Matt Laslo
October 26, 2024
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Shutterstock)
This article was paid for by Raw Story subscribers.
CARMEL, NY — All politics feel nationalized this election cycle, but many embattled congressional incumbents here in New York are bucking that trend by running on local scandals. These days, in the Empire State, the foibles are bountiful and bipartisan.
Why remind voters of Washington gridlock and dysfunction when you can highlight, seemingly, walking dead Democrats, like recently indicted New York CIty Mayor Eric Adams? Why remind voters their rent’s too high when the specter of former Rep. George Santos (R-NY), now a convicted felon, still haunts the local GOP?
With seven seats in the U.S. House of Representatives at play here in New York — and Democrats needing to flip only four seats from red to blue nationally to recapture the House majority — these scandal-soaked dynamics have members of both parties pointing fingers as they try to turn to change the subject into victory on Nov. 5th.
“Republicans in the state are on their back heel for sure, especially with some of the scandals we've seen pour out,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) told Raw Story. “It's not just even what we've seen from any one individual member, as has kind of come out in the reporting, it's the whole damn thing. It's the whole damn Republican machine in New York state.”
While there was no national red wave in 2022, in New York, Republicans wrested four seats from Democrats in those midterms. But Democrats feel the tides turning and have already recaptured one of those seats.
Scandals engulf three New York Republicans
In February, now-Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) won the special election to replace George Santos — who has since pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft — after he made history by becoming only the sixth member to be expelled from the House of Representatives in its 235 year history.
That northern Long Island district — which includes parts of Nassau County — is expected to remain in Democrat’s hands after the dust settles in November. But political watchers say it’s still in play after Santos’ inglorious downfall, which astounds Democrats like Ocasio-Cortez.
“Nassau County is full of this kind of self-dealing, and there's a reason why George Santos got there, and it wasn't just because of him. It's because the local, the New York Republican Party generates tons of George Santoses,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Just south on Long Island, in southern Nassau Count,y another one of those midterm GOP pickups is in trouble.
Just six weeks out from the election, the New York Times dropped a bombshell when it reported former detective Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY) put his mistress and fiancée’s daughter on the taxpayer-funded payroll of his district office.
Now locked in a heated, multi-million dollar 2022 rematch with former Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen, D’Esposito has attempted to flip the script.
"The latest political tabloid garbage being peddled by The New York Times is nothing more than a slimy, partisan 'hit piece' designed to distract Long Islanders from Democrats’ failing record on border security, the economy, and foreign policy," D'Esposito released in a statement after the story dropped. “My personal life has never interfered with my ability to deliver results for New York’s 4th district, and I have upheld the highest ethical standards of personal conduct.”
Then there’s blackface in the Hudson Valley. Earlier this month, the New York Times released photos it obtained of Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) donning blackface — which he claims was paying homage to Michael Jackson — at a Halloween party in his college days.
While Lawler apologized and wishes the story would go away, it reared its head, once again, in his debate against former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) last week.
“I recognized why people were upset,” Lawler told voters. “Would I do this today? Absolutely not.”
That’s not good enough for Jones, a former Congressional Black Caucus member, who told the audience the episode was “deeply offensive” and “part of a pattern” from Lawler.
“Democrats control everything”
That episode may be why Lawler’s eager to discuss New York City scandals and disarray in Albany these days.
“In New York, Democrats control everything. Democrats own the mess in New York state,” Lawler told Raw Story after addressing a stadium full of high schoolers recently. “So most voters in the suburbs here are going, ‘Yeah, I don't want this.’”
Those ‘suburbs’ are the sprawling, all-important burbs of New York City, where Mayor Eric Adams has also been making history. In September, he was indicted in a federal corruption investigation — “We were persecuted, Eric,” former President Donald Trump told him recently. “I was persecuted, and so are you, Eric” — making him the first-ever sitting NYC mayor to be federally indicted.
“He's just a disaster. I mean, he is viewed so negatively because of crime, the migrant crisis and now, obviously, his own corruption scandal,” Lawler said.
Then there’s Gov. Kathy Hochul. In 2021, the Democrat was crowned governor when Andrew Cuomo was forced to resign after 11 women credibly accused him of sexual harassment.
While Hochul made history in 2022 — the first woman elected to lead the Empire State in its 400-year history — it was her first time atop the ballot and was New York’s tightest gubernatorial contest in 30 years. Many blame her for four of the state’s blue congressional districts flipping Republican red that year.
That’s why these days, New York Republicans like Lawler don’t skip a beat when berating the state’s beleaguered Democratic machine.
“But Hochul is even worse,” Lawler said. “So when you look at what's going on in the state and in my district — I mean, this is a district Biden won by 10 points — Trump's basically tied.”
Even some Democrats, like Lawler’s opponent, Mondaire Jones, agree the party's being weighed down by Albany.
“I want my Democratic governor of New York to be a political animal — I want them to maximize Democratic power,” Jones told The New Yorker last month. “I want my Democratic governor of New York to be Nancy Pelosi, O.K.? And not some, like, little b— who is afraid to stick his or her neck out.”
“By the way, I’m not talking about any specific person,” Jones told the magazine.
Few in the state bought Jones’ attempt to catch himself, and he quickly apologized to Hochul. Still, the comment has hung over the governor and his own campaign, like when Lawler highlighted it while discussing women’s rights in their debate.
“You’re the only one who called the first female governor the little “B-word” that rhymes with witch,” Lawler reminded viewers.
The nationalization of local politics
While members of both parties in these crucial battleground districts try to distance themselves from the national debate by focusing on local corruption and ineptitude, they find it nearly impossible to avoid.
Even though New York is considered safe territory for Democrats at the presidential level, this year’s must-see-tv of a White House contest has become inescapable for down-ballot candidates as their political opponents drop millions of dollars reminding voters who are atop their respective tickets.
“That's politics. When you have somebody debating the issue where they're gonna say, you know, their side of the story. It doesn't have to be true. You know hearsay,” New York tavern owner Al Roberts told Raw Story. “They might have heard that from somebody else, and it just spreads.”
That has Roberts and others expecting a huge wave of voters this year, in spite of all the local scandals marring members of both parties.
“It's gonna be a huge turnout. I think it's the presidential race that's going to drive people out. I think it’s strong on both sides,” Roberts said. “More people will come out because of that.”
The presidential contest is attention-grabbing, but New York politicians are trying to keep their contests local. Because local New York issues — which now include federal indictments and felonious imposters alike — could decide who controls the House of Representatives next year.
“The majority runs through a very small number of seats, and, you know, flipping the New York seats alone could potentially flip the entire House,” Ocasio-Cortez told Raw Story. “So it's enormously consequential.”
Matt Laslo has covered Congress since 2006, bringing Raw Story readers the personalities behind the politics and policy straight from Capitol Hill. Based in Washington, D.C., Matt has been a long-time contributor to NPR, WIRED, VICE News, The Daily Beast, Rolling Stone, and Playboy. More about Matt Laslo.
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