United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2006
Encyclopedia
On November 7, 2006, New York
, along with the rest of the country held elections for the United States House of Representatives. Democrats picked up 3 House seats, the 19th
, the 20th
, and the 24th
.
In federal elections, the Empire State has consistently handed its vote to Democratic candidates. Of New York's twenty-nine congressional districts, all but ten are centered around heavily liberal and Democratic New York City and its surrounding suburbs, including Long Island and Westchester County. In addition, Democrats were also predicting easy victories in the double digits for its gubernatorial candidate, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
, and Senator Hillary Clinton. In 2002, a reapportionment was conducted and was planned as what is described as "a bipartisan incumbent protection plan". Many of the Republican-held districts were won by George W. Bush in the 2000 election while he lost statewide by a 25% margin. The primary was held on September 12, 2006. On September 11, the New York Times reported that Democrats were becoming less optimistic they could win Republican held House seats in New York this year. However, this turned out not to be the case as three districts elected Democrats over their Republican challengers, two of them incumbents. Projections regarding the senate and gubernatorial races were correct: Clinton held on to her place in the Senate with her nearest competitor trailing by more than half, and Spitzer was elected governor.
Delegation
(R) was elected for his sixth term by a healthy margin in 2004, 63% to 37%, but King is the only Republican congressman left on Long Island
, where Republicans once were the majority party. Although King has broken with his party on a few key issues, he is potentially vulnerable in a district that is increasingly moderate
to liberal
. Nassau County
Legislator Dave Mejias
announced his candidacy on May 25 http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/ny-lidems254755798may25,0,2096172.story?coll=ny-lipolitics-headlines and was King's strongest opponent in years. An October 26 Majority-Watch poll had King leading Mejias 51% to 44% http://constituentdynamics.com/mw/race-summary. CQPolitics rating: Republican Favored. Results: King was re-elected to another term in the House, garnering 56% of the vote.
(D) retired after 12 terms. In 2004 Owens was reelected with 94% of the vote in this majority African-American district in the center of Brooklyn
. The Democratic primary was won by New York City Councilwoman Yvette Clarke. Little-known Republican physician
Steve Finger was also running for the open seat. CQPolitics rating: Safe Democratic. Results: Yvette Clarke was a strong winner with 89% of the vote.
had long been reelected without trouble in this district, based in Staten Island
and the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn. But in 2004, his share of the vote dropped dramatically against an underfunded opponent. Lawyer and Bay Ridge community leader Steve Harrison http://www.harrison06.com is the 2006 Democratic candidate. Fossella is the only Republican in New York City's Congressional delegation. CQPolitics rating: Safe Republican. Results: Fossella won with 57% of the vote.
, won the Democratic nomination with 49% of the vote in a multi-candidate primary. An October 26 Majority-Watch poll had him leading 49% to 47% http://constituentdynamics.com/mw/race-summary. Several factors played into Kelly's defeat, including the extremely weak GOP showing in the senatorial and gubernatorial races, her reluctance to answer questions about the Mark Foley
Page
Scandal, and Hall's quirky campaign style, which included an appearance on the satirical Comedy Central
program The Colbert Report. Following Hall's election, Stephen Colbert
took credit for the victory and attributed it entirely to Hall's appearance on the show. Hall appeared several days later to satirically thank the host for his seat in Congress. 'Results:: Hall won with 51% of the vote.
(R) had never really had any election troubles up until now. Sweeney, however, had had issues over a remark he made about his Democratic opponent, Kirsten Gillibrand
, saying that she was "a pretty face". This rural and suburban district is among the more Republican in the Northeast. Sweeney has a politically moderate stance. An October 15–16 Majority Watch poll had Gillibrand leading Sweeney 54% to 41% http://www.constituentdynamics.com/mw/2006/pdf/racesummary.pdf. A November 2 Siena poll had Gillibrand leading Sweeney 46% to 43% http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--congress-20thdist1105nov05,0,2240978.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork. Libertarian Eric Sundwall and Liberal Party candidate Morris Guller were also challenging Sweeney. Cook Political Report rating: Toss-up. CQPolitics rating: No clear favorite. Results: Gillibrand took over from Swenney with 53% of the vote.
