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Democratic State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (S.D. 34) announced a change in her bid to become a New York congresswoman on Tuesday, May 24, as she unveiled that she had switched her candidacy for Congress in the upcoming New York Democratic primary from New York’s third congressional district (NY-3) to New York’s seventeenth congressional district (NY-17), setting the scene for another showdown between who some voters see as a moderate, establishment, Democratic incumbent and a progressive Democratic challenger.

 

The open NY-17 seat is in a newly redrawn congressional district in the lower Mid-Hudson Valley and the incumbent congressman in NY-17 is Democrat, Rep. Mondaire L. Jones, who recently announced he would also be changing course and running in the now open 10th congressional district. Jones, a progressive, Black congressman, was seemingly “prompted” to make the switch, following the recent redistricting debacle which has been dragging on for months, as reported, and which has also caused Democrat, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney to ditch his current, now redrawn, 18th congressional district to run, instead, in the newly redrawn, district 17, a district seemingly regarded as easier to win. Some Democrats, including Biaggi, see Maloney’s move as pushing out a fellow Democratic Party member for personal gain.

 

As reported, Biaggi announced her campaign to run for the NY-3 congressional seat, prior to a court ruling in late April which overturned a vote taken in early February in the Democratic majority-led, State legislature on redistricting maps, following the 2020 census, the result of accusations by Republicans of partisanship and gerrymandering. The senator had gained a steady group of endorsements which, among others, included three prominent Westchester elected officials: Ken Jenkins, Westchester deputy county executive, Yadira Ramos-Herbert, a New Rochelle councilwoman, Martha Lopez, another New Rochelle councilwoman, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, and 12 New York State senators.

 

Following that latest court ruling, revised redistricting maps were redrawn by a “special master” and approved by a judge last week. The latest final maps for NY-3 and NY-17 are included further below. Part of Biaggi’s current senatorial district 34 includes parts of Westchester County, which was removed from NY-3 under the latest redistricting reshuffle, thereby reducing her chances of winning that congressional seat. NY-3 is currently represented by moderate Democrat, Rep. Tom Suozzi, who is running for governor.

 

Further, I believe I am the only sitting member who resides in NY17. https://t.co/J7oK4D3EiB

— Sean Patrick Maloney (@spmaloney) May 16, 2022

 

NY-17, on the other hand, includes Rockland and Putnam Counties, Northern Westchester and Southern Dutchess Counties. In the context of her latest announcement regarding her run in NY-17, the senator said, “I’ve lived in Westchester my entire life. I know this district, and I’m looking forward to representing it.” Biaggi added, “I decided to run for Congress because I’m so frustrated by what’s not happening in Washington: combating the climate crisis, expanding access to affordable healthcare, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, passing stricter gun laws, protecting abortion and voting rights.”

 

She continued, “I have a record of getting big things done on Democratic priorities. In the State Senate, we codified Roe in New York State, something Democrats had tried to do for a decade, passed groundbreaking climate change legislation, strengthened gun laws, expanded voting access and much more.”

 

The senator went on to say that a sense of urgency was needed in Washington D.C. around such issues. “We need Democrats who want to expand access to healthcare for all, who embrace the Affordable Care Act, and want to push further, unlike Sean Patrick Maloney, who voted with Republicans to weaken it after it passed, and refused to even say whether he would have voted for it or against it.”

 

Biaggi said voters needed Democrats who fought for everyone, and not just special interests. “Maloney has gladly taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from corporate PACs who poison our political system with endless sums of dark money,” she said. “We need Democrats who fight to expand our majority so we can pass our agenda, not Maloney, who selfishly moved to a slightly safer district, forcing out a strong, Black congressmember.”

 

Biaggi, also a progressive legislator, who currently represents parts of The Bronx in addition to parts of Westchester county, added, “I’m no stranger to taking on well-funded, powerful opponents. When I won my race for State Senate in 2018, by primarying a powerful seven-term, fake Democrat [Jeff Klein], we were outspent nearly 10-to-1, with outside special interests spending millions of dollars more trying to stop us. We’re building a grassroots movement all across the 17th district that will mobilize, organize, and win.”

 

In 2018, Biaggi defeated the powerful head of the group that kept Republicans in power (the Independent Democratic Caucus or IDC) to put Democrats back in control of the State senate. Since taking office, her team said she has worked to create a more equitable New York, delivering wins for working families and paving the way for progressive Democrats to run for office and win.

