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The race for the 1st Congressional District seat on the ballot this November got off to an immediately prickly start within hours of Perry Gershon declaring victory in the Democratic primary election last Tuesday night.
By mid-morning on Wednesday, June 27, U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin’s campaign had issued a biting response to Mr. Gershon’s election, “congratulating” the wealthy businessman for “buying his way into the general election” and repeatedly calling him “Park Avenue Perry,” in jabs at the more than $1 million of his own money he pumped into his primary campaign coffers, and his recent switch in voting registration from New York City to East Hampton.
“It’s amazing that the Democratic Party was so desperate that they nominated a liberal Manhattan Democrat who has never even voted here in a November election for Congress,” the statement from Mr. Zeldin’s campaign said. “The few Democrats who did decide to vote chose someone who sees this district as one that can be purchased. Park Avenue Perry will learn the rest of that lesson the hard way in November.”
Mr. Gershon this week shot back, spotlighting Mr. Zeldin’s close ties to the Trump administration and some of its more controversial figures and his support by the National Rifle Association, as he had done throughout the Democratic primary campaign.
“Far be it for Lee Zeldin to talk about where money comes from—he gets the most money from the NRA of anyone in the New York delegation,” Mr. Gershon said.
The Democratic nominee declined to comment on his personal contributions to his own campaign, other than to note that even without the approximately $1.3 million he has given his campaign, he still raised more than $750,000 in third-party contributions—more than his four challengers in the Democratic primary combined. Kate Browning, who came in a close second at the polls, raised about $490,000.
Mr. Gershon also nodded to the relatively robust turnout for the Democratic primary vote on June 26 as a sign that Democratic voters are energized and will come to the polls in large numbers in November to counter the Republican wave in 2016 that carried President Donald Trump into office and Mr. Zeldin to an easy win in his first reelection campaign with 59 percent of the vote.
More than 21,000 Democrats cast ballots in last week’s primary, compared to just over 12,000 in the bitter 2016 party primary between Anna Throne-Holst and David Calone, which also left rifts within the party that cost Ms. Throne-Holst in the general election.
“I think Democratic turnout made a big statement,” Mr. Gershon said of last week’s vote. “You could see the energy. It was palpable. The party has clearly shown that we’re all getting together for a change in NY1.”
Mr. Gershon said his campaign will focus on what he sees as Republican mishandling of health care and tax reform that has left New Yorkers reeling financially, especially those in costly, high-property tax areas like Suffolk County. The environment and “common sense” gun safety legislation also will be on his agenda.
“Republicans need to be held accountable for the loss of income tax and property tax deductions that are crippling residents of NY1,” he said. “We also need to address health care and protect the [Affordable Care Act] and protections for pre-existing conditions that Republicans and Lee Zeldin are trying to get rid of.”
For his part, Mr. Zeldin’s campaign touted the congressman’s Long Island roots, military service—he is still a major in the Army Reserves—legislative successes in Congress and aid delivered to constituents.
“When local fishermen, boaters and small-business owners recently reached out to Lee Zeldin concerned about navigation conditions at Moriches Inlet, we all witnessed how effective our congressman is with his immediate and successful advocacy to secure an emergency dredge,” his campaign said. “Congressman Zeldin consistently delivers for the Long Islanders he represents.”
The Republican statement on the race made clear that Mr. Gershon’s New York City connections and immigration policy will be key issues, at least at the outset. The campaign’s statement hearkened back to the debate about so-called sanctuary cities, to border security policies and referenced the MS-13 gang, which has Latin American roots, three times.
The tone from both sides sets the stage for what is sure to be one of the most closely watched races in the country as the two major parties battle for majority control of the House of Representatives in 2019. The 1st Congressional District is seen as one of just a dozen districts nationwide that can swing easily in any given year between Republican and Democratic candidates. Over the last 30 years, the two parties have exchanged control of the seat five times, with Democrats holding it for 10 terms and Republicans for eight.
As attention focuses on the race, so will financial support from outside donors marshaled by the political parties and political action committees. The 2016 campaign for the district drew nearly $8 million in campaign contributions for Mr. Zeldin and challenger Ms. Throne-Holst, the vast majority of which came from outside the district.
Mr. Gershon will start off the campaign at a substantial financial disadvantage to the incumbent, as challengers usually do.
After having spent some $1.6 million on the primary, he has about $450,000 on hand, according to the most recent campaign finance reports. But Mr. Gershon said this week he also raised $60,000 in the four days after he won the nomination.
As of June 6, the most recent reporting date, Mr. Zeldin had more than $1.5 million in the bank for the start of the general election, a similar advantage to the one he held over Ms. Throne-Holst in 2016.
In 2016, Ms. Throne-Holst ultimately outpaced Mr. Zeldin in fundraising, and in campaign spending, but still lost by nearly 20 percentage points on election night.
Mr. Gershon said he is confident that his campaign will be able to keep pace with the advantages that incumbents always have in congressional races: “We’ve shown our prowess at that. I think we’ll be able to give Mr. Zeldin a good run.”
on Jul 3, 2018