(R) announced his retirement after twenty-four years, making this a seat of considerable focus for the Democrats in the followup to the mid-terms. Boehlert is considered a moderate Republican, and the district is considered to be a swing district. George Bush won this district by 53% in the 2004 election, but by only 3,000 votes in the 2000 presidential election. The Republican nominee is moderate state Senator Ray Meier, while the Democratic nominee is Oneida County
District Attorney Mike Arcuri
. Both are locally popular and proven vote-getters and the race was a toss-up. CQPolitics rating: No Clear Favorite. Cook Political Report rating: Republican Toss-Up. Results: Swings to the Democrats, with Arcuri winning 54% of the vote.
(R), ran unopposed in 2004 and while the Syracuse
-based district hasn't had a Democrat represent it since 1971, John Kerry won the district in 2004 by 2.5%. Thus, Walsh had the unusual distinction of being the only Republican to win unopposed and not have George W. Bush
win his district. Democrats were fielding former congressional aide Dan Maffei
. An October 15–16 Majority Watch poll had Maffei leading Walsh 51% to 43%http://www.constituentdynamics.com/mw/2006/pdf/racesummary.pdf. Cook Political Report rating: Likely Republican. Results: Walsh kept the district, winning with 51% of the vote.
(R), the National Republican Congressional Committee
Chairman, faced a rematch with local industrialist and Marine
Veteran
Jack Davis
. While the district leans substantially Republican, Reynolds was held to 55% of the vote in 2004 by political neophyte Davis, who had used the intervening time to build a political base. He campaigned against Reynolds' support of free trade, which he claimed had cost the district thousands of well-paying jobs. Reynolds is one of the Republican party's premiere fund-raisers, but Davis is independently wealthy, and vowed to spend up to $2 million on his campaign. Reynolds held a small lead in the polls until the Mark Foley scandal
broke at the end of September. Reynolds had some knowledge of Foley's e-mails, and his chief of staff, Kirk Fordham
, formerly Foley's chief of staff, was more directly involved. A November 3 SurveyUSA poll had Reynolds leading Davis 50% to 46% with 4% undecided.http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportEmail.aspx?g=9cc9edf9-41d3-4ffb-ba4b-7025dad45d0b. In the space of just a week CQPolitics changed their rating from Safe Republican, to Leans Republican, and then again to Leans Democratic. Results: Reynolds won a close race with 51% of the vote.
(R) was elected with 50% in a three-way race in 2004. He faced a potentially strong challenge from former U.S. Navy officer Eric Massa, a long-time friend of 2004 presidential candidate General Wesley Clark
. Massa had been an extremely adept fundraiser and became a darling of the netroots with numerous favorable articles on popular progressive weblogs such as dailykos.com and mydd.com. In March, President Bush visited the district, in part as a boost to Kuhl's re-election campaign. An October 26 Majority-Watch poll had Massa leading Kuhl 53% to 42%. http://constituentdynamics.com/mw/race-summary. Cook Political Report rating: Lean Republican. CQPolitics rating: Leans Republican. Results: Kuhl won with 52% of the vote.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, along with the rest of the country held elections for the United States House of Representatives. Democrats picked up 3 House seats, the 19th
New York's 19th congressional district
United States House of Representatives, New York District 19 is located in the southern part of the state of New York. District 19 lies north of New York City and is composed of parts of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, in addition to the entirety of Putnam County.District 19...
, the 20th
New York's 20th congressional district
The 20th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in eastern New York. It includes all or parts of Columbia, Dutchess, Delaware, Essex, Greene, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties. It includes the...
, and the 24th
New York's 24th congressional district
The 24th Congressional District of New York includes all or parts of Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins counties.This district is currently represented by Republican Richard L...
