislative seats, they could plausibly claim to be part of a movement, running against the kind of backroom deals that had entrenched Democratic acquiescence to the GOP...

Politicians by their nature try to jump to the front of the parade, and to mix as many metaphors as possible, as one lawmaker told New York, “The train is leaving the station. And there aren’t that many seats left.” Late last month, Rubén Díaz, the borough president of the Bronx, endorsed Jeff Klein, the former leader of the IDC, a clear signal about which side of the line he will be on when he mounts an expected mayoral run in three years. Meanwhile, political observers wonder who will fall next. Could the momentum grow so much that Chuck Schumer supports the challengers? Kirsten Gillibrand? Tish James, looking to shore up her progressive bona fides ahead of a tougher-than-expected September challenge? Andrew Cuomo? The idea seems laughable, but despite polls that show him with a large lead over Nixon, his supporters are nervous. Blowing up the deal he helped write would be dirty pool, but if pressure continues to grow, how much longer can he hold out?"

• Tim Murphy, Mother Jones (July 30, 2018): On the Thursday before New York’s June congressional primary, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 28-year-old democratic socialist, and Rep. Joe Crowley, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, gathered for their second and final debate at a Jewish community center in Queens. Ocasio-Cortez’s stunning primary victory five days later would shake up the Democratic Party and elevate her most notable campaign trail pledge—the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency—to the top of the national political conversation. But on that particular night, the looming showdown in the 14th District wasn’t even the most contentious primary fight on the lineup. That was the face-off between two Democratic candidates for the New York state Senate, the incumbent Sen. Jose Peralta and his challenger Jessica Ramos. Their primary isn’t until September—New York is the only state with separate primaries for federal elections—but the campaign had taken on a heated and distinctly personal tone...

What’s happening in New York in some ways reflects the larger struggle playing out within the Democratic Party, in which progressive insurgents frustrated with the pace of change have taken the fight to lawmakers they believe are holding the party back. But nowhere is that frustration more pronounced or more concentrated than in Trump’s backyard, and Ocasio-Cortez’s home turf, an overwhelmingly Democratic district that’s home to three of the eight renegade state senators who composed the IDC. Ocasio-Cortez’s win was powered, in part, by the support of anti-IDC activists, and she slammed the group at town halls and in interviews throughout the campaign. Days after her primary victory, she marched alongside Ramos at an immigrant rights parade in Queens and used her email list to recruit volunteers for another challenger in the Bronx. Now that her race is effectively over—her election in November is more or less a formality—Ocasio-Cortez is using her new cachet to bolster like-minded challengers to the Democratic establishment...

Ramos was a long shot when she entered the race, but six months later it doesn’t seem quite so crazy. Two days after Ocasio-Cortez’s victory, the speaker of the New York City council endorsed Ramos and three other candidates challenging ex-IDC members. Then Ramos picked up the endorsement of a state assemblywoman whose district overlaps with hers. A few days later, Nixon dropped by a public library in Jackson Heights to announce her support. Last week, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, whose district includes part of Queens and who just survived a surprisingly competitive primary herself, endorsed Ramos. Suddenly, bucking the Democratic establishment didn’t seem so dangerous. Other candidates felt a boost too. Kang says the day after the June primary was her group’s best fundraising day ever. And about a week after the election, after months of pressure from activists begging him to enter the race, the city’s ex-comptroller announced he would challenge another former IDC senator who represents part of Ocasio-Cortez’s district.

And Ocasio-Cortez’s army of volunteers is waiting in the wings. Facing only nominal Republican opposition in the fall in one of America’s bluest House districts, Ocasio-Cortez has time on her hands and newfound political capital to spend, and she’s made clear one way she intends to spend it—by backing a new slate of ideologically aligned candidates in her own backyard. After her primary, Ocasio-Cortez sent out a call for volunteers to gather petitions and go canvassing for a slate of progressive Democrats who, like her, were mounting insurgent campaigns against the state’s entrenched establishment. Among them were Nixon; Teachout, an early ringleader of the anti-IDC brigade and a longtime critic of Albany corruption; and two state Senate candidates, including Klein’s challenger in the Bronx, Alessandra Biaggi.

Incumbents who did not advance to the general election

Retiring incumbents

Seven state Assembly Democrats did not seek re-election in 2018.

• Pamela Harris (District 46)
• Luis Sepulveda (District 87)
• Shelley Mayer (District 90)
• James G. Skoufis (District 99)
• Frank Skartados (District 104)
• Anthony Brindisi (District 119)
• Joseph Morelle (District 136)

Incumbents defeated

Two state Assembly Democrats were defeated in the primaries.

• Earlene Hill Hooper (District 18)
• Ari Espinal (District 39)

Seven state Senate Democrats were defeated in the primaries.

• Tony Avella (District 11)
• Jose Peralta (District 13)
• Martin Malave Dilan (District 18)
• Jesse Hamilton (District 20)
• Marisol Alcantara (District 31)
• Jeffrey Klein (District 34)
• David Valesky (District 53)

Competitiveness

See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and New York state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

Year	Total seats	Open seats	Total candidates	Democratic primaries contested	Republican primaries contested	Total contested	Incumbents contested in primaries	Total incumbents contested in primaries
2018	213	18	407	39	9	11.3%	31	15.9%
2016	213	20	180	41	12	12.4%	34	17.6%
2014	213	19	417	39	9	11.3%	30	15.5%

Partisan control

The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate as of September 2018:

New York State Assembly

Party		As of September 2018
	Democratic Party	103
	Republican Party	42
	Independence	1
	Vacancies	4
Total		150

New York State Senate

Party		As of September 2018
	Democratic Party	32
	Republican Party	31
	Vacancies	0
Total		63

Voter information

How the primary works

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.

Poll times

Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for primary and general elections. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in New York, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county, city, or village for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the date of the election. People who are in prison for a felony conviction and those who have been declared mentally incompetent by a court are ineligible to register to vote. One cannot register to vote in New York while claiming the right to vote elsewhere. Pre-registration is available beginning at the age of 16.

Registration applications are available at the county board of elections or any agency-based voter registration center. Forms are also available online, or prospective voters can request the form by mail. Completed forms returned by mail must be postmarked at least 25 days prior to the election.

The form must then be received by election officials at least 10 days before the election. A registration done in person must be completed at least 10 days prior to the election. Residents may also register to vote online through the DMV Electronic Voter Registration Application. These applications are forwarded to the board of elections; applicants should allow up to six weeks for processing.

Automatic registration

New York automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through a number of state agencies including the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Health, the Department of Labor, and others.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

New York has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

New York does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

In order to register to vote in New York, applicants must reside in the county, city, or village in which they are registering for at least 30 days prior to the election.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

New York does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, voter who submits false information "can be convicted and fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed for up to four years."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The New York State Board of Elections allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Early voting

New York permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

New York offers early mail voting and absentee voting.

Any registered voter may vote an early mail ballot. To vote an absentee ballot, a voter must be:

“

Absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City absent from the five boroughs, on Election Day. Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability. Unable to appear because you are the primary care giver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled. A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital. In jail or prison for any reason other than a felony conviction. This includes anyone who is awaiting grand jury action, awaiting trial, or serving a sentence for a misdemeanor.

”

Applications for early mail ballots and absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections at least ten days before an election, unless the application is submitted in person by the day before the election.

Early mail ballots and absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the county board of elections by the seventh day after the election. Ballots may be returned in person to the county board of elections by the close of polls on Election Day or to a polling place during the early voting period or on Election Day.

See also

• New York state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
• New York State Assembly elections, 2018
• New York State Senate elections, 2018
• New York State Legislature
• New York elections, 2018