Lee Zeldin, Anna Throne-Holst battle in 1st CD
Anna Throne-Holst delivers her arguments and supporting statements during a candidate forum in Sound Beach on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
The race in the 1st Congressional District on theeastern part of Long Island has become a slugfest as Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Democrat Anna Throne-Holst lob attacks, stake out positions and parry ties to their own parties’ presidential nominees.
In ads and series of debates and candidate forums — more than 20 scheduled for the last 30 days of the campaign — Throne-Holst, a former Southampton Town supervisor, has gone on the offensive, criticizing Zeldin’s support for Donald Trump and Zeldin’s stance on gun control. She said Zeldin’s support of Trump “is a reflection on him and his moral compass and his moral character.”
Zeldin, a freshman House member, has accused Throne-Holst of lying about his votes on a gun bill and trying to frighten parents with advertisements that dramatize school lockdown drills, while touting his record in Congress.
At a Oct. 10 candidate event in Sound Beach, Zeldin said Throne-Holst, of Sag Harbor, is running a campaign based on “what polls well” instead of local issues. “She’ll say anything to get elected,” Zeldin said.
In 2014, Zeldin defeated six-term incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) by 10 points in what has historically been a competitive swing district. Turnout that year was 30 percent below 2012, though, giving Democrats hope that in the current presidential cycle they can reclaim the seat as more Democrats turn out.
So far, polls haven’t borne that out. Zeldin led Throne-Holst by 15 points in a Newsday/Siena College/News 12 poll released earlier this month.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report moved the race from “toss-up” to “lean Republican” on Sept. 29.
In part, Cook attributed Zeldin’s strength to Trump’s popularity in the district.
But Throne-Holst argued in an interview that the dynamics of the race have changed since a 2005 video became public Oct. 7, in which Trump bragged about his ability to grope and kiss women without permission. Trump has called it “locker room talk” and denied assaulting women.
Since the tape’s release, Throne-Holst’s ads have shifted their focus from gun control to tying Zeldin to Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.
Zeldin, who has called Trump’s remarks “indefensible and wrong,” said: “I’d rather talk about what you stand for, instead of who you stand with.”
Throne-Holst’s ads call Zeldin “one of Trump’s strongest supporters.” While other Long Island Republicans backed Trump earlier on, though, Zeldin endorsed Trump only after he won the New York Republican primary in April.
Zeldin said in an interview he has disagreed publicly with Trump on issues including Trump’s criticism of a judge of Mexican heritage who was hearing a case against Trump University and a proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States.
“There are aspects of his policy that I have disagreed with, not just privately, but I’ve done it on national TV and on the campaign trail,” he said.
He said he supports Trump over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton because of Trump’s policies on national security, the economy and veterans’ issues, U.S. Supreme Court vacancies that could be at stake, and scandals involving Clinton, such as her use of a private email server.
Throne-Holst at events has struggled with the question of whether she finds Clinton “honest and trustworthy.”
“I’m running on my own honesty and trustworthiness,” Throne-Holst said at a Sound Beach Civic Association event earlier this month.
Zeldin, 36, said in an interview he has spent his 21 months in office helping pass the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act for first responders and a bill to increase federal funding to New York for bridge repairs. Zeldin also has taken a prominent role on cable television shows as a critic of President Barack Obama’s administration, opposing the Iran nuclear deal and moves to close Guantanomo Bay.
Zeldin also said he helped get funding to open a health clinic in Manorville for eastern Suffolk veterans and was instrumental in the passage of two House proposals to stop the sale of Plum Island.
Zeldin had nearly $2 million in the bank, $1.2 million more than Throne-Holst, for the final campaign stretch, according to the latest federal campaign finance reports filed in October. Throne-Holst outraised Zeldin in the final three months , collecting $1.2 million to Zeldin’s $871,662.
Throne-Holst, 56, touted her record as Southampton supervisor from 2009 to 2015. She said she worked with Republicans to improve the town’s finances and on environmental initiatives. She compared that with the behavior of the “dysfunctional” Congress she said was unable to tackle big issues such as immigration, the tax code and gun control.
She said Zeldin is out of step with more moderate voters in the district, citing his opposition to a measure by Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) to bar people on “no fly” watch lists from buying firearms. She claimed that 28 times Zeldin has voted against procedural motions to bring the bill up for a vote.
Zeldin has acknowledged his opposition to King’s bill, saying many people are placed wrongly on the no-fly list and that he is concerned about due process rights of citizens. He also said the repeated procedural votes on King’s bill were a Democratic stunt for political purposes. He noted he voted the same way as King on those measures.
Zeldin has introduced a separate measure that would allow law enforcement officials to go to court to bar someone on a terrorism watch list from purchasing a gun.
The candidates squared off on those and other issues at the Medford firehouse on Oct. 17, where partisans in the crowd of 175 people interrupted and cheered, despite pleas from Association of Brookhaven Civic Organizations moderators to hold their applause.
In the last question of the night, moderator Mary Ann Johnson asked the candidates to name two positive attributes about each other, as the bruising campaign neared an end.
Zeldin said he admired the fact that Throne-Holst has been “running hard for a year and a half.” He said he also liked her choice of eyeglasses.
Throne-Holst said she admired Zeldin’s service to the country and his neckwear. “I think his ties are pretty good myself,” she said.
The race in the 1st Congressional District on the East End has become a slugfest as Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Democrat Anna Throne-Holst lob attacks, stake out positions and parry ties to their own parties’ presidential nominees.