.
In federal elections, the Empire State has consistently handed its vote to Democratic candidates. Of New York's twenty-nine congressional districts, all but ten are centered around heavily liberal and Democratic New York City and its surrounding suburbs, including Long Island and Westchester County. In addition, Democrats were also predicting easy victories in the double digits for its gubernatorial candidate, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
, and Senator Hillary Clinton. In 2002, a reapportionment was conducted and was planned as what is described as "a bipartisan incumbent protection plan". Many of the Republican-held districts were won by George W. Bush in the 2000 election while he lost statewide by a 25% margin. The primary was held on September 12, 2006. On September 11, the New York Times reported that Democrats were becoming less optimistic they could win Republican held House seats in New York this year. However, this turned out not to be the case as three districts elected Democrats over their Republican challengers, two of them incumbents. Projections regarding the senate and gubernatorial races were correct: Clinton held on to her place in the Senate with her nearest competitor trailing by more than half, and Spitzer was elected governor.
DelegationUnited States Congressional Delegations from New YorkThese are tables of congressional delegations from New York to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.Over the years, New York has demographically changed so that it is hard to consider each district to be a continuation of the same numbered district before...
Composition
| 2006 pre-election | Seats |
|
| Democratic-Held | 20 | |
| Republican-Held | 9 | |
| 2006 post-election | Seats |
|
| Democratic-Held | 23 | |
| Republican-Held | 6 | |
Results
| District | Incumbent | Party | Elected | Status | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Bishop Tim Bishop Timothy H. "Tim" Bishop is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold, Southampton,... |
Democrat | 2002 | Reelected | Tim Bishop Tim Bishop Timothy H. "Tim" Bishop is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold, Southampton,... (D) 62.2% Italo Zanzi Italo Zanzi Italo Zanzi, , is Deputy General Secretary of CONCACAF, The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football, and serves as Executive Vice President of the organization’s commercial arm, CONCACAF Marketing & TV,based in Miami Beach, Florida... (R) 37.8% |
|
| Steve Israel Steve Israel Steve J. Israel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located on Long Island and includes the towns of Huntington, Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County, part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, and the... |
Democrat | 2000 | Reelected | Steve Israel Steve Israel Steve J. Israel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located on Long Island and includes the towns of Huntington, Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County, part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, and the... (D) 70.4% | |
| Peter King Peter T. King Peter T. "Pete" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. King's central Long Island district includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties.... |
Republican | 1992 | Reelected | Peter King Peter T. King Peter T. "Pete" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. King's central Long Island district includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties.... (R) 56.0% David Mejias (D) 44.0% |
|
| Carolyn McCarthy Carolyn McCarthy Carolyn McCarthy is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located in central Long Island in west-central Nassau County and includes Mineola, the Five Towns, East Rockaway, Rockville Centre, Oceanside, Garden City, Hempstead,... |
Democrat | 1996 | Reelected | Carolyn McCarthy Carolyn McCarthy Carolyn McCarthy is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located in central Long Island in west-central Nassau County and includes Mineola, the Five Towns, East Rockaway, Rockville Centre, Oceanside, Garden City, Hempstead,... (D) 64.9% Martin Blessinger (R) 35.1% |
|
| Gary Ackerman Gary Ackerman Gary Leonard Ackerman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 1983. He is a member of the Democratic Party... |
Democrat | 1983 | Reelected | Gary Ackerman Gary Ackerman Gary Leonard Ackerman is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 1983. He is a member of the Democratic Party... (D) unopposed |
|
| Gregory Meeks Gregory Meeks Gregory Weldon Meeks is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Southeastern Queens including Jamaica, Laurelton, Rosedale, Saint Albans, Springfield Gardens, and Far Rockaway, as well as John F. Kennedy International... |
