Contested primaries were held June 26, 2018. On election day, Democrats gained three New York House seats, and the Democratic Party retook control of the House of Representatives. Democrats won a total of 21 New York House seats, while Republicans won six.
Overview
Elections were held in all 27 of New York's congressional districts in 2018. Prior to the 2018 elections, one New York House seat was vacant[1] due to the death of Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-25th District) on March 16, 2018.[2] In the June 26, 2018 Democratic primary in District 14, insurgent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez upset longtime incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley.[3] On November 6, 2018, the Democratic Party held the open seat in District 25 and defeated three Republican incumbents; with the exception of Crowley, all Democratic incumbent members of Congress in New York were re-elected.[4][5] The defeated Republican incumbents were Rep. Dan Donovan (R-11th District) (defeated by Democrat Max Rose), Rep. John Faso (R-19th District) (defeated by Democrat Antonio Delgado), and Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-22nd District) (defeated by Democrat Anthony Brindisi).[4] Incumbent Rep. Chris Collins (R-27th District) was narrowly re-elected[6] despite having been arrested on insider trading charges in August 2018.[7]
Democrats won a total of 21 New York House seats, while Republicans won six.[4] Nationally, the Democratic Party won control of the House of Representatives on election day.[8]
New York is near unique among the states in that it allows electoral fusion (cross-endorsement).[9] As a result, New York ballots tend to list many political parties. Most news outlets report election results using only the primary affiliation of party registration of candidates rather than by the party nominees who are elected, and most pollsters group candidates the same way.[10]
United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2018
The 1st district is located in eastern Long Island and includes most of central and eastern Suffolk County. The incumbent was Republican Lee Zeldin, who had represented the district since 2015. He was re-elected to a second term with 58% of the vote in 2016.
In mid-September, Gershon said his campaign had raised more than $1.25 million since July 1, with contributions averaging $85.[26] At the end of September, the nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based Cook Political Report rated the race as "Likely Republican;" the "Likely" designation is for seats "not considered competitive at this point, but hav[ing] the potential to become engaged."[27]
The 2nd district is based along the South Shore of Long Island and includes southwestern Suffolk County and a small portion of southeastern Nassau County. The incumbent was Republican Peter T. King, who had represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 3rd district from 1993 to 2013. He was re-elected to a thirteenth term with 62% of the vote in 2016.
The 3rd district includes most of the North Shore of Long Island. It covers northwestern Suffolk County, northern Nassau County, and northeastern Queens. The incumbent was Democrat Tom Suozzi, who had represented the district since 2017. He was elected to replace retiring representative Steve Israel with 53% of the vote in 2016.
The 4th district is located in central and southern Nassau County. The incumbent was Democrat Kathleen Rice, who had represented the district since 2015. She was re-elected to a second term with 59.5% of the vote in 2016.
The 5th district is mostly located within Queens in New York City, but also includes a small portion of Nassau County. The incumbent was Democrat Gregory Meeks, who had represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 6th district from 1998 to 2013. He was re-elected to a tenth term with 85% of the vote in 2016.
The 6th district is located entirely within Queens in New York City. The incumbent was Democrat Grace Meng, who had represented the district since 2013. She was re-elected to a third term with 72% of the vote in 2016.
The 7th district is located entirely in New York City and includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. The incumbent was Democrat Nydia Velázquez, who had represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 12th district from 1993 to 2013. She was re-elected to a thirteenth term with 91% of the vote in 2016.
The 8th district is located entirely in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The incumbent was Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, who had represented the district since 2013. He was re-elected to a third term with 93% of the vote in 2016.
The 9th district is located entirely within the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The incumbent was Democrat Yvette Clarke, who had represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 11th district from 2007 to 2013. She was re-elected to a sixth term with 92% of the vote in 2016.
The 10th district is located in New York City and includes the Upper West Side of Manhattan; the west side of Lower Manhattan, including Greenwich Village and the Financial District; and parts of Brooklyn, including Borough Park. The incumbent was Democrat Jerrold Nadler, who had represented the district since 2013, and previously represented the 8th district from 1993 to 2013 and the 17th district from 1992 to 1993. He was re-elected to a thirteenth full term with 78% of the vote in 2016.
The 11th district is located entirely in New York City and includes all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn. The incumbent was Republican Dan Donovan, who had represented the district since 2015. He was re-elected to a second term with 62% of the vote in 2016.
Republican primary
Former Congressman Michael Grimm, who resigned in 2014 after pleading guilty to federal tax fraud charges for which he served eight months in prison, challenged Donovan in the primary.[57][58]
The 12th district is located entirely in New York City and includes several neighborhoods in the East Side of Manhattan, Greenpoint and western Queens. The incumbent was Democrat Carolyn Maloney, who had represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 14th district from 1993 to 2013. She was re-elected to a thirteenth term with 83% of the vote in 2016.
The 13th district is located entirely in New York City and includes Upper Manhattan and a small portion of the western Bronx. The incumbent was Democrat Adriano Espaillat, who had represented the district since 2017. He was elected to replace retiring representative Charles Rangel with 89% of the vote in 2016.