 

Biaggi’s primary opponent in the NY-17 race, Maloney, is chairman of the Democratic congressional campaign committee and a former advisor to President Bill Clinton. In the context of the latest discussions around redrawing the congressional districts, Maloney had said, “While the process to draw these maps without the legislature is against the will of the voters, if the newly announced maps are finalized, I will run in New York’s 17th Congressional District. NY-17 includes my home and many of the Hudson Valley communities I currently represent.” The congressman added, “Further, I believe  I am the only sitting member who resides in NY-17.”

 

Maloney’s comments about the redrawing of the maps being against the will of the voters echoed those of other Democrats. Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), for example, recently told Norwood News he disagreed with the basis of the latest lawsuit brought by Republicans which challenged the redistricting maps submitted by Democrats to the State legislature voted on in early February. As reported, many Democrats believed the political jurisdictions up to that point disproportionately favored Republicans and in their view, the February vote served to redress the balance.

 

Meanwhile, Norwood News reached out to Maloney’s campaign for comment on Biaggi’s various remarks on his record as a congressman. Mia Ehrenberg, a campaign spokesperson for the congressman, replied, saying, “Rep. Maloney has served the Hudson Valley for nearly a decade, spending every day fighting for working families, good jobs, and to protect the environment. From banning oil barge anchorages on the Hudson River to cleaning up local drinking water, Congressman Maloney has always been there for the Hudson Valley, and will continue to be. He has strong support across the 17th district and looks forward to earning the support of voters once again this fall.”

 

 

Since news of the primary broke, among other endorsements, the Democratic chairs/parties of the three main counties in the newly redrawn 17th congressional district, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester, posted endorsements of Maloney on social media. 

 

John Gromada from the Rockland County Democrats even appeared to be looking ahead to the general election in lending his support to Maloney, saying, “Voters who want to keep the House out of the hands of MAGA crazies are best served by supporting @spmaloney – a resident of CD17 who has consistently delivered for the Hudson Valley. Proud to endorse Sean – he will win and fight for us. This is about protecting democracy.”

 

Meanwhile, also on Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act (S66A/A648A) into law. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, creates a one-year lookback window for any survivor of sexual abuse whose statute of limitations has expired, enabling the person to sue their abusers in civil court. It builds on the New York Child Victims Act signed in 2019, legislation which was sponsored by Biaggi.

 

Voters who want to keep the House out of the hands of MAGA crazies are best served by supporting @spmaloney – a resident of CD17 who has consistently delivered for the Hudson Valley. Proud to endorse Sean- he will win and fight for us. This is about protecting democracy.

— John Gromada 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇺🇦🇺🇦 (@johngromada) May 24, 2022

 

On Tuesday, the senator, a sexual abuse survivor, a vocal critic of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and a sponsor of more recently announced legislation which strengthens protections for victims of sexual harassment, issued the following statement on the passage of the new Adult Survivors Act, saying, “Today is a testament to the power of survivors. After years of relentless advocacy by survivors and advocates, the Adult Survivors Act has been signed into law– putting power back in the hands of adult survivors by giving them the opportunity to hold both their abusers and the institutions that protected them accountable in the courtroom.”

 

Biaggi added, “Today is a watershed moment for our state, as we work to build a legal system that centers survivors and their experiences. I could not be more grateful for the activists, survivors, bill champions, Senator Hoylman and Assemblymember Rosenthal, as well as Safe Horizon for spearheading this movement and to Gov. Hochul for prioritizing survivor-centered legislation. The Adult Survivors Act will bring us one step closer to achieving survivor justice in New York.”

 

As previously reported, Biaggi evolved into a critic of Cuomo both in terms of his handling of the nursing home crisis amid the pandemic, and amid the allegations brought against him of sexual harassment, which led to his resignation in August 2021. The former governor has denied the allegations and the criminal charges on which they were based have since been dropped, despite the courts finding the victims’ testimonies credible.

 

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Eric Adams also tweeted his support of the new Adult Survivors Act, on Tuesday, saying, “This is a momentous day for our state. Survivors have fought hard for the Adult Survivors Act, and they deserve their day in court. New York City stands behind anyone who comes forward to share their story. Public safety and justice must go hand in hand.”

 

The primary elections for congressional office are scheduled for August 23. The filing deadline for congressional office is June 10. According to Ballotpedia, another Democratic candidate running in the NY-17 Democratic primary, in addition to Biaggi and Maloney, is Michael Parietti.

 

In the Republican primary, Charles Falciglia and Jack Schrepel have declared their candidacies.

 

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