Democrat | 1998 | Reelected | Gregory Meeks Gregory Meeks Gregory Weldon Meeks is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Southeastern Queens including Jamaica, Laurelton, Rosedale, Saint Albans, Springfield Gardens, and Far Rockaway, as well as John F. Kennedy International... (D) unopposed |
|
| Joseph Crowley Joseph Crowley Joseph Crowley is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is the Chairman of the New Democrat Coalition and the Queens County Democratic Party. He is a member of the Democratic Party.... |
Democrat | 1998 | Reelected | Joseph Crowley Joseph Crowley Joseph Crowley is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is the Chairman of the New Democrat Coalition and the Queens County Democratic Party. He is a member of the Democratic Party.... (D) 84.0% Kevin Brawley (R) 16.0% |
|
| Jerrold Nadler Jerrold Nadler Jerrold Lewis "Jerry" Nadler is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1992. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes the west side of Manhattan from the Upper West Side down to Battery Park, including the site where the World Trade Center stood... |
Democrat | 1992 | Reelected | Jerrold Nadler Jerrold Nadler Jerrold Lewis "Jerry" Nadler is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1992. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes the west side of Manhattan from the Upper West Side down to Battery Park, including the site where the World Trade Center stood... (D) 85.0% Eleanor Friedman (R) 13.6% Dennis Adornato (Cons) 1.4% |
|
| Anthony Weiner | Democrat | 1998 | Reelected | Anthony Weiner (D) unopposed | |
| Ed Towns Ed Towns Edolphus "Ed" Towns is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1983, and the former Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He is a member of the Democratic Party... |
Democrat | 1982 | Reelected | Ed Towns Ed Towns Edolphus "Ed" Towns is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1983, and the former Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He is a member of the Democratic Party... (D) 92.2% Jonathan Anderson (R) 5.9% Ernest Johnson (Cons) 1.9% |
|
| Major Owens Major Owens Major Robert Odell Owens is a New York politician and a prominent member of the Democratic Party. He is also a former Congressman, having represented the state's 11th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He retired at the end of his term in January 2007 and was... |
Democrat | 1982 | Retired | Yvette Clarke (D) 90.0% Stephen Finger (R) 7.6% Mariana Blume (Cons) 1.4% Ollie McClean (Freedom) 1.0% |
|
| Nydia Velazquez Nydia Velázquez Nydia Margarita Velázquez is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes residential areas of three boroughs... |
Democrat | 1992 | Reelected | Nydia Velazquez Nydia Velázquez Nydia Margarita Velázquez is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes residential areas of three boroughs... (D) 89.7% Allan Romaguera (R) 10.3% |
|
| Vito Fossella Vito Fossella Vito John Fossella, Jr. is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of New York who formerly represented the state's 13th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms, from 1997 to 2009 serving as the lone Republican from New York City. Fossella, a Staten Island... |
Republican | 1997 | Reelected | Vito Fossella Vito Fossella Vito John Fossella, Jr. is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of New York who formerly represented the state's 13th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms, from 1997 to 2009 serving as the lone Republican from New York City. Fossella, a Staten Island... (R) 56.8% Steve Harrison (D) 43.2% |
|
| Carolyn Maloney | Democrat | 1992 | Reelected | Carolyn Maloney (D) 84.5% Danniel Maio (R) 15.5% |
|
| Charles Rangel | Democrat | 1970 | Reelected | Charles Rangel (D) 94.0% Edward Daniels Edward Daniels Edward Daniels was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved west to Wisconsin at the age of 21 to pursue a career as a geologist and academic... (R) 6.0% |
|
| Jose Serrano | Democrat | 1990 | Reelected | Jose Serrano (D) 95.3% Ali Mohamed (R) 4.7% |
|
| Eliot Engel | Democrat | 1988 | Reelected | Eliot Engel (D) 76.4% Jim Faulkner Jim Faulkner James Leroy Faulkner was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched from 1927-1930.-External links:... (R) 23.6% |
|
| Nita Lowey Nita Lowey Nita Melnikoff Lowey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously represented the 20th district from 1989 to 1993.-Early life, education and career:... |