The 14th district is located in New York City and includes the eastern Bronx and part of north-central Queens. The incumbent was Democrat Joseph Crowley, a leader of the New Democrat Coalition, who had represented the district since 2013. Crowley previously represented the 7th district from 1999 to 2013. He was re-elected to a tenth term with 83% of the vote in 2016. Crowley, who had been named as a potential successor to Nancy Pelosi as House Leader or Speaker, sought re-election in 2018.[68]
Democratic primary
Backed by the organization Brand New Congress, bartender and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez challenged Crowley in the primary, announcing her campaign in June 2017.[69] Ocasio-Cortez, who had been an organizer in Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign,[70] was the first primary challenger Crowley had faced since 2004.[69] On May 10, 2018, it was announced that she had gathered enough signatures to appear on the primary ballot.[71] Despite this, most observers concluded that Crowley would win the primary, citing his strong support from elected officials and his large fundraising advantage.[70]
In her campaign, Ocasio-Cortez claimed that Crowley was not progressive enough for the district,[72] and also accused him of corruption, stating that he was using his position as chair of the Queens Democratic Party improperly.[69] She aggressively built a presence on social media platforms, creating a biographical video promoting her campaign that went viral.[73][74] Crowley significantly outspent Ocasio-Cortez prior to the primary election.[73]
Following his defeat in the Democratic primary, Crowley remained on the ballot on the Working Families Party line, but did not actively campaign.[85] Following Ocasio-Cortez's primary win, Joann Ariola, chairwoman of the Queens Republican Party, claimed that the Republican Party had a chance of winning the seat due to Ocasio-Cortez being a democratic socialist.[86] Michael Rendino, chairman of the Bronx Republican Party, was more skeptical, declaring that "even if Crowley and Ocasio-Cortez split the vote, we'd still lose two-to-one".[86]
Professor Anthony Pappas was the Republican nominee, but was disavowed by the Queens and Bronx Republican Parties after he was accused of committing domestic violence.[86] Several Republicans approached both the Queens and Bronx Republican parties with the intent of replacing Pappas on the ballot, but Pappas refused to withdraw from the race.[86] Pappas's campaign was based around the abolition of judicial immunity, which he argued had led to judges becoming unaccountable for their actions.[86] Pappas's campaign manager attempted to convince him to run an aggressive campaign against Ocasio-Cortez, but he refused.[86]
The 15th district is located entirely within The Bronx in New York City and is one of the smallest districts by area in the entire country. The incumbent was Democrat José E. Serrano, who had represented the district since 2013, and previously represented the 16th district from 1993 to 2013 and the 18th district from 1990 to 1993. He was re-elected to a fourteenth full term with 95% of the vote in 2016.
The 16th district is located in the northern part of The Bronx and the southern half of Westchester County, including the cities of Mount Vernon, Yonkers, New Rochelle, and Rye. The incumbent was Democrat Eliot Engel, who had represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 17th district from 1993 to 2013 and the 19th district from 1989 to 1993. He was re-elected to a fifteenth term with 95% of the vote in 2016.
The 17th district contains all of Rockland County and the northern and central portions of Westchester County, including the cities of Peekskill and White Plains. The incumbent was Democrat Nita Lowey, who had represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 18th district from 1993 to 2013 and the 20th district from 1989 to 1993. She was re-elected to a fifteenth term unopposed in 2016.
The 20th district is located in the Capital District and includes all of Albany and Schenectady Counties, and portions of Montgomery, Rensselaer and Saratoga Counties. The incumbent was Democrat Paul Tonko, who had represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 21st district from 2009 to 2013. He was re-elected to a fifth term with 68% of the vote in 2016.
The 21st district, the state's largest and most rural congressional district, includes most of the North Country and the northern suburbs of Syracuse. The district borders Vermont to the east. The incumbent was Republican Elise Stefanik, who had represented the district since 2015. She was re-elected to a second term with 65% of the vote in 2016.
Republican primary
Farmer and real estate broker Russ Finley planned on making a primary challenge of Stefanik,[130] but later withdrew from the race, leaving Stefanik unopposed in the primary.
The 23rd district includes all of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tompkins and Yates counties, along with parts of Ontario and Tioga counties. The incumbent was Republican Tom Reed, who had represented the district since 2013 and previously represented the 29th district from 2009 to 2013. He was re-elected to a fifth term with 58% of the vote in 2016.
Although Della Pia finished slightly ahead of the other candidates on primary election night, he conceded to Mitrano after absentee ballots were counted.[164]
The 24th district includes all of Cayuga, Onondaga and Wayne counties, and the western part of Oswego County. The incumbent was Republican John Katko, who had represented the district since 2015. He was re-elected to a second term with 61% of the vote in 2016.
The 25th district is located entirely within Monroe County, centered on the city of Rochester. The seat was vacant due to the March 2018 death of incumbent Democratic representative Louise Slaughter, who represented the district from 2013 to 2018 and previously represented the 28th district from 1993 to 2013 and the 30th district from 1987 to 1993.
Following precedent set in 2010, two concurrent elections were held in November 2018. One election was held to fill the seat for the 2018 lame-duck session, and another was held to fill the seat for the 2019–2020 term.[177]
The 26th district is located in Erie and Niagara counties and includes the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The incumbent was Democrat Brian Higgins, who had represented the district since 2013, and previously represented the 27th district from 2005 to 2013. He was re-elected to a seventh term with 75% of the vote in 2016.
Incumbent Republican Chris Collins, who had represented the district since 2013, ran for re-election. He was re-elected to a third term with 67% of the vote in 2016,
On August 11, 2018, Collins announced that he would withdraw from his re-election campaign after being arrested for insider trading. Removing himself from the ballot would have required Collins to be nominated as a dummy candidate in another election or to move his legal place of residence out of state (he has additional homes in Florida and the District of Columbia).[205] On September 17, 2018, Collins announced that he had changed course and would campaign for re-election in November after all.[206]
Potential Republican replacements
Following Collins's August 11 announcement that he would withdraw from the race, as many as 20 candidates expressed interest in the Republican nomination. (Collins later changed course and opted to seek re-election.) Among them were the following:[207]
^Mehta, Aaron Bycoffe, Ritchie King and Dhrumil (June 28, 2018). "New York Polls". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved February 3, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Walsh, Christopher (June 14, 2018). "Union Endorses Lee Zeldin". East Hampton Star. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
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