NRCC MEMO: NEW YORK PRIMARY RESULTS
TO: INTERESTED PARTIES
FROM: NRCC POLITICAL AND NRCC COMMUNICATIONS
DATE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2010
SUBJECT: NEW YORK PRIMARY RESULTS
New York has been the foundation of Democratic gains in the Northeast throughout the past two election cycles, but tonight’s primary results in the Empire State open up more than half a dozen GOP opportunities and are indicative of the party’s resurgence both in the region and throughout the country. Once dismissed as a regional party, Republicans have made significant gains across the Northeast as more and more New Yorkers reject the Obama-Pelosi big government agenda. The Republican platform of less government, fiscal responsibility, and lower taxes was tested with Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts and Governor Chris Christie in New Jersey. Their victories sent a loud and clear message that even voters in Democratic strongholds categorically reject government-run healthcare, reckless spending, and higher taxes on middle-class families.
Challengers:
NY-01 (Rep. Tim Bishop, D)
Elected to Congress in 2002, Representative Tim Bishop has served as the unequivocal rubber-stamp for the Democrats’ reckless economic agenda, voting with his party over 90 percent of the time. He took an earful at town halls from Long Islanders on several occasions when they made clear their frustration to his unwavering loyalty for government-run healthcare and his party’s reckless spending plans. This kind of unbridled partisan support has earned him the label of one of the most vulnerable Democrats by the Congressional Quarterly, the Cook Political Report and the Rothenberg Political Report. With a strong challenge from tonight’s primary winner Randy Altschuler, Bishop faces a steep uphill climb for reelection.
Randy Altschuler has demonstrated leadership abilities as a widely recognized pioneer and successful entrepreneur in small business. In 2008, he co-founded and became Executive Chairman of CloudBlue, a leading provider of recycling services for electronic equipment. He also co-founded and was named Chief Executive Officer of OfficeTiger, a company dedicated to upgrading business support services and bolstering the job market. Altschuler was selected by Institutional Investor as one of the top influencers in the finance industry and was named a winner in the New York Top Ten Awards by the Executive Council of New York. Committed to rebuilding our nation’s struggling economy and serving as a strong advocate for Long Island’s families and natural environment, Altschuler is prepared to take on Washington.
With Tim Bishop’s vulnerability already highlighted, Republican challenger Randy Altschuler will capitalize on his atrocious record and defeat him in November.
History: New York’s First Congressional District is one of only nine across the country that the Cook Political Report rates as statistically even. Cook currently ranks the seat as “Lean Democratic.” In 2004, President George W. Bush picked up 49 percent of the vote.
Geography: The district consists of the eastern end of Long Island – the largest and most populous island in the mainland United States – and also includes eastern Suffolk County. The district includes Shelter Island and runs as far west as Smithtown on the North Shore and Patchogue on the South Shore.
NY-04 (Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D)
Radical Democrat Carolyn McCarthy has the most loyal party line record of the entire New York delegation, voting with her Washington leaders 98.6 percent of the time. Since being elected in 1996, McCarthy has earned a name as a reliable Democrat rubberstamp, pushing her constituents’ needs to the wayside to appease her party bosses. Just like her fellow Democrat and New Yorker Charlie Rangel, McCarthy has recently found herself in a hotbed of corruption involving a shady pay-to-play scandal. According to reports, while accepting the money, she was earmarking millions of taxpayer dollars for some of the lobbyists’ clients. While New Yorkers and the rest of the country are facing high unemployment, this kind of utter disregard for taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars is appalling.
Tonight’s Republican primary winner, Francis Becker, is a popular and beloved fiscal conservative who is determined to turn New York’s economy around. Since elected to the Nassau County Legislature, Becker has served eight consecutive terms, winning by large margins. Becker attended Nassau Community College and Hofstra University, where he studied Business Finance. In addition to serving as a legislator, Becker has a background in business and is President of Becker & Associates Planning Services and is a Certified Financial Planner. Becker has served as Chairman of the Major Project Cerebral Palsy Committee for the New York #1 Elks Lodge for 20 consecutive years and is presently the Chairman of the Americanism Committee.
With experience as a job creator, Becker is well-positioned to defeat partisan rubberstamp Carolyn McCarthy, who goes along with her Washington leaders at every turn.