Democrat | 1988 | Reelected | Nita Lowey Nita Lowey Nita Melnikoff Lowey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously represented the 20th district from 1989 to 1993.-Early life, education and career:... (D) 70.7% Richard A. Hoffman Richard A. Hoffman Richard A. Hoffman is a politician and investment banker from the U.S. state of New York. In the 2004 election, he challenged incumbent U.S. Representative Nita Lowey, but was defeated, taking only 30% of the vote in New York's 18th congressional district . In 2006 he ran again, again taking 30%... (R) 29.3% |
|
| Sue Kelly | Republican | 1994 | Defeated | John Hall (D) 51.2% Sue Kelly (R) 48.8% |
|
| John Sweeney John E. Sweeney John E. Sweeney is a politician from the U.S. state of New York. A Republican, he represented New York's 20th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from January 1999 to January 2007. He was defeated for reelection in November 2006 by Democrat Kirsten... |
Republican | 1998 | Defeated | Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party... (D) 53.1% John Sweeney John E. Sweeney John E. Sweeney is a politician from the U.S. state of New York. A Republican, he represented New York's 20th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from January 1999 to January 2007. He was defeated for reelection in November 2006 by Democrat Kirsten... (R) 46.9% |
|
| Mike McNulty | Democrat | 1988 | Reelected | Mike McNulty (D) 78.2% Warren Redlich Warren Redlich Warren Redlich is a lawyer and politician from Guilderland, New York. In 2004 and 2006, Redlich ran for US Congress for the 21st District of New York State as a Republican. In 2005, he briefly served as the Political Director of the Libertarian Party of New York. He is currently a town councilman... (R) 21.8% |
|
| Maurice Hinchey Maurice Hinchey Maurice Dunlea Hinchey , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party... |
Democrat | 1992 | Reelected | Maurice Hinchey Maurice Hinchey Maurice Dunlea Hinchey , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party... (D) unopposed |
|
| John McHugh John M. McHugh John Michael McHugh is the 21st United States Secretary of the Army and a former Republican politician from the state of New York, formerly representing the state's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.On June 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him to... |
Republican | 1992 | Reelected | John McHugh John M. McHugh John Michael McHugh is the 21st United States Secretary of the Army and a former Republican politician from the state of New York, formerly representing the state's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.On June 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated him to... (R) 63.1% Robert Johnson (D) 36.9% |
|
| Sherwood Boehlert Sherwood Boehlert Sherwood "Sherry" Louis Boehlert is a retired American politician from New York. He represented upstate New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 until 2007. Boehlert, a Republican, was considered to be a member of the party's moderate wing. In 2003, Utica Union Station was... |
Republican | 1982 | Retired | Mike Arcuri Mike Arcuri Michael Angelo "Mike" Arcuri is the former U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He lost re-election on November 2, 2010, to Republican Richard L... (D) 53.9% Ray Meier (R) 45.0% Mike Sylvia (L) 1.1% |
|
| Jim Walsh James T. Walsh James Thomas "Jim" Walsh is an American Republican politician from Syracuse, New York. In 2009, he retired after representing a portion of Central New York, that is now known as the state's 25th Congressional District, in the United States House of Representatives for twenty years.-Early... |
Republican | 1988 | Reelected | Jim Walsh James T. Walsh James Thomas "Jim" Walsh is an American Republican politician from Syracuse, New York. In 2009, he retired after representing a portion of Central New York, that is now known as the state's 25th Congressional District, in the United States House of Representatives for twenty years.-Early... (R) 50.8% Dan Maffei Dan Maffei Daniel Benjamin "Dan" Maffei is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011, and currently a senior adviser at law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. He is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for his old seat in 2012.-Early life, education and career:Maffei was born in... (D) 49.2% |
|
| Tom Reynolds Thomas M. Reynolds Thomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives... |
Republican | 1998 | Reelected | Tom Reynolds Thomas M. Reynolds Thomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives... (R) 52.0% Jack Davis Jack Davis (industrialist) John "Jack" Davis is an American industrialist and politician from Newstead, New York. He made his fourth bid for New York's 26th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the special election held on May 24, 2011. The election was held to fill the seat vacated by... (D) 48.0% |
|
