We hope you enjoy a restful holiday with friends and family and have time to reflect on the greatness of the American experiment.
Nonetheless, it’s been a busy week and a couple quick notes merit an update.
Primary Night (#1) Thoughts:
- Governor Kathy Hochul was dominant. She earned over 65% of the vote and won in each of New York’s 62 counties. Her vote share exceeded her predecessor’s wins in 2018 and 2014 and she did it in a three-way race. Impressive.
- Member of Congress Lee Zeldin was strong in a four-way Republican primary. He ran up his margin in Upstate and in Long Island, two key battle grounds for November.
- Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado also cruised to victory in the Democratic Primary, an important win against two impressive opponents in a campaign he joined late. Former New York Police Inspector Alison Esposito won the Republican Primary for LG making her the first openly gay candidate to win a statewide primary in New York.
- Progressives had high hopes in several Assembly primaries, but came up short in most of the races. One notable exception was Sarahana Shrestha besting long time Assembly Insurance Chair Kevin Cahill in the Hudson Valley. Mary Jane Shimsky has both WFP and local establishment support in her victory over incumbent Tom Abinanti. Incumbent and long time Albany presence Jose Rivera also lost his seat.
More results here.
In Washington, Appropriations and Fiscal Year 2023 Federal Funding discussions are growing increasingly contentious ahead of the August Recess. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is threatening to derail one of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s major priorities, the high profile USICA/Endless Frontiers bipartisan bill intended to boost American competitiveness with China in key sectors, if Democrats push through a reconciliation bill before the August Recess. More on that here.
In Albany, some serious law making, even if, as usual in Washington, one day turned into two. Legislators responded to two Supreme Court rulings on New York’s Concealed Carry Law and Roe v. Wade with new Gun Safety Legislation and first passage of an Equal Rights Amendment to the state constitution. The amendment will need to pass a new legislature next year and then be ratified by voters.
Hochul also signed an extension of Mayoral Control—with some tweaks to come in January—at the wire. Hochul signed a two-year extension of Mayoral Control of the New York City Schools into law. More on that here.
For your leisure, here are some of the best July 4th moments in baseball history, and for your consideration: a reading from Frederick Douglas’ “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.”
Governor Kathy Hochul’s historic and resounding win on Primary Day along with a strong victory by Republican candidate for governor, Lee Zeldin will pit the two against each other in the November election.
What are the takeaways from the first of two primaries in New York, statewide and locally? Watch our Jack O’Donnell‘s analysis on News 4 Buffalo and a clip from Hochul’s victory speech here. More political insight from Jack on News 4 Buffalo with Jacquie Walker and Don Postles here.
-Jack O’Donnell
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