History. New York’s Fourth Congressional District includes west-central Nassau County and is comprised of Garden City and the surrounding towns. The district includes the suburbs of New Hyde Park, Mineola and Westbury.
Geography. The Fourth District has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+6 and went to both President Obama and Democratic hopeful John Kerry in recent elections. Cook sees the seat as trending against McCarthy.
NY-13 (Rep. Michael McMahon, D)
Democrat Michael McMahon’s election in 2008 was attributed more to the absence of a strong Republican opponent than the region’s support for his positions. Elected on a commitment to be a moderate Democrat in this traditionally right-of-center district, McMahon’s voting record shows his loyalty to Speaker Pelosi. He has been a reliable and consistent party-line vote in the House, throwing his support behind the failed trillion-dollar stimulus bill that did nothing but add to our debt. Now, it is McMahon’s misguided principles and support for big Washington spending that have made him vulnerable to Republican challenger Michael Grimm.
Tonight’s primary winner and Republican challenger, Michael Grimm, has a proven track record of public service for both the country and New York. Working 11 years as an FBI agent, he fought relentlessly to “drain the swamps” of Wall Street as he chipped away at corruption and backwards politicians. Grimm, true to form, is fed up with the irresponsible, out-of-control spending that has defined this Democratic Congress. He believes that lowering taxes — not bloated “stimulus” packages – is the way to boost the economy. Because he believes in fiscal responsibility and limited government, he will resist pressure to vote for measures such as cap and trade. Grimm will work to restore the integrity of Congress and elected officials.
With a strong challenge from Michael Grimm, McMahon finds himself in trouble with fewer than 60 days to go until Election Day.
History: With the highest percentage of residents of Italian ancestry in the nation, the residents of Staten Island tend to be more conservative than people across the water—namely Manhattanites. The Cook Partisan Voting Index for NY-13 is R+4, and McCain edged Obama by two percentage points. In 2004, Bush won handily as he took the district by 10 points.
Geography: The 13th Congressional District includes the borough of Staten Island and part of Brooklyn. While the district is a part of New York City, it is often thought of being culturally closer to New Jersey.
NY- 19 (Rep. John Hall, D)
Democrat John Hall is the epitome of a Democrat rubberstamp, voting with his Washington leaders 98.2 percent of the time since he was elected in 2006. Hall, a former musician, has misguidedly served New York families by voting for bailouts, a trillion-dollar stimulus, a job-killing cap-and-trade bill and a disastrous healthcare bill, putting him at odds with his constituents. With a radical voting record, John Hall has put this seat up for grabs. The Cook Political Report ranks it as a Democratic tossup and a new Public Policy Poll has Republican challenger Nan Hayworth leading Hall by two points.
John Hall will face tonight’s primary winner, Nan Hayworth, who also has the Conservative and Independence party lines. As a partner at the Mount Kisco Medical Group, Hayworth understands the importance of individualized health care and rejects the type of massive federal takeover that her opponent supports. Hayworth knows firsthand the tremendous burden small businesses already face in the Hudson Valley and how tax increases, massive debt, and runaway government spending hurt job creation. Hayworth’s experience as a doctor and businesswoman, combined with her commitment to fiscal discipline, proves that she is a formidable candidate to take on Hall in November. Despite his promise to focus on the economy, on Hall’s watch unemployment in every county has gone up. In the only county that is entirely within NY-19, unemployment has increased by over 1,300 jobs alone. In the other four counties that are partially in the district, unemployment has increased by more than 20,000 jobs.
With John Hall’s reckless support for his party’s out-of-touch economic policies, it is becoming clear to New York families that he isn’t “Still the One” for them. As Nan Hayworth continues to offer a clear and more fiscally conservative voice, voters are sure to look her way on Election Day.
History: The 19th District has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+3 and has traditionally been a Republican district. The district voted for George W. Bush in 2004, who won with 54 percent of the vote but went to Obama in 2008.
Geography: New York’s 19th Congressional District is located in the southern part of New York State but north of New York City. The district covers much of the Hudson Valley and includes parts of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester counties, in addition to the all of Putnam County.
