A number of New York state Senate races, especially in the Hudson Valley, hang in the balance, awaiting absentee ballot counting to see if Democrats gain ground. Two congressional races that are closer than expected expose a rift in the Democratic Party and the strength of Republicans regardless of President Trump’s actions. So says Dr. Dan McCarthy, an adjunct professor at Manhattanville College in Westchester County who specializes in American government. He spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne.
Progressive Democrats Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones have declared victory in New York’s 16th and 17th House Districts, respectively. Bowman defeated longtime Congressman Eliot Engel in a June primary and Jones defeated a slate of candidates after Congresswoman Nita Lowey said she would not seek re-election to a 17th term. Races were much closer further north, where incumbent Democratic Congressmen Antonio Delgado, of the 19th District, and Sean Patrick Maloney, of the 18th District, have declared victory, expressing confidence that absentee ballots will weigh heavily in their favor. Their Republican challengers, Kyle Van De Water and Chele Farley, respectively, will not concede, saying they’ll wait until all votes are counted. Manhattanville College’s McCarthy says the victory declarations could very well be warranted.