| Brian Higgins Brian Higgins Brian Higgins is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the southern two-thirds of Buffalo proper, most of that city's eastern and southern suburbs, and all of Chautauqua County.-Early life, education and career:A native of... |
Democrat | 2004 | Reelected | Brian Higgins Brian Higgins Brian Higgins is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the southern two-thirds of Buffalo proper, most of that city's eastern and southern suburbs, and all of Chautauqua County.-Early life, education and career:A native of... (D) 79.3% Michael McHale (R) 20.7% |
|
| Louise Slaughter | Democrat | 1986 | Reelected | Louise Slaughter (D) 73.2% John Donnelly (R) 26.8% |
|
| Randy Kuhl Randy Kuhl John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. is an American Republican politician, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He represented New York's 29th congressional district for two terms before being defeated for reelection by Eric Massa on November 4, 2008 by margin of... |
Republican | 2004 | Reelected | Randy Kuhl Randy Kuhl John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. is an American Republican politician, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He represented New York's 29th congressional district for two terms before being defeated for reelection by Eric Massa on November 4, 2008 by margin of... (R) 51.5% Eric Massa Eric Massa -March to the Primaries:Freshman incumbent Randy Kuhl had been elected to Congress with slightly over 50% of the popular vote in a three way race in 2004. In early 2005, former U.S. Naval officer Eric J.J. Massa, a long-time friend of 2004 presidential candidate General Wesley Clark filed to run... (D) 48.5% |
3rd District
Incumbent Peter KingPeter T. King
Peter T. "Pete" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party. King's central Long Island district includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties....
(R) was elected for his sixth term by a healthy margin in 2004, 63% to 37%, but King is the only Republican congressman left on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, where Republicans once were the majority party. Although King has broken with his party on a few key issues, he is potentially vulnerable in a district that is increasingly moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
to liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
. Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
Legislator Dave Mejias
Dave Mejias
David L. "Dave" Mejias is an American politician. He was the Democratic candidate for the New York State Senate sixth district seat, which is currently held by 34 year incumbent , until he dropped out of the race due to pending allegations...
announced his candidacy on May 25 http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/ny-lidems254755798may25,0,2096172.story?coll=ny-lipolitics-headlines and was King's strongest opponent in years. An October 26 Majority-Watch poll had King leading Mejias 51% to 44% http://constituentdynamics.com/mw/race-summary. CQPolitics rating: Republican Favored. Results: King was re-elected to another term in the House, garnering 56% of the vote.
11th District
Incumbent Major OwensMajor Owens
Major Robert Odell Owens is a New York politician and a prominent member of the Democratic Party. He is also a former Congressman, having represented the state's 11th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He retired at the end of his term in January 2007 and was...
(D) retired after 12 terms. In 2004 Owens was reelected with 94% of the vote in this majority African-American district in the center of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. The Democratic primary was won by New York City Councilwoman Yvette Clarke. Little-known Republican physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Steve Finger was also running for the open seat. CQPolitics rating: Safe Democratic. Results: Yvette Clarke was a strong winner with 89% of the vote.
13th District
Since easily winning a special election in 1997, Republican incumbent Vito FossellaVito Fossella
Vito John Fossella, Jr. is a U.S. Republican politician from the state of New York who formerly represented the state's 13th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms, from 1997 to 2009 serving as the lone Republican from New York City. Fossella, a Staten Island...
had long been reelected without trouble in this district, based in Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
and the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn. But in 2004, his share of the vote dropped dramatically against an underfunded opponent. Lawyer and Bay Ridge community leader Steve Harrison http://www.harrison06.com is the 2006 Democratic candidate. Fossella is the only Republican in New York City's Congressional delegation. CQPolitics rating: Safe Republican. Results: Fossella won with 57% of the vote.