NY-20 (Rep. Scott Murphy, D)
Democrat incumbent Scott Murphy narrowly won New York’s 20th Congressional District by 700 votes on March 31, 2009 in a hard-fought special election to replace two-term Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand. The 20th District is traditionally conservative, having been held by right-of-center Republicans since the 1970s, making Murphy, who has voted with his party almost 90 percent of the time, extremely vulnerable. Not only does Murphy support the failed stimulus bill, but he voted for a job-killing cap-and-trade bill and flipped his healthcare vote from “no” to “yes,” demonstrating the influence Pelosi and union bosses have over him.
Republican candidate Chris Gibson – a decorated Army colonel and hero – grew up in Columbia County in the town of Kinderhook. He went on to graduate magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Siena College, earning an ROTC Commission while there and receiving an MPA and Ph.D in Government from Cornell University. Gibson dedicated 24 years of service to the United States Army, rising to the rank of colonel and serving on seven deployments. Gibson’s distinguished service has earned him an array of prestigious military decorations, including the Purple Heart. In addition to his military service, Gibson is the author of Securing the State, a book on national security decision making, and has taught American Politics at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He also served as a Congressional Fellow with U.S. Representative Jerry Lewis (R-CA).
Scott Murphy barely won in 2009, scraping through with just over 700 votes. Now, he not only faces an anti-Democrat environment but also a strong Republican challenger who is ready to hold him accountable for repeatedly letting down New York families on job creation and fiscal responsibility.
History: The 20th District is traditionally right leaning, having been held by Republicans since the 1970s until Gillibrand, a moderate Democrat, was able to win the district in 2006 from incumbent conservative Republican John Sweeney by a small margin. Barack Obama narrowly won the district with 50.7%. In 2004, George W. Bush carried the district with an 8-point margin. This Albany-area district is currently rated by the Cook Political Report as R+2.
Geography: New York’s 20th Congressional District is a largely rural district which includes much of the Hudson Valley and surrounds the Albany metro area. The district includes the counties of Warren, Washington, Columbia and Green.
NY-22 (Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D)
Since his election in 1992, longtime Democrat incumbent Maurice Hinchey has remained a reliable rubberstamp for his party leaders. Having voted with his party 97.5 percent of the time, Hinchey has repeatedly put New Yorkers’ jobs on the line for the sake of his partisan loyalty. After voting for his party’s healthcare overhaul, a failed trillion-dollar stimulus and a job-killing cap-and-trade bill, it is obvious that the livelihood of New York families is not of the upmost importance to him. Hinchey and his out-of-touch Washington friends have continued to force their tax-and-spend policies on struggling families in light of a $13 trillion deficit and rampant joblessness.
Unlike Hinchey, tonight’s primary winner, George Phillips, is determined to put New York’s economy on a stronger path. Phillips is a former congressional staffer and a teacher who is dedicated to looking out for the interests of New York families. Through hard work, Phillips obtained the Thomas Watson Scholarship from IBM, which helped him pay for college at Villanova University. After graduating summa cum laude in 1998, George was accepted to the University of Notre Dame’s volunteer teacher training program. Through the program, he left to teach high school in Louisiana for two years and obtained a master’s degree from Notre Dame. Phillips briefly taught as a substitute in Washington, D.C.’s inner city public schools before working for Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey. While working for Rep. Smith, Phillips specialized in foreign affairs, business, immigration and senior issues. Phillips currently teaches at Seton Catholic Central and Broome Community College.
With an understanding of the problems in Washington and the difficulties struggling New York families are currently facing, Phillips is ready to stand up to longtime Washington insider Maurice Hinchey.
History: Politically, the district has Democratic roots, voting for both Obama in 2008 and Kerry in 2004. Despite the history of the district, voters have grown angry as out-of-touch Democrat Hinchey has voted numerous times to put their jobs at risk and stick them with higher taxes and more regulation.
Geography: New York’s 22nd Congressional District is expansive, covering parts of the Hudson Valley, and including all of Sullivan and Ulster counties and most of the Catskills. The district also includes the population centers of Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Binghampton and Ithaca – home of Cornell University.
NY-23 (Rep. Bill Owens, D)
Bill Owens was recently elected to Congress in 2009 after Republican John McHugh left to serve as the United States Secretary of the Army. Owens wasted no time proving he was another partisan Democrat, rubberstamping his party’s disastrous healthcare bill within days of arriving to Congress, even though it meant breaking campaign promises. Since then, Owens has repeatedly shown why he is dangerous to New York’s economy, voting with his party 92.9 percent of the time and supporting his party’s reckless tax-and-spend agenda.
