Tuesday is Primary Day in New York.
A number of high-profile races are on the ballot, including an expensive and bitterly fought Democratic contest between Representative Jamaal Bowman and George Latimer in a district covering parts of Westchester County and the Bronx.
Other congressional contests have also drawn interest, including one in eastern Long Island, where a media and political luminary made a late entry into the Democratic primary against an established candidate.
The Democratic-led State Legislature is also up for election in November, and a number of Assembly primary races are expected to be close.
Here’s what to know.
Finding out where to vote
Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Voters can find their local polling places on the Board of Elections website.
New York is a closed primary state, meaning Democrats and Republicans can vote only in their own parties’ primaries. Unaffiliated or independent voters cannot participate in the primary. The last day to register to vote ahead of the primaries was June 15, and early voting ended Sunday.
All absentee ballots must be dropped off at a polling place by 9 p.m. or postmarked June 25.
The heavyweight matchup
The results of Tuesday’s contest in the 16th Congressional District between Mr. Bowman and Mr. Latimer may serve as harbingers of many political benchmarks.
The primary could test the durability of the Democratic Party’s progressive faction: If Mr. Bowman loses, he will be the first member of the House’s left-wing “squad” to be unseated.
And it may be seen as a barometer of where a diverse group of voters stands on Israel; the district contains some of the nation’s wealthiest white suburbs and an influential Jewish community, but nearly half its residents are African American or Latino.
Mr. Bowman has been one of the House’s most outspoken critics of Israel and was one of the first lawmakers to call for a cease-fire in Gaza, but his repeated criticisms have at times veered into conspiracy theories and invited charges of antisemitism. Mr. Latimer is largely supportive of Israel, calling for a return of all hostages before any potential cease-fire.
The race may also serve as a road map for groups seeking to influence a race through outside spending. Mr. Latimer has received $14.5 million in support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
The race’s importance has been reflected by the involvement of some of the left’s biggest stars, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who have campaigned on Mr. Bowman’s behalf. It has also featured negative characterizations, with Mr. Latimer painting Mr. Bowman as distracted by national politics and not in tune with the needs of his district, and Mr. Bowman consistently accusing Mr. Latimer of racism.
Late-stage intrigue colors two House races
The Democratic primary in New York’s First Congressional District, which encompasses a number of wealthy neighborhoods in eastern Long Island, was thought to be fairly routine. Nancy Goroff, a retired chemistry professor who ran in 2020, looked to be a shoo-in for the nomination and the right to face the Republican incumbent, Nick LaLota.
That quickly changed in February, when John Avlon, a former CNN political analyst who helped found the centrist political group No Labels, entered the race.
Mr. Avlon moved to the district in 2017 after he and his wife, Margaret Hoover, a conservative host on PBS, bought a home in Sag Harbor. Ms. Goroff, in contrast, has lived in Suffolk County for over two decades, and has sought to cast Mr. Avlon as a carpetbagger.
She has also highlighted Mr. Avlon’s ties to the Republican Party, particularly his past work for Rudolph W. Giuliani, while Mr. Avlon has continually brought attention to Ms. Goroff’s 10-point loss to Lee Zeldin in November 2020.
The winner will face an uphill battle in November; Cook Political Report has characterized the seat as “likely Republican.”
In Central New York, State Senator John W. Mannion faces Sarah Klee Hood, an Air Force veteran who is a town councilor in DeWitt. The two Democrats are vying to challenge Representative Brandon Williams, a Republican who is considered the most vulnerable among New York incumbents.
The race was colored by 11th-hour accusations from former staff members of Mr. Mannion, claiming that he had fostered a hostile workplace. Mr. Mannion has vehemently denied the claims, which are being investigated by the State Senate.
Democrats test party’s direction in Assembly races
A longtime fissure between institutional and progressive Democrats has dominated many debates inside the State Legislature, particularly those involving housing and criminal justice. Progressives feel that their Democratic colleagues have not done enough for working-class people of color, while those mainstream lawmakers are skeptical that the left-wing agitators could enact lasting change.
That tension is on display in Assembly primaries across the state. In Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, Assemblywoman Stefani Zinerman is fending off a challenge from Eon Huntley, a first-time candidate who is supported by the Democratic Socialists of America. Ms. Zinerman has the backing of Hakeem Jeffries, the House majority leader, and Letitia James, the state attorney general.
In the Hudson Valley, Didi Barrett, a six-term assemblywoman, is trying to survive a primary against Claire Cousin, who has called Ms. Barrett’s record on environmental issues into question while also staking her campaign on the need for more affordable housing.
And in East Harlem, Assemblyman Eddie Gibbs is facing a challenge from Xavier Santiago, the head of the local community board. The race has devolved into a debate over representation that has seen a number of personal insults traded between the two candidates. Mr. Gibbs, who is Black, has maintained that efforts to defeat him are centered on having a Latino represent the district, which is 41 percent Hispanic.
Grace Ashford, Jeffery C. Mays and Nicholas Fandos contributed reporting.
