Maloney, Patel in tight Congress race
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
With tens of thousands
of absentee ballots yet
to be counted, the preliminary
returns from the June 23
primary show Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney in danger of
losing her seat.
In offi ce since 1993, Maloney
— whose district includes
COURTESY OF THE SURAJ
PATEL CAMPAIGN
Attorney and activist Suraj
Patel.
the Lower East Side, much of
Midtown Manhattan and parts
of western Queens— maintains
a slight advantage over
one of her three challengers in
Tuesday’s primary, attorney and
activist Suraj Patel, for the 12th
District seat. With 31,419 votes
counted, Maloney (13,249) has
a less-than-1,000 vote lead over
Patel (12,550), who’s making his
second attempt at unseating the
14-term lawmaker.
Both Maloney and Patel seem
to believe they have the race won.
In a statement Wednesday
morning, the congresswoman’s
campaign indicated that they
believe her slim lead will expand
“signifi cantly” once all the absentee
ballots are counted.
“This campaign was an opportunity
my record of accomplishment
and vision for a fairer future,
but to talk about the opportunities
ahead to advance police
and criminal justice reform, to
expand assistance to the millions
impacted by COVID-19, and to
hold President Trump accountable
in what we are working to
ensure are the fi nal months of his
disastrous presidency.”
On the fl ip side, Patel indicated
that he was well on his way to
PHOTO BY REUTERS
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney faces a tough battle with
Suraj Patel in the 14th District seat.
Village, Chelsea voters cast ballots with care during pandemic
BY MARK HALLUM AND
ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
One of the most unusual elections in
New York City history reached its
climax Tuesday as residents head
to the polls for the fi nal day of primary voting
amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tuesday’s contest included the longdelayed
New York presidential primary;
regardless of who wins it, former Vice
President Joe Biden had clinched the Democratic
nomination for president weeks ago.
There’s also a host of big legislative races
for Congressional, state Senate and Assembly
seats. Queens residents are also voting
in a primary for Queens borough president.
But in the backdrop of it all has been the
coronavirus pandemic that gripped the city
back in March. Voters were encouraged
to participate in this election by absentee
ballot to avoid coming into contact with
crowds at polling sites.
The turnout was light at I.S. 70 in Chelsea,
but voters said they felt safe in casting
their votes, as well as motivated. Some of
the issues important to the voters we spoke
to there included reproductive rights, housing,
transgender matters and racial justice.
Lynn Davis said she came to the polls
not to just highlight
securing victory, observing that
the majority of primary voters
opted against Maloney.
“Tonight, the voters of New
York’s 12th District clearly rejected
the era of institutional racism,
and the divisive politics of the
past,” Patel said Tuesday night.
“New Yorkers are not done with
hope and change. That is what
tonight’s results show. We are
confi dent in our path to victory
after a very strong performance
on Election Day, which traditionally
favors establishment voters.
Over 58% of New Yorkers have
rejected the incumbent’s politics
of the past. We have a mandate
for change, and the fi nal tally will
refl ect that.”
For other incumbent Congress
members from Manhattan facing
challengers on Primary Day, the
contests have been far less tense.
Lower East Side and Chinatown
Congresswoman Nydia
Velazquez, who also represents
parts of Brooklyn and Queens,
seems on her way to another
term as representative of the 7th
District. She’s got a nearly 16,000
A warning sign during the primary vote on June 23, 2020 at I.S. 70 in Chelsea.
early to beat the heat on an expected hot June
day. She felt comfort knowing her polling
site was as protected as it could be, with poll
workers wearing masks, social distancing in
practice and hand sanitizer available.
She also noted that she opted to vote in
person because her applied for an absentee
ballot — but never received one.
“I fi led for an absentee ballot and never
got it, that’s a whole other issue,” Davis
said. “They’ve got to get their acts together
with the absentee ballots, especially with
the presidential election.”
For long-time poll worker Leonard
vote lead on her opponent, Paperboy
Love Prince.
In the 10th District, Manhattan/
Brooklyn Congressman Jerry
Nadler appears poised to fend off
two challengers for his seat, Lindsey
Boylan and Jonathan Herzog.
Nadler’s got a 9,500-vote lead on
Boylan, his closest challenger.
Harlem/Bronx Congressman
Adriano Espillat looks like a lock
for another term in Congress
representing the 13th District.
He has a nearly 12,000 vote lead
on his closest rival, author James
PHOTO BY MARK HALLUM
Middleton, election day before the pandemic
meant non-stop shuffl ing across
the waxy fl oor of P.S. 41 The Greenwich
Village School’s lunchroom fl oor to the
hum of chatty voters and co-workers taking
questions about election districts and ID
requirements.
But on Tuesday, it was almost eerily quiet
inside of The Village elementary school.
Only a handful of people would step inside
at any given time. Only one mask-wearing
poll worker sat at any of the twelve plastic
tables set up inside. Walls are decorated
with signs reminding all those inside to stay
Felton Keith II.
As noted, the Democratic
primary results are far from offi
cial. The contest in New York
saw more than 700,000 absentee
ballots distributed, and the Board
of Elections has yet to receive
them all. It’s expected the board
will begin counting the absentee
ballots on June 30.
Note: Preliminary numbers
provided by the New York City
Board of Elections, based on the
early voting numbers and the
votes cast on June 23.
six feet apart.
Many decided to make the journey to
P.S. 41 on Tuesday because they had just received
their absentee ballots on Monday or
Sunday and worried their votes would not
be counted. Some had not received them
at all. A few people stopped by the voting
site to drop off their sealed absentee ballots
in person, according to one poll worker.
Despite the low turnout, by 11:30 a.m.,
only 257 people had used one of the schools
three ballot scanning machines, problems
still popped up.
One poll worker complained that BOE
inspectors were unclear in explaining every
social distancing measure staff needed to
abide by. Workers were instructed to wear
masks and gloves but did not know if they
needed to wear face shields as well.
All polling staff at P.S. 41 wore cloth face
coverings while amNY was at the scene.
And workers kept face shields on hand just
in case.
The BOE promised workers that they
would send hand sanitizer and wipes for
scanners. As of 12:30 p.m., neither product
had reached the school, according to a poll
worker.
After exiting P.S.41, a few voters complained
that they had been given the same
ballot twice.
Schneps Media June 25, 2020 3