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Dems Win New York Special Election, But There’s One Big Red Flag

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


Democrats are celebrating after Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan defeated Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro in a special election race.

While liberals and their allies are bragging about the win, the voter data reveals that only a small fraction of the Democrat base turned out to hand Ryan his victory.

Ryan was elected to replace former Democratic New York Rep. Antonio Delgado, who stepped down to serve as lieutenant governor.

In November’s general election, voters in New York’s 19th district will decide between Molinaro and Democrat Josh Riley.

But voter turnout in the special election is significantly lower than it will likely be in November.

For instance, only 36% of the voters who turned out in 2020 turned out for the special election.

“This isn’t to say the enviro hasn’t improved for Dems. It has. But specials can’t tell us extent of improvement w/ the fuller electorate,” election expert Dave Wasserman said of the outcomes.

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On Tuesday night, Democrats had some drama in a few primary races.

Rep. Jerry Nadler defeated Rep. Carolyn Maloney in a Democratic primary after a court forced the two longtime lawmakers into the same New York City congressional district.

“Nadler’s victory ends a 30-year run in Congress for Maloney, who battled to get government aid for people sickened by clouds of toxic soot after the Sept. 11 attacks. The unusual fight between incumbents who have spent decades working together was the result of a redistricting process that lumped Nadler’s home base on the west side of Manhattan together with Maloney’s on the east side, with neither willing to run in another part of the city,” Yahoo News reported.

In his victory speech, Nadler said he and Maloney “have spent much of our adult lives working together to better both New York and our nation. I speak for everyone in this room tonight when I thank her for her decades of service to our city.”

He pledged he would go back to Congress “with a mandate to fight for the causes so many of us know to be right,” including abortion access and climate change.

Maloney, however, has served in Congress since 1992.

Soon after her loss, she immediately reverted to a slew of liberal talking points.

“I’m really saddened that we no longer have a woman representing Manhattan in Congress,” Maloney added. “It has been a great, great honor and a joy and a privilege to work for you.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Maloney “a champion for integrity” in a statement on the race and said, “her longtime public service will be profoundly missed in the Congress.”

Pelosi also congratulated Nadler, saying he “has been a commanding force for freedom and justice” and that the country would “greatly benefit from his continued leadership.”

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In declaring victory Tuesday night, Nadler reflected on the ordeal of being thrown into a new district decades into his congressional tenure.

“It might have been so much easier to move away from this community and represent a different part of the city,” he said. “I have lived here for my entire adult life. I love the people of this community and what they represent. Why would I want to be any place else?”

“I know how overwhelming these challenges can feel,” Nadler said. “I know that when confronted with fights as massive as those that [come] before us, it can feel impossible to do anything but surrender. But here is the thing — I’m a New Yorker. … We New Yorkers just don’t know how to surrender.”

New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is not happy after another one of her endorsed socialist candidates lost their election.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the head of the House Democrats’ campaign fundraising arm, handily defeated progressive Alessandra Biaggi in the New York primary for the 17th Congressional District.

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Maloney secured over 60% of the vote compared to roughly 31% for Biaggi.

The contest pitted Maloney, an establishment Democrat tied to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, against Biaggi, a progressive leftist backed by Ocasio-Cortez and the Working Families Party.

In a fundraising email to supporters in June, Ocasio-Cortez touted Biaggi as a progressive champion and endorsed her campaign.

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