Jones Declares Victory in 17th Congressional District Democratic Primary
Three weeks after the polls closed, Mondaire Jones declared victory in the 17th Congressional District’s Democratic primary.
Jones, 33, of Spring Valley made the announcement after the Associated Press projected that he will be the Democrats’ nominee in the district and a heavy favorite to succeed the retiring Rep. Nita Lowey next year.
His campaign said that while there are votes still to be counted, Jones leads the eight-candidate race with 32,335 votes, or 42 percent of the total. His next closest rival, Adam Schleifer, has 16 percent.
“From the start, I have said that I am running for Congress because, for me, policy is personal,” Jones said in a statement. “We get better policy outcomes when our elected officials have lived experiences that give them a personal understanding of the policies being debated in the corridors of power, and a sense of urgency to implement big, structural improvements.”
He would be part of growing number of progressive candidates representing the area in Washington. Jamaal Bowman is poised to defeat long-time incumbent Eliot Engel in the 16th Congressional District.
Jones’s apparent victory came a week after the anniversary of him entering the race. He was the only Democrat who was preparing to take on Lowey, a 16-term incumbent, before she announced her retirement in October.
Jones is expected to take on Republican Maureen McArdle Schulman in November.
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