What To Expect When You're Expecting New York State Elections
It’s the summer of 2018, and New York is in the midst of another election season.
After last year’s local elections saw a slew of fresh young faces elected to City Council, this time, the future of our state and national government is at stake with Governor, State Senate and U.S. Senate races, in addition to Lieutenant Governor, State Assembly, State Comptroller, State District Attorney and House of Representatives elections up for grabs. New York is notorious for being a political hotbed, yet voter turnout is consistently anemic— perhaps because of election burnout, perhaps because of the difficulties of voting, and being tasked to vote multiple times per year with special elections, primaries and general elections— and even voting at the local level makes a big difference because it’s these leaders that manifest more power over time. And many of these races go uncontested, sometimes leaving our representatives with little motivation to continue to do right by their constituents.
One of the biggest races New York will see this year is the gubernatorial election, with primaries on September 13 and general elections on November 6. This year’s race (as this was published) is currently being led by Democratic candidates Andrew Cuomo, the incumbent; political neophyte, actress Cynthia Nixon, and Greg Waltman, who is running on a sustainability platform, against Republican Marcus Molinaro. Independent candidates also running in the general election are the Reform Party’s Joel Giambra, Green Party’s Howie Hawkins, and Libertarian Larry Sharpe. Much attention has surrounded Cuomo and Nixon, and is the focus of Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s special roundtable panel featuring host Ben Max of Gotham Gazette, political science professor at Fordham University Dr. Christina Greer, and Politico’s Brendan Cheney.
While it’s difficult for any newcomer to topple an incumbent, change is indeed possible with the recent primary election win by New York District 14 Congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over bulwark Joseph Crowley— as well as a write-in vote win for NY-15— as the Democratic Socialist espouses progressive tenets instead of upholding the status quo. So what are the odds that Nixon can succeed over Cuomo? Andrew Cuomo is progeny from a political family, taking after father Mario, who governed New York from 1982 - 1994, in addition to holding several other high level state offices. While Cuomo has posited himself as a progressive politician and has passed marriage equality and passed gun control laws, as the former U.S. Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD), many constituents are less than satisfied at the state of public housing. And he has talked the talked yet not walked the walk when it comes to passing the clean DREAM Act, ensuring early voting, working towards reforming prisons/bail and campaign finance, in addition to his controversial alleged involvement in the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), comprised of a coalition of New York State Senators working with Republican politicians to block progressive legislation. While Cuomo has substantial experience, there is definitely room for new blood, who will rally where Cuomo has yet to succeed where New Yorkers are clamoring for change: public transportation, and to a certain extent, education.
Cynthia Nixon, best known as an actress on “Sex and the City,” is a lifelong New Yorker, and may have lack of political entrenchment as her advantage. While voting for inexperienced celebrities did not work out for the public in the 2016 Presidential election, Nixon has taken a strong progressive stance in the vein of 2016 NY Democratic House of Representatives candidate Zephyr Teachout, who left Nixon's campaign to run for State Attorney General. Nixon has focused on our struggling MTA system and public schools, and has championed women of color as the future of democracy, as Cuomo attempted to lessen the power of State Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins with IDC. In addition, Cuomo has courted unions and The Working Families Party for endorsements, though in a surprise, Working Families endorsed Nixon, as well as the influential The Daily Kos, Our Revolution and Democracy For America. But while her progressive stance plays well in NYC, she will have a tougher time appealing to an upstate audience. Even if Nixon cannot manage a win, it’s possible she will force Cuomo out of complacency and into tackling issues he has yet to conquer, as constituents ask “what have you done for me lately?”
There is much to deliberate when you head to the ballot this fall as all state legislation is up for consideration. Our incumbent governor has a history of political experience, but are residents turned off by his centrist approach and petty bickering between him and Mayor Bill de Blasio? Does our city’s lack of civics education inspire indifference for the political process? And how will these elections affect the next Presidential election in 2020? It’s a strong possibility that if Cuomo wins again, he could consider a presidential run, and there have been talks that Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, also running for reelection, is contemplating a turn at the White House. When all else fails, stay tuned to MNN’s Race To Represent, as we bring you up-to-the-minute interviews, debates, roundtables, and much more as we cover New York’s elections all year.
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