Ready to challenge Owens is tonight’s primary winner, Republican Matt Doheny, who has spent his career working in the business world, where he has a proven track record of helping large companies reorganize, recover from bankruptcy and subsequently save jobs and prosper. In the midst of an economic crisis, Doheny has the experience to help turn around the ailing economy and bring much-needed jobs to the North Country, Adirondack Region and Central New York. Doheny earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Allegheny College where he graduated cum lade. He later earned his juris doctorate in Business and Contract Law from Cornell Law School. After practicing law for a few years, Doheny ventured into the private sector, where he worked as a Managing Director for Troubled Assets at Deutsche Bank. Now, Doheny is working as a portfolio manager for Fintech Advisory.
History: Historically the district has been a Republican stronghold, voting for President George W. Bush, who won in 2008 with 51 percent of the vote. Since 1993, Republican John McHugh held the seat until he left to serve as the United States Secretary of the Army. The district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+1.
Geography: New York’s 23rd Congressional District includes the North Country, taking in Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Adirondacks Forest Preserve and Lake Ontario. The district also includes Madison County and the population centers of Plattsburgh, Watertown and Oswego.
NY-24 (Rep. Michael Arcuri, D)
Michael Arcuri was elected to this seat in 2006 after 12-term Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, a Republican centrist, announced his retirement. Since taking office, Arcuri has quickly earned the label of a partisan Democrat, voting for the failed trillion-dollar stimulus experiment – which is sure to be a target on his back this campaign season. When it comes to helping his party pass reckless spending plans, Arcuri has been a loyal Democrat. He’s refused to stand up to Speaker Pelosi when it comes to her agenda of higher taxes and more reckless spending, contributing to a struggling economy that has left middle-class families suffering.
As a lifelong resident of Upstate New York and a successful entrepreneur, Richard Hanna knows what it takes to create jobs and build a business from the ground up. After graduating college, Richard started Hanna Construction, which over 25 years went from working alone on small residential projects to completing a multitude of commercial and municipal projects across New York State. In addition to being a successful business owner, Hanna is a member of the Foundation on Economic Education. Hanna is not only a proven job creator, but he’s also a public servant to Central New Yorkers. His philanthropic work has earned him numerous awards, such as the 2007 Rosamond Childs Award and he was honored by the YWCA for “Being a Champion of Women.” Hanna almost defeated Arcuri in 2008 in a favorable environment for Democrats, but now that the tides have turned this rematch will have a different ending. After earning the Conservative and Independence party lines this year, Hanna has the momentum to unseat Washington insider Michael Arcuri this November.
History: New York’s 24th Congressional District is historically right of center, trending more Democratic during the 1990s and especially during the Clinton years. Bush carried this district very narrowly in 2000 and more comfortably in 2004 with 53 percent, but in 2008 Obama carried it by two points.
Geography: This district sprawls through portions of 11 different counties in Central New York, and few of these are considered to be heavy populated. The most populous towns are along the Finger Lakes, especially Auburn in Cayuga County. Utica and Rome are included in this district, as is Seneca Falls—the birthplace of the women’s movement in 1848.
NY-25 (Rep. Dan Maffei, D)
In 2008, Washington insider Dan Maffei road the Democratic wave and Obama’s short-lived coattails to victory, defeating Republican candidate Dale Sweetland after Republican Rep. James Walsh retired. Maffei has voted with Nancy Pelosi 96.3% of the time over the past two years, which has made his constituents, and most notably independents, tired of the same old Washington politics. A former aide to the corrupt Congressman Charlie Rangel, Maffei refuses to stand up to his Washington leaders, even when it comes to reigning in ethics scandals plaguing his party. He voted for the failed stimulus, a job-killing cap-and-trade bill, and his party’s government healthcare takeover, fully supporting the current Administration’s out-of-control spending with a complete disregard for America’s future. In the past two years, all Maffei has proven is that he’s just another unimpressive Pelosi puppet, one who holds his party’s agenda above his constituents’ interests.
Challenging Maffei is Republican candidate Ann Marie Buerkle, who also has the Conservative and Independence party lines. A native of Auburn, New York, Ann Marie is a nurse and accomplished attorney working in healthcare. After graduating as an R.N. from St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing, Buerkle went on to obtain her law degree from Syracuse University School of Law. She now works as an Assistant New York State Attorney General. Buerkle is dedicated to providing quality and affordable healthcare, but not at the expense of struggling middle-class families. As a small business owner for over twenty years, Buerkle knows that higher taxes, government expansion and exorbitant energy costs are driving businesses and jobs from Upstate New York.