19th District
Incumbent Sue Kelly (R) had rarely faced stiff competition since her initial election in 1994, but the Democratic primary attracted six contenders in 2006, two of whom dropped out before the primary. Former Ulster County Legislator John Hall, who was once a member of the popular rock band, OrleansOrleans (band)
Orleans is an American pop-rock band best known for its hits "Dance with Me" , "Still the One", from the album Waking and Dreaming and "Love Takes Time" . The group's name evolved from the music it was playing at the time of their formation, which was inspired by Louisiana artists such as Allen...
, won the Democratic nomination with 49% of the vote in a multi-candidate primary. An October 26 Majority-Watch poll had him leading 49% to 47% http://constituentdynamics.com/mw/race-summary. Several factors played into Kelly's defeat, including the extremely weak GOP showing in the senatorial and gubernatorial races, her reluctance to answer questions about the Mark Foley
Mark Foley
Mark Adam Foley is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1995 until 2006, representing the 16th District of Florida as a member of the Republican Party....
Page
United States House of Representatives Page
United States House of Representatives Page Program was a program run by the United States House of Representatives, under the office of the Clerk of the House, in which appointed high school juniors acted as non-partisan federal employees in the House of Representatives, providing supplemental...
Scandal, and Hall's quirky campaign style, which included an appearance on the satirical Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
program The Colbert Report. Following Hall's election, Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
took credit for the victory and attributed it entirely to Hall's appearance on the show. Hall appeared several days later to satirically thank the host for his seat in Congress. 'Results:: Hall won with 51% of the vote.
20th District
Incumbent John E. SweeneyJohn E. Sweeney
John E. Sweeney is a politician from the U.S. state of New York. A Republican, he represented New York's 20th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from January 1999 to January 2007. He was defeated for reelection in November 2006 by Democrat Kirsten...
(R) had never really had any election troubles up until now. Sweeney, however, had had issues over a remark he made about his Democratic opponent, Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...
, saying that she was "a pretty face". This rural and suburban district is among the more Republican in the Northeast. Sweeney has a politically moderate stance. An October 15–16 Majority Watch poll had Gillibrand leading Sweeney 54% to 41% http://www.constituentdynamics.com/mw/2006/pdf/racesummary.pdf. A November 2 Siena poll had Gillibrand leading Sweeney 46% to 43% http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--congress-20thdist1105nov05,0,2240978.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork. Libertarian Eric Sundwall and Liberal Party candidate Morris Guller were also challenging Sweeney. Cook Political Report rating: Toss-up. CQPolitics rating: No clear favorite. Results: Gillibrand took over from Swenney with 53% of the vote.
24th District
Incumbent Sherwood BoehlertSherwood Boehlert
Sherwood "Sherry" Louis Boehlert is a retired American politician from New York. He represented upstate New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 until 2007. Boehlert, a Republican, was considered to be a member of the party's moderate wing. In 2003, Utica Union Station was...
(R) announced his retirement after twenty-four years, making this a seat of considerable focus for the Democrats in the followup to the mid-terms. Boehlert is considered a moderate Republican, and the district is considered to be a swing district. George Bush won this district by 53% in the 2004 election, but by only 3,000 votes in the 2000 presidential election. The Republican nominee is moderate state Senator Ray Meier, while the Democratic nominee is Oneida County
Oneida County, New York
Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
District Attorney Mike Arcuri
Mike Arcuri
Michael Angelo "Mike" Arcuri is the former U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He lost re-election on November 2, 2010, to Republican Richard L...
. Both are locally popular and proven vote-getters and the race was a toss-up. CQPolitics rating: No Clear Favorite. Cook Political Report rating: Republican Toss-Up. Results: Swings to the Democrats, with Arcuri winning 54% of the vote.
25th District
Incumbent James T. WalshJames T. Walsh
James Thomas "Jim" Walsh is an American Republican politician from Syracuse, New York. In 2009, he retired after representing a portion of Central New York, that is now known as the state's 25th Congressional District, in the United States House of Representatives for twenty years.-Early...
