Teacher Beats Incumbent in Democratic Primary for N.Y. State Senate

NEW YORK — The Latest on New York’s Democratic primary (all times local):

11:55 p.m.

A teacher and first-time candidate has defeated a longtime incumbent in the Democratic primary for the New York state Senate.

Rachel May beat state Sen. David Valesky in Thursday’s primary for the 53rd state Senate district. The district covers the part of the state that includes the Syracuse area.

May campaigned by saying she would be a “true champion for Democratic priorities.”

Valesky, in office since 2004, was one of eight state senators who formed a now-defunct Democratic splinter group that helped Republicans stay in control.

Members of the Independent Democratic Conference had broken with their party for several years to support Republican control of the chamber.

The split ended earlier this year, but former IDC members faced opposition from upset liberals.

The general election is Nov. 6.

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11:40 p.m.

The winner of a Democratic primary for attorney general in New York is taking aim at President Donald Trump in her victory speech, saying he “can’t go a day without dividing us.”

New York City Public Advocate Letitia James told supporters in Brooklyn on Thursday that they’re “in the middle of a fight to save our democracy.”

She says Trump “can’t go a day without threatening our fundamental rights,” or the rights of immigrants.

The 59-year-old would become the first black woman to hold statewide elected office in New York if she prevails in the general election.

The four-way primary amounted to a competition over who could best use the office to antagonize Trump. The office has several pending lawsuits challenging Trump.

The Republican candidate is lawyer Keith Wofford.

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11:35 p.m.

The Republican running for attorney general in New York is attacking Democratic nominee Letitia James as a “career politician” who will “uphold the corrupt status-quo.”

Keith Wofford made the criticism in a statement after James’ victory Thursday over law professor Zephyr Teachout, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and former Hillary Clinton adviser Leecia Eve.

James, the New York City public advocate, was endorsed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and several influential unions and will be heavily favored in the November general election.

The little-known Wofford is a Buffalo native who’s worked as a lawyer in private practice for two decades. He’s a partner in a New York City law office.

He’s pitching himself as an “independent outsider” who will do what’s in the state’s best interests and an alternative to the political establishment.

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11:30 p.m.

A lawyer and activist who touted himself as a “real” Democrat has defeated an incumbent who had been part of a Democratic splinter group that helped Republicans keep control of New York’s Senate.

Zellnor Myrie defeated state Sen. Jesse Hamilton on Thursday in the Democratic primary for the 20th state Senate district. The district includes a number of Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Crown Heights, Park Slope and Sunset Park.

Hamilton was one of eight state senators who made up the Independent Democratic Conference. The IDC broke with Democrats for years to support Republican control of the chamber but reunified earlier this year.

Myrie and other challengers said voters shouldn’t accept Democrats not supporting their party.

There is no Republican candidate in the general election on Nov. 6.

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11:25 p.m.

Jessica Ramos, a community organizer and former aide to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (dih BLAH’-zee-oh), has beaten an incumbent Queens state senator in the Democratic primary.

Ramos on Thursday ousted state Sen. Jose Peralta in the 13th state Senate district.

Peralta was among a group of eight members of a former Democratic splinter group facing primary challenges.

Members of the Independent Democratic Conference had broken with their party for several years to support Republican control of the chamber.

The split ended earlier this year, but former IDC members faced opposition from upset liberals, including Ramos, who said now is no time to be siding with Republicans.

There is no Republican candidate running in the general election on Nov. 6.

Peralta has been part of state government since 2002.

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11:15 p.m.

Former New York City Comptroller John Liu has defeated incumbent Sen. Tony Avella in the Democratic primary for the 11th state Senate district.

Liu’s victory Thursday came two years after he lost to Avella in a previous primary campaign for Senate.

In both campaigns, Liu attacked Avella over his participation in the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference.

That group of breakaway Democrats split from the party for several years to support Republican control of the chamber.

The split ended earlier this year in a political deal brokered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but several IDC members faced a tough re-election challenge.

Their opponents say voters shouldn’t tolerate Democrats siding with the Republicans in the age of President Donald Trump.

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11 p.m.

Incumbent Kathy Hochul (HOH’-kuhl) has defeated Jumaane (joo-MAH’-nee) Williams in the New York Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.

Hochul, a former congresswoman from Buffalo, now moves on to the November general election as the running mate of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who first picked her to run beside him in the 2014 election.