In ads and series of debates and candidate forums — more than 20 scheduled for the last 30 days of the campaign — Throne-Holst, a former Southampton Town supervisor, has gone on the offensive, criticizing Zeldin’s support for Donald Trump and Zeldin’s stance on gun control. She said Zeldin’s support of Trump “is a reflection on him and his moral compass and his moral character.”
Zeldin, a freshman House member, has accused Throne-Holst of lying about his votes on a gun bill and trying to frighten parents with advertisements that dramatize school lockdown drills, while touting his record in Congress.
At a candidate event in Sound Beach, Zeldin said Throne-Holst, of Sag Harbor, is running a campaign based on “what polls well” instead of local issues. “She’ll say anything to get elected,” Zeldin said.
In 2014, Zeldin defeated six-term incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) by 10 points in what has historically been a competitive swing district. Turnout that year was 30 percent below 2012, though, giving Democrats hope that in the current presidential cycle they can reclaim the seat as more Democrats turn out.
So far, polls haven’t borne that out. Zeldin led Throne-Holst by 15 points in a Newsday/Sienna College/News 12 poll released earlier this month.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report moved the race from “tossup” to “lean Republican” on September 29.
In part, Cook attributed Zeldin’s strength to Trump’s popularity in the district.
But Throne-Holst argued in an interview that the dynamics of the race have changed since a 2005 video became public Oct. 7, in which Trump bragged about his ability to grope and kiss women without permission. Trump has called it “locker room talk” and denied assaulting women.
Since the tape’s release, Throne-Holst’s ads have shifted their focus from gun control to tying Zeldin to Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.
Zeldin, who has called Trump’s remarks “indefensible and wrong,” said: “I’d rather talk about what you stand for, instead of who you stand with.”
Throne-Holst’s ads call Zeldin “one of Trump’s strongest supporters.” While other Long Island Republicans backed Trump earlier on though, Zeldin endorsed Trump only after he won the New York Republican primary in April.Zeldin said in an interview he has disagreed publicly with Trump on issues including Trump’s criticism of a judge of Mexican heritage who was hearing a case against Trump University and a proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States..
“There are aspects of his policy that I have disagreed with, not just privately, but I’ve done it on national TV and on the campaign trail,” he said.
He said he supports Trump over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton because of Trump’s policies on national security, the economy and veterans’ issues, U.S. Supreme Court vacancies that could be at stake and scandals involving Clinton, such as her use of a private email server.
Throne-Holst at events has struggled with the question of whether she finds Clinton “honest and trustworthy.”
“I’m running on my own honesty and trustworthiness,” Throne-Holst said at a Sound Beach Civic Association event earlier this month.
Zeldin, 36, said in an interview he has spent his 21 months in office helping pass the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act for first responders and a bill to increase federal funding to New York for bridge repairs. Zeldin also has taken a prominent role on cable television shows as a critic of President Barack Obama’s administration, opposing the Iran nuclear deal and moves to close Guantanomo Bay.
Zeldin also said he helped get funding to open a health clinic in Manorville for eastern Suffolk veterans and was instrumental in the passage of two House proposals to stop the sale of Plum Island.
Zeldin had nearly $2 million in the bank, $1.2 million more than Throne-Holst, for the final campaign stretch, according to the latest federal campaign finance reports filed in October. Throne-Holst outraised Zeldin in the final three months , collecting $1.2 million to Zeldin’s $871,662.
Throne-Holst, 56, touted her record as Southampton supervisor from 2009 to 2015. She said she worked with Republicans to improve the town’s finances and on environmental initiatives. She compared that with the behavior of the “dysfunctional” Congress she said was unable to tackle big issues such as immigration, the tax code and gun control.
She said Zeldin is out of step with more moderate voters in the district, citing his opposition to a measure by Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) to bar people on “no fly” watch lists from buying firearms. She claimed that 28 times Zeldin has voted against procedural motions to bring the bill up for a vote.
Zeldin has acknowledged his opposition to King’s bill, saying many people are placed wrongly on the no-fly list and that he is concerned about due process rights of citizens. He also said the repeated procedural votes on King’s bill were a Democratic stunt for political purposes. He noted he voted the same way as King on those measures.
Zeldin has introduced a separate measure that would allow law enforcement officials to go to court to bar someone on a terrorism watch list from purchasing a gun.
The candidates squared off on those and other issues at the Medford firehouse on Oct. 17, where partisans in the crowd of 175 people interrupted and cheered, despite pleas from Association of Brookhaven Civic Organizations moderators to hold their applause.
In the last question of the night, moderator Mary Ann Johnson asked the candidates to name two positive attributes about each other, as the bruising campaign neared an end.
Zeldin said he admired the fact that Throne-Holst has been “running hard for a year and a half.” He said he also liked her choice of eyeglasses.
Throne-Holst said she admired Zeldin’s service to the country and his neckwear. “I think his ties are pretty good myself,” she said.
David Schwartz covers environmental issues. A native Long Islander, he's worked at Newsday since 2013.
Newsday Live Author Series: Bobby Flay Newsday Live and Long Island LitFest present a conversation with Emmy-winning host, professional chef, restaurateur and author Bobby Flay. Newsday food reporter and critic Erica Marcus hosts a discussion about the chef's life, four-decade career and new cookbook, "Bobby Flay: Chapter One."
Newsday Live Author Series: Bobby Flay Newsday Live and Long Island LitFest present a conversation with Emmy-winning host, professional chef, restaurateur and author Bobby Flay. Newsday food reporter and critic Erica Marcus hosts a discussion about the chef's life, four-decade career and new cookbook, "Bobby Flay: Chapter One."
