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'Safe' No More: NYC Democrats Facing A Slew Of 2020 Challengers
GothamistIn 2018, Michael DenDekker, a Democratic State Assemblyman representing a hotbed of progressivism in Jackson Heights, Queens, ran unopposed.
It was the year of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and stunning State Senate upsets, but DenDekker was left alone. That wasn’t so unusual: the moderate Democrat, who once proclaimed it was “racist” that leftists want to run against him because his district is majority Latino, has never competed in a primary during his decade-long political career.
That will change next year. Two candidates, Jessica González-Rojas and Nuala O’Doherty Naranjo, have already declared their intentions to run, with another contender, Juan Ardilla, eyeing a bid.
“The demographics of the district have changed remarkably,” said Matt Thomas, a member of the Democratic Socialist of America’s Queens electoral group, which will likely endorse one of the candidates. “Even a split field is not necessarily going to be enough to preserve the incumbent.”
DenDekker, perhaps recognizing the threat, struck a conciliatory tone in an interview with Gothamist. “I believe people should’ve run against me every two years,” he said. “I think elections are good.”
If 2018 was a year of unprecedented Democratic primaries in New York—seven Democratic state senators, including six members of the now defunct Independent Democratic Conference, lost their seats to insurgents—next year could offer something similar, or even wilder. Sitting assembly members, state senators, and members of Congress are all facing primaries, some of them already well-financed.
It was the year of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and stunning State Senate upsets, but DenDekker was left alone. That wasn’t so unusual: the moderate Democrat, who once proclaimed it was “racist” that leftists want to run against him because his district is majority Latino, has never competed in a primary during his decade-long political career.
That will change next year. Two candidates, Jessica González-Rojas and Nuala O’Doherty Naranjo, have already declared their intentions to run, with another contender, Juan Ardilla, eyeing a bid.
“The demographics of the district have changed remarkably,” said Matt Thomas, a member of the Democratic Socialist of America’s Queens electoral group, which will likely endorse one of the candidates. “Even a split field is not necessarily going to be enough to preserve the incumbent.”
DenDekker, perhaps recognizing the threat, struck a conciliatory tone in an interview with Gothamist. “I believe people should’ve run against me every two years,” he said. “I think elections are good.”
If 2018 was a year of unprecedented Democratic primaries in New York—seven Democratic state senators, including six members of the now defunct Independent Democratic Conference, lost their seats to insurgents—next year could offer something similar, or even wilder. Sitting assembly members, state senators, and members of Congress are all facing primaries, some of them already well-financed.
There's a solid candidate running against political hack Yvette Clarke (I used to be in her district); Maloney has had some health issues, lately, and I wonder if she's thinking of retiring.