A Long Island primary season unlike any other

A woman casts her vote at the Mastic Beach firehouse... — A woman casts her vote at the Mastic Beach firehouse where voting for the 1st Congressional District primary was taking place on Tuesday, June 28, 2016. Credit: James Carbone

By Yancey Royyancey.roy@newsday.com @yanceyroyUpdated July 17, 2022

Get ready for a set of unprecedented congressional primaries on Long Island.

For the first time in recent political history, three of the Island’s four districts feature open races with no incumbent running.

The lone incumbent who is running, Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), is still in his first term in the 2nd Congressional District

All four races feature crowded primary fields — providing the chance of a lifetime for someone and the possibility of a complete turnover of the delegation representing Nassau and Suffolk counties.

There’s plenty of national interest too, as all the seats will play important roles in the struggle for which party wins control of Congress in November.

Further, the primaries will be held on Aug. 23 — another first — and some expect turnout to be low, creating another wild-card in each race.

It’s a sea change for Long Island politics, said former Rep. Pete King (R-Seaford).

“It took me 20-something years to become the most senior member of the delegation,” said King, who served for 28 years in the House of Representatives, quipped.

Garbarino, he said, “could do it in two … There's not going to be a lot of institutional memory."

King named colleagues who represented the Island for long stretches during his career: Carolyn McCarthy, 18 years, Thomas Downey, 18 years, Tim Bishop, 12.

“When you go down the line, for the most part, it’s been the tradition on Long Island to have” long tenures, King said. “I don’t know of anyone stepping down” after a short one.

That’s changed this year because New York and other states had to redraw congressional district lines — a once-a-decade process to adjust to the latest U.S. Census. Redistricting always sparks some candidates to run or drop out, but not to the degree seen this time on Long Island.

Reps. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) decided to run for governor rather than reelection — opening up two Long Island seats.

Zeldin has been in Congress eight years; Suozzi, four. Zeldin won the GOP gubernatorial primary in June. Suozzi lost the Democratic nod to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Then, in a surprise, Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City), in her fourth term, said she wouldn’t seek reelection.

In addition, congressional and State Senate maps approved by the Democrat-led State Legislature were ruled unconstitutional, triggering new maps drawn by a neutral “special master," a new timetable for qualifying and a new primary date, Aug. 23. Primaries for statewide offices and State Assembly weren't impacted; those were held in June.

There are two noteworthy State Senate primaries on the Island.

In Suffolk County, Assemb. Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood) and former Sen. Monica Martinez are vying for the Democratic nomination in the 4th District which, following redistricting, is now the Island’s first-ever plurality Hispanic Senate district.

In Nassau County, Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills) is facing a challenge from the political left in Jeremy Joseph, a member of Long Island United to Transform Policing and Public Safety and a co-chair of the Nassau County Democratic Socialists of America.

Most of the high-profile action is in the congressional primaries.

The Republican focus is in Suffolk County, where party-backed candidates are facing challenges, some from the right.

Garbarino is facing Robert Cornicelli and Mike Rakebrandt in the 2nd Congressional District, which runs along the South Shore.

In the 1st District, which runs mostly on the North Shore but dips south to include the Hamptons, the GOP is backing Nick LaLota against insurgents Michelle Bond and Anthony Figliola.

Congressional primaries are unusual for Republicans — "You'd never see that 20 years ago," veteran political consultant Bruce Gyory said. That the GOP-backed candidate is facing a primary is a sign of the rise of the “Trumpist” segment of the Republican Party and will test the party’s institutional strength, he added.

So the key question is whether party-backed candidates Garbarino and LaLota have problems in the primary or "just roll through it?” Gyory said.

The Democratic action is in Nassau County.

The run to replace Rice in the 4th District features former Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen, Malverne Mayor Keith Corbett, county legislator Carrié Solages and physician Muzib Huq.

The Democrats' primary in the 3rd District, currently held by Suozzi, sports the biggest field: Community organizer Melanie D’Arrigo, former North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman, county legislator Josh Lafazan, businesswoman Reema Rasool and Democratic National Committeeman and longtime public relations executive Robert Zimmerman.

The district runs along the North Shore and includes a sliver of Queens.

“It’s not unfair to say the open seats appear more competitive than usual,” Lawrence Levy, dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies, said. “Multicandidate primaries give outsiders a much better chance than if they are taking on one, well-known, well-funded candidate.”