Big Money In Close Contest
Voters from Montauk to Smithtown will go to the polls on Tuesday as the campaign to represent New York’s First Congressional District culminates amid a frenzy of unprecedented spending, advertising — mostly of the negative variety — and frequent debates between Representative Tim Bishop, the six-term Democratic incumbent, and State Senator Lee Zeldin, his Republican challenger.
The race is expected to be close. Yesterday, the website electionprojection. com predicted Mr. Bishop winning by 3.6 percent. The political analyst Stuart Rothenberg and the conservative-leaning website realclearpolitics.com have also predicted a thin margin of victory for Mr. Bishop.
According to Oct. 15 quarterly finance reports filed by the campaigns, Mr. Bishop’s campaign committee had raised $700,000 and spent $815,000 in the quarter, while Mr. Zeldin’s had raised $659,000 and spent $391,000. Mr. Bishop had $1 million on hand to Mr. Zeldin’s $404,000. Outside groups, however, are spending heavily in the district. The American Action Network, a con servative group backing Mr. Zeldin, has pledged to spend $1.2 million in the effort to unseat Mr. Bishop. The Democratic and Republican parties’ Congressional campaign committees have spent a combined $4.7 million.
The Federal Election Commission reports $8.77 million in independent expenditures in the district, including for George Demos, whom Mr. Zeldin defeated in the Republican primary election. Ultimately, $10 million may be spent in the contest.
At a debate held at LTV Studios in Wainscott last Thursday, the candidates drew distinctions between their records and positions on issues pertaining to the South Fork.
Asked how noise from helicopter traffic to and from East Hampton Airport should be addressed, Mr. Bishop said that prior to his and Senator Charles Schumer’s urging that the Federal Aviation Administration approve a high-altitude, offshore northern route, and a South Shore route to defuse traffic, “the F.A.A. did not regulate helicopter traffic at all.”
Mr. Zeldin countered that Senator Schumer, Mr. Bishop, and President Barack Obama are Democrats and the Senate has a Democratic majority. “The administration, the F.A.A., everything is controlled by that party,” he said. “I don’t understand why this has been an effort that has been going on for such a long time without the results that the people of this district want.”
Mr. Bishop pounced on the comment. “Apparently my opponent doesn’t know how the federal government operates,” he said. “The United States Senate does not control what the F.A.A. does. . . . To suggest that simply because Schumer is a member of the majority and he ought to be able to get it done with the F.A.A. just shows no understanding whatsoever of how the federal government operates.” They agreed, however, on a home-rule approach to the airport’s operations and all-water routes for helicopter traffic.
Mr. Zeldin was similarly critical of what he said was the slow pace of Hurricane Sandy-related recovery projects. In response to Mr. Bishop’s remarks on the Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed project to protect downtown Montauk’s shoreline with geotextile bags and a larger, more permanent project he said would follow in 2016, Mr. Zeldin said that “the residents of East Hampton are expecting a much larger-scope project to protect the shoreline, and it is greatly unfortunate that we are here talking about that permanent fix still being two years away.”
Mr. Bishop again questioned Mr. Zeldin’s command of the facts. “My opponent is never one to let truth get in the way of a good attack,” he said. The Corps has prioritized recovery efforts, he said, focusing first on the most urgent and dangerous damage, then on repair of previously constructed projects. “The third level of activity is to deal with these interim projects,” he said, such as the proposal for Montauk.
Regarding employment on Long Island, Mr. Zeldin said that the cost of doing business has to be reduced, citing energy and healthcare costs. He criticized medical malpractice insurance rates and said he supports tort reform and a simplified tax code. Mr. Bishop said that, while the best job creators are in the private sector, “the public sector’s responsibility is to create the environment in which the private sector does what it does best, which is to create and innovate.” He cited the need to invest in education and job training “so that the young people of Long Island have the skills and training necessary to fill the jobs that exist on Long Island.”
Mr. Zeldin criticized the Affordable Care Act, relating reports of higher health insurance premiums and deductibles, cancelled policies, and longer wait times. “There is common ground to be found between the two parties,” he said.
“I would be delighted to be a part of a discussion in which we tried to improve on a piece of legislation that has already done a lot of good,” Mr. Bishop replied, “but that’s not happening in the United States Congress because the entire focus has been on repeal, and by the way with nothing to replace it. . . . Let’s stop obsessing on repealing it, and start obsessing on fixing it.”
Mr. Bishop said he has been endorsed by “virtually all of organized labor,” law enforcement, and environmental organizations. On Mr. Zeldin’s campaign website, a list of officials that have endorsed him includes East Hampton Town Councilman Fred Overton, Stephen Lynch, the town’s highway superintendent, Southampton Town Councilman Stan Glinka and Town Clerk Sundy A. Schermeyer, and State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle.
The candidates for Congress are all the way to the right on column 16 of the ballot. Mr. Bishop is running on the Democratic, Working Families, and Independence Party lines. Mr. Zeldin is on the Republican and Conservative lines.
Also on the ballot is the contest for governor and lieutenant governor, pitting the Democratic incumbent Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his running mate, Kathy C. Hochul (who also have Independence, Working Family, and Women’s Equality Party backing), against the Republicans Rob Astorino and Chris Moss, running also on the Conservative, and Stop Common Core lines; the Green Party’s Howie Hawkins and Brian P. Jones; the Libertarians Michael McDermott and Chris Edes, and the Sapient Party’s Steven Cohn and Bobby K. Kalotee. The incumbent State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, a Democrat, is facing challenges from the Republican Robert Antonacci, the Green Party’s Theresa M. Portelli, and the Libertarian’s John Clifton. Eric T. Schneiderman, the Democratic attorney general, is running against the Republican John Cahill, the Green Party’s Ramon Jimenez, and the Libertarian Carl E. Person.
Voters will choose six New York State Supreme Court justices for the 10th Judicial District from the nine running. Two county court judges, a family court judge, and the county clerk are running unopposed. The Republican John M. Kennedy Jr. and Democrat Jim Gaughran are running for county comptroller.
Finally, while they do not face tough races, State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, a Republican, and the Independence Party’s State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., who has Democratic and Working Family backing, are also being challenged. Looking to take Mr. Thiele’s seat are Heather C. Collins on the Republican ticket and Brian J. De Sesa on the Conservative line. Mr. LaValle’s challenger is Michael L. Conroy, a Democrat.
With Reporting by Carissa Katz