Polls gave her a big advantage going into Thursday’s primary.

Hochul spent much of the campaign touting the Cuomo administration’s achievements while Williams, a New York City councilman, promised to serve as a check on Cuomo if elected.

Under New York law, candidates for lieutenant governor and governor run separately during the primary but as a single ticket in the general election.

Julie Killian is the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor and will run alongside Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro.

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10:55 p.m.

Cynthia Nixon says she has called New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to congratulate him on his victory in their hard-fought Democratic primary.

The longtime political activist and former “Sex and the City” star thanked her supporters Thursday at a primary night party in Brooklyn. She says the “blue wave is real” and is coming for Republicans and “Democrats who act like them.”

Nixon says her campaign reflects an insurgent movement of liberals challenging establishment incumbents.

She noted that while many people dismissed her challenge, Cuomo took her seriously, as evidenced by the millions he spent on his campaign.

Nixon also said she and her supporters helped push Cuomo to the left on several issues, such as the legalization of marijuana.

She also claimed credit for putting pressure on Cuomo to address New York City’s beleaguered subways.

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10:50 p.m.

An attorney who worked for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Hillary Clinton has beaten the former leader of a Democratic splinter group that helped Republicans keep control of New York’s state senate

Alessandra Biaggi defeated Bronx Sen. Jeff Klein on Thursday in the Democratic primary for the 34th state Senate district.

Biaggi challenged Klein, saying more progressive leaders were needed in office.

Klein formerly led the senate’s Independent Democratic Conference. The group of eight Democrats broke with their party for years to support Republican control of the chamber.

The split allowed Republican leaders to keep bills on gun control and abortion from coming to a vote.

The breakaway Democrats reunified with the party earlier this year in a deal that saw Klein become the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat.

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10:30 p.m.

New York City Public Advocate Letitia James has won a four-way Democratic primary for attorney general in New York. The race was a competition over who could best use the office to antagonize President Donald Trump.

James would become the first black woman to hold statewide elected office in New York if she prevails in the general election.

The 59-year-old was an early favorite in the race after getting endorsements from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other top Democrats.

But the race tightened over the summer. James edged U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, law professor Zephyr Teachout and ex-Hillary Clinton adviser Leecia Eve.

James faces a little-known New York City attorney, Republican Keith Wofford, in November.

Democrat Eric Schneiderman resigned as attorney general in May amid allegations he physically abused women.

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10:20 p.m.

A former New York City councilman has defeated an incumbent first-term state senator in the Democratic primary for a state Senate seat.

Robert Jackson on Thursday beat state Sen. Marisol Alcantara, who was elected to the 31st Senate District seat in 2016. The district includes parts of Manhattan and the Bronx.

Alcantara was one of eight state senators who was part of a Democratic splinter group that helped Republicans keep control of New York’s Senate.

Each of those candidates faced primary challengers who criticized them for their membership in the Independent Democratic Conference.

The IDC broke with Democrats for years to support Republican control of the chamber but reunified earlier this year.

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10 p.m.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was a no-show at his own election night victory party and instead celebrated his win over activist and actress Cynthia Nixon at the governor’s mansion in Albany.

The Democrat was expected to attend his party’s election night event in Manhattan on Thursday. But a spokeswoman said he chose to be with family.

It’s a highly unusual move for a winning candidate, though Cuomo has kept up a busy schedule in the final days of the campaign with rallies across the state.

Cuomo easily beat Nixon in Thursday’s contest to win his party’s nomination for a third term.

Nixon, a longtime activist and former star of “Sex and the City,” held her own election night event in Brooklyn.

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9:40 p.m.

Democratic socialist Julia Salazar has overcome scrutiny of her personal life and questions about truthfulness to win the Democratic primary for a state Senate seat in Brooklyn.

The 27-year-old first-time candidate defeated state Sen. Martin Dilan on Thursday in New York’s 18th Senate District.

Salazar joins the ranks of hard-left candidates who have ousted mainstream Democrats.

Salazar’s grassroots campaign targeted Dilan for failing to do enough to help the poor or stop gentrification in Brooklyn.

But recently, she faced criticism for how she described her life story.

Among other things, she said she was an immigrant when she was born in Florida.

Reporters also revealed she was once accused of attempted bank fraud by the ex-wife of baseball great Keith Hernandez.

There is no Republican candidate in the general election.

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9:25 p.m.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has defeated Democratic primary challenger Cynthia Nixon to win his party’s nomination for a third term.

