Author: Rachel Barnhart
Andrew Cuomo dominated the Democratic primary for governor, winning with 66 percent of the vote. However, there are pockets of resistance to the two-term incumbent. The entire Albany region went for Cynthia Nixon. So did several Rochester neighborhoods.
Turnout in Monroe County nearly tripled from the 2014 gubernatorial primary to 46,765 voters.
Cuomo won Monroe County with 60 percent of the vote, slightly less than his statewide performance. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul outperformed Cuomo in Monroe County, garnering 66 percent. This could be because Cuomo is somewhat weaker in the Rochester area, as he didn’t win Monroe County in 2014.
In Southeast Rochester, Cynthia Nixon won one legislative district (LD) and tied in another. LD 24, which covers the South Wedge, Highland and Swillburg, gave Nixon 1,092, or 58 percent of its votes. Nixon and Cuomo tied in LD 23, which covers North Winton Village, Cobbs Hill and Park Ave., with 1,290 votes.
Attorney General candidate Zephyr Teachout won LD’s 23 and 24, as well as Brighton and Pittsford. Sean Patrick Maloney is the only candidate to run television ads in Rochester, a strategy that proved highly effective in boosting his name recognition. He won Monroe County overall. Tish James won the election statewide.
Southeast Rochester has proven progressive credentials. LDs 23 and 24 went for Bernie Sanders in 2016, as did adjacent LD 21. (Sanders also won Henrietta, Ogden, Irondequoit, Parma, Riga, Sweden and Webster.) LD 24 went for Teachout when she ran against Cuomo for governor in 2014.
Locally, Southeast Rochester is represented by Assemblymen Harry Bronson and Joseph Morelle, and City Councilwoman Elaine Spaull.
Jack says:
We were hoping that Nixon and Teachout would win but knew that the machine candidates would prevail. We have watched and experienced government corruption and incompetence in NYS and don’t see change in our lifetime.