Tuesday
is Primary Day, and polls will be open in Monroe County from noon to 9 p.m. Locally,
Democrats will see most but not all of the action.
The
Democratic gubernatorial primary has received the most public and media
attention. Sitting Governor Andrew Cuomo faces a challenge from Fordham
University law professor Zephyr Teachout. Cuomo has hardly mentioned Teachout
in the past few months, though he and his supporters unsuccessfully sued to
keep her off the ballot. Teachout is challenging Cuomo from the left, and has
made income inequality and political corruption central to her campaign.
Cuomo
and Teachout have lieutenant governor running mates, who have their own primary
race. Former House Representative Kathy Hochul faces Tim Wu, a Columbia
University professor best known for his antirust work and advocacy for net
neutrality. Media reports have increasingly entertained the idea that Wu, who
is Teachout’s running mate, could defeat Hochul.
A Wu
victory would mean a Cuomo-Wu ticket on the Democratic line in November’s
general election, though the Cuomo-Hochul ticket would still hold the Working
Families, Independence, and Womens Equality lines (the Cuomo camp created the
Womens Equality party line). If that happens, the Cuomo camp could use a
loophole in election law to replace Hochul with Wu on the other tickets.
Closer
to home, approximately 260 ground-level Democratic committee seats, all in parts of Northeast and Northwest
Rochester, have primaries.
The
Monroe County Democratic Committee consists of tiers of smaller committees. The
City of Rochester is divided into several committees based on County Legislature
districts. And those legislative district committees are made up of even
smaller election district committees, each with four seats. The primaries
involve approximately 65 city election district committees in the 21st, 26th,
28th, and 29th Legislative Districts.
The
contests are arcane, but important. Committee members vote on party
endorsements, and on September 23, members from across the county will vote on
the party’s next chair. The current chair, Joe Morelle, isn’t seeking re-election.
Some
committee leaders say that the contests, which are happening in unusual
numbers, are related to ongoing power struggles between different factions of
Democrats.
In the
29th Legislative District, Leslie Rivera faces a challenge from Ernest Flagler
for a County Legislature seat. Rivera was appointed to the seat earlier this
year.
Republicans
in two parts of Monroe County can vote in primaries, too.
North
Tonawanda Mayor Robert Ortt and conservative activist Gia Arnold are competing
for the 62nd State Senate seat. The district includes the Monroe County towns
of Sweden and Ogden. Ortt has the Republican
Party’s endorsement. George Maziarz, who’s held the seat for 19 years, is not
seeking re-election.
Republican
Assembly member Mark Johns faces a primary challenge from Penfield resident
Calvin Frelier. Johns represents the 135th Assembly District, which covers Webster, Penfield,
Perinton, Fairport, and East Rochester.
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2014.