Voters are frustrated with Maffei’s ties to Rangel and with his party’s failure to turn the economy around. Republican challenger Ann Marie Buerkle is generating momentum across the region as she gears up to put this seat back in the GOP column.
History: New York’s 25th Congressional District was consistently in the Republican column from 1971 – 2008, until former Rep. James Walsh’s retirement. The 25th District has an influential voting bloc of independents who, because of the shifting tide of this year’s mid-term elections, could easily send a Republican back into office come this November. The Cook PVI in this district is D+3.
Geography: The 25th District includes Syracuse, the northeastern suburbs of Rochester, Onondaga and Wayne counties, as well as 100 miles of Lake Ontario shoreline and large portions of the Erie Canal.
Open Seat:
NY-29 (Rep. Eric Massa, D)
With the retirement of scandal-plagued Democrat Eric Massa, this seat looks like a strong pick-up opportunity for the GOP this fall. In 2008, Massa barely made it through a bruising 2008 general election after being outspent by his Republican opponent and only narrowly winning 51 to 49 percent. Former Republican Representative Amo Houghton held this seat from 1986 until his retirement in 2004, and both McCain and Bush handily won this district, making it ripe for a GOP pickup. New York’s economy has struggled greatly under the Democrats’ job-killing policies, which is why Tom Reed is well-positioned to be the next congressman for NY-29.
Reed has demonstrated leadership abilities throughout his life and career. He was admitted to the NYS Bar in February of 1997 and worked as an attorney in Rochester until 1999. Reed became Mayor of the City of Corning in November of 2007. He also co-owns several businesses in real estate, mortgage brokerage, and a golf course recreational facility located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. As a business owner, Reed knows how to create jobs and offers Western New Yorkers a fresh perspective to solve problems and an unwavering commitment to the region. He lives in the same house his grandfather built and continuously gives back to the local community.
Reed will face 28-year-old Democratic candidate Mathew Zeller. Zeller is a United States Army veteran of the Afghan war and a graduate of Hamilton College where he earned a degree in government and a masters degree in International Relations and Public Administration. Unlike Republican candidate Tom Reed, Zeller is inexperienced, lacking what it takes to address New York’s ailing economy. Proving that he would come to Washington as another loyal Democrat rubberstamp, Zeller has openly stated he would have supported the Democrats’ disastrous trillion-dollar stimulus which failed to create jobs.
New York’s 29th District voters have a clear choice: Pick a candidate who represents the same failed policies that have piled up debt, increased taxes and failed to create jobs, or choose someone who offers a fresh perspective, strong leadership and a commitment to fiscal discipline.
History: New York’s 29th Congressional District was held by the popular Republican Amo Houghton from 1986 until his retirement in 2004. Proving that this district will soon be back in Republican hands, Charlie Cook recently rated the district “likely Republican” and gives it a PVI rating of R+5. In 2008, John McCain beat Barack Obama by three points, 51% to 48%, and in 2004 the GOP presidential ticket won by 15%.
Geography: New York’s 29th Congressional District stretches across eight counties with Monroe in the north then south to the Pennsylvania border. This seat includes the towns of Olean, Hornell, Corning, Elmira and Canandaigua.
Election Results:
The following are the unofficial results from Tuesday’s primary election in New York. These results are UNOFFICIAL AND INCOMPLETE until certified by the New York Secretary of State.
*Denotes winner
NY-01 (R)
Randy Altschuler 45.1%*
George Demos 30.7%
Chris Cox 24.2%
NY-04 (R)
Francis Becker 49.8%*
Frank Scatturo 37%
Daniel Maloney 13.3%
NY-13 (R)
Michael Grimm 68.6%
Michael Allegretti 31.4%
NY-15 (D)
Charlie Rangel 50.5%*
Adam Clayton Powell 23.3%
Joyce Johnson 12.7%
NY-19 (R)
Nan Hayworth 69.7%*
Neil DiCarlo 30.3 %
NY-23 (R)
Matt Doheny 52.8%*
Doug Hoffman 47.2%