Cuomo had far greater financial resources going into the matchup, and polls suggested he held a commanding lead before Thursday’s primary.

Nixon, an activist and former “Sex and the City” star, had hoped to become the latest liberal challenger to unseat a powerful insider.

Cuomo’s campaign dismissed her as inexperienced and touted the governor’s work to push back against President Donald Trump.

His victory comes despite several missteps, including a widely condemned mailer that questioned Nixon’s support for Jewish people. Nixon has two Jewish children and called the attack “sleazy.”

Cuomo will face Republican Marc Molinaro and independent Stephanie Miner in November’s general election.

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9 p.m.

The polls have closed in New York, where Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo is trying to fend off a challenge from actress and activist Cynthia Nixon in the nation’s last primary before Election Day.

Results coming in Thursday night will show whether Nixon’s liberal attacks on the centrist Cuomo resonated with voters in a season where left-leaning Democrats have won surprise victories.

Voters across the state also cast ballots in a hotly contested party primary for the state’s attorney general. Four Democrats are facing off for the party’s nomination in a race that polls have shown to be very close.

Several incumbent Democratic state senators are also facing primary opposition, including a group of legislators who have been targeted for breaking with party leadership and siding with Republicans.

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8:40 p.m.

New York’s attorney general is congratulating the four Democrats running in a primary to replace her and says she’s proud to have kept the office going after Eric Schneiderman’s (SHNEYE’-dur-muhnz) sudden resignation in May.

Barbara Underwood tweeted Thursday before polls closed that the candidates “believe in the power of this office” and have given voters “a choice for the future.”

Fordham law professor Zephyr (ZEF’-er) Teachout, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and ex-Hillary Clinton adviser Leecia Eve are running for the Democratic nomination. Underwood declined to run for election.

The winner faces little-known Republican attorney Keith Wofford in November.

Underwood says she hopes it’s clear the office “is the sum of all its staff. I am so proud to be your AG.”

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8:30 p.m.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (dih BLAH’-zee-oh) says his son ran into bureaucratic trouble at a polling site and wasn’t able to cast his ballot by machine in the state’s primary.

The Democrat said it happened Thursday at a polling station near Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence.

He says his son, Dante, brought a card showing he was registered as a Democrat but was told his name wasn’t on a list so he had to vote by affidavit ballot.

Those votes do still get counted.

The mayor is a critic of the city’s board of elections. He says the episode is proof the “system is broken.”

The elections board responded with a tweet, saying that Dante de Blasio was not removed from the rolls and that his name was in polling site records.

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6:45 p.m.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and activist and actress Cynthia Nixon are making their final pitches as their closely watched and sometimes nasty Democratic primary contest comes to a close.

Cuomo spoke to reporters after casting his own ballot in Westchester County on Thursday, saying he’s the best-qualified candidate not only to govern but also to push back against President Donald Trump.

Nixon cast her ballot in Manhattan and greeted subway riders. The activist and former “Sex and the City” star has faulted Cuomo’s handling of the city’s aging subways and says he isn’t a true liberal.

Democratic primary voters will also choose candidates for attorney general and the state Legislature in the nation’s final primary before Election Day.

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12:45 p.m.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and activist actress Cynthia Nixon have cast their votes in New York’s Democratic primary election.

Nixon posed for photos with supporters in Manhattan’s Union Square before she voted Thursday at a community center. Cuomo appeared at a polling station in suburban Mount Kisco with his girlfriend, Sandra Lee.

Democrats across New York are also choosing their candidates for attorney general and the state Legislature in the nation’s last primary election of 2018.

The most-watched race is the fiercely fought contest between Cuomo and Nixon.

She’s a high-profile example of an insurgent left-wing trying to oust establishment incumbents.

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11 a.m.

Democrats across New York are choosing their candidates for governor, attorney general and the state Legislature in the nation’s last primary election of 2018.

The most-watched race is a fiercely fought contest between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and activist actress Cynthia Nixon.

She’s a high-profile example of an insurgent left-wing trying to oust establishment incumbents.

President Donald Trump might want to keep an eye on the attorney general primary.

Fordham law professor Zephyr Teachout, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and former Hillary Clinton adviser Leecia Eve have all vowed to be a legal thorn in the Republican president’s side.

Polls show that race very close going into election day.

Voting began in some cities early Thursday and starts in other places at noon.