(R), ran unopposed in 2004 and while the Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
-based district hasn't had a Democrat represent it since 1971, John Kerry won the district in 2004 by 2.5%. Thus, Walsh had the unusual distinction of being the only Republican to win unopposed and not have George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
win his district. Democrats were fielding former congressional aide Dan Maffei
Dan Maffei
Daniel Benjamin "Dan" Maffei is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011, and currently a senior adviser at law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. He is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for his old seat in 2012.-Early life, education and career:Maffei was born in...
. An October 15–16 Majority Watch poll had Maffei leading Walsh 51% to 43%http://www.constituentdynamics.com/mw/2006/pdf/racesummary.pdf. Cook Political Report rating: Likely Republican. Results: Walsh kept the district, winning with 51% of the vote.
26th District
Incumbent Thomas M. ReynoldsThomas M. Reynolds
Thomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives...
(R), the National Republican Congressional Committee
National Republican Congressional Committee
The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....
Chairman, faced a rematch with local industrialist and Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
Jack Davis
Jack Davis (industrialist)
John "Jack" Davis is an American industrialist and politician from Newstead, New York. He made his fourth bid for New York's 26th congressional district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the special election held on May 24, 2011. The election was held to fill the seat vacated by...
. While the district leans substantially Republican, Reynolds was held to 55% of the vote in 2004 by political neophyte Davis, who had used the intervening time to build a political base. He campaigned against Reynolds' support of free trade, which he claimed had cost the district thousands of well-paying jobs. Reynolds is one of the Republican party's premiere fund-raisers, but Davis is independently wealthy, and vowed to spend up to $2 million on his campaign. Reynolds held a small lead in the polls until the Mark Foley scandal
Mark Foley scandal
The Mark Foley scandal, which broke in late September 2006, centers on soliciting e-mails and sexually suggestive instant messages sent by Mark Foley, a Republican Congressman from Florida, to teenaged boys who had formerly served as congressional pages...
broke at the end of September. Reynolds had some knowledge of Foley's e-mails, and his chief of staff, Kirk Fordham
Kirk Fordham
Kirk Fordham serves as the CEO of the Miami-based Everglades Foundation. A wide range of prominent businessmen and women serve on the Board of Directors of the Foundation, including hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones, recording artist Jimmy Buffett, golfer Jack Nicklaus and retailer-newspaper...
, formerly Foley's chief of staff, was more directly involved. A November 3 SurveyUSA poll had Reynolds leading Davis 50% to 46% with 4% undecided.http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportEmail.aspx?g=9cc9edf9-41d3-4ffb-ba4b-7025dad45d0b. In the space of just a week CQPolitics changed their rating from Safe Republican, to Leans Republican, and then again to Leans Democratic. Results: Reynolds won a close race with 51% of the vote.
29th District
Freshman incumbent Randy KuhlRandy Kuhl
John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. is an American Republican politician, and former member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. He represented New York's 29th congressional district for two terms before being defeated for reelection by Eric Massa on November 4, 2008 by margin of...
(R) was elected with 50% in a three-way race in 2004. He faced a potentially strong challenge from former U.S. Navy officer Eric Massa, a long-time friend of 2004 presidential candidate General Wesley Clark
Wesley Clark
Wesley Kanne Clark, Sr., is a retired general of the United States Army. Graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he obtained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and later graduated from the...
. Massa had been an extremely adept fundraiser and became a darling of the netroots with numerous favorable articles on popular progressive weblogs such as dailykos.com and mydd.com. In March, President Bush visited the district, in part as a boost to Kuhl's re-election campaign. An October 26 Majority-Watch poll had Massa leading Kuhl 53% to 42%. http://constituentdynamics.com/mw/race-summary. Cook Political Report rating: Lean Republican. CQPolitics rating: Leans Republican. Results: Kuhl won with 52% of the vote.