Democratic Incumbents Maloney, Bowman Win Congressional Primaries

By Abby Luby and Rick Pezzullo

Democratic incumbent congressmen Sean Patrick Maloney and Jamaal Bowman coasted to victories in their party’s primary Tuesday night.

Less than an hour after the polls closed, Maloney was declared the winner in the 17^th Congressional District over state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi. He won Westchester and Rockland by 2-to-1 margins and about 3-to-1 in Putnam. The district also includes a small portion of Dutchess County.

“Tonight, mainstream won, common sense won,” Maloney told a large group of cheering supporters and local politicians at the Peekskill Brewery. “Democrats want candidates who get results and bring home the win and tonight we’ve done both.”

He will face Rockland-based Republican Assemblyman Mike Lawler in November. Lawler easily won the five-candidate GOP primary Tuesday night.

Maloney said Biaggi called him to congratulate him on his win.

“I want to thank her for her service and for her campaign,” he said. “And to her supporters, I want you to hear me….and give me a chance.”

Maloney was joined by his three daughters and his husband, Randy Florke.

Bowman Celebrates Win

Rep. Jamaal Bowman likely locked up a second term in office Tuesday with a decisive victory over three opponents in the 16^th Congressional District Democratic primary.

According to the Westchester County Board of Elections’ unofficial results from Tuesday’s in-person voting and early voting, Bowman captured 14,719 votes (53 percent).

Westchester County Legislator Vedat Gashi was a distant second with 8,136, while County Legislator Catherine Parker was third with 5,543. Mark Jaffe, who suspended his campaign on Aug. 8, received 361 votes.

Bowman also flexed his muscle in the small portion of the northern Bronx that is also part of the district, capturing 91 percent of the nearly 2,300 votes cast.

“The feeling is incredible. It’s very humbling,” Bowman said at his camp’s celebration in Mount Vernon. “Running a race and winning is hard work. Our campaign from the beginning has been about the working class and the marginalized. We just tried to do the work of the people. People respond to good leadership.”

Gashi, who noted he knocked on more than 40,000 doors during the campaign, reflected on his defeat.

“The results weren’t what we expected,” he said. “We worked hard. I’m disappointed in the results. I’m not disappointed in the effort that we made.”

Bowman will face Republican Miriam Flisser, a former Scarsdale mayor, in November.