New York delegation could lose seniority, strength in Congress after August primary election
NEW YORK -- New York voters go to the polls Tuesday in a primary election to select candidates for the 26 congressional seats up for grabs in November.
CBS2 political reporter Marcia Kramer says that no matter what happens, the redrawing of district lines means the Empire State will likely lose power and experience in Washington.
It's a game of musical chairs for the candidates vying to represent Upper Manhattan in Washington next year, but when the music stops, one, or possibly two, of the most powerful members of Congress in the capital may find themselves without a seat.
The newly re-drawn 12th Congressional District pits House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney against Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler. A third candidate, Suraj Patel, is hoping to topple both long-time power brokers.
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"While some people may say that turnover is good, it does, at a very critical, crucial time in our country, mean that there is going to be some loss in seniority and strength in the New York delegation," political consultant Basil Smikle said. "You can potentially lose one of two lions of liberal politics."
That's not the only race where a sitting congressman could find himself plum out of luck.
Jamaal Bowman, a staunchly progressive lawmaker, is in the fight of his life with challengers Vedat Gashi, Mark Jaffe and Catherine Parker. The re-drawn 16th District replaced parts of his Bronx district with more moderate Westchester communities.
Nita Lowey, who represented Westchester for decades, has endorsed Gashi.
VOTER GUIDE: Deadlines and details for August 2022 primary election
The 10th Congressional Distrcit in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn could also send a sitting congressman packing. It's a six-way contest between Daniel Goldman, Elizabeth Holtzman, Congressman Mondaire Jones, Yuh-Line Niou, Carlina Rivera and Jo Anne Simon.
Jones decided to run in the 10th after another sitting congressman, Sean Patrick Maloney, decided to run in Jones' Westchester district.
Smikle says losing experienced hands in Washington can make it more difficult to bring home the bacon because seniority gives you clout.
"It can also create challenges for Chuck Schumer, for Mayor Adams, for Governor Hochul as they try to get resources from D.C. to implement their projects," Smikle said.
In all of these races, absentee ballots could be key. After all, it's a late summer primary, and a lot of people are on vacation.