Primary #1

New York finally did away with the unnecessary, waste of money, and likely suppressing already low turnout out split local/federal primaries. And, then the re-districting litigation led them to return this year. I am not sure why exactly New York did not simply have a combined election, just later. Instead, the newly drawn state senate and House of Representatives seats will be up in August.*

The original primary (6/28, early voting starting today) is for governor, lieutenant governor, assembly, and U.S. senator. 

[NY Daily News notes: "The first primary for Assembly and statewide offices — including races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, and U.S. Senate — will take place on June 28 with early voting starting on Saturday, June 18."  But, there does not appear to be challengers for the other ones I didn't list either.]

Well, Chuck Schumer doesn't have a challenger. Probably a bad idea not to run against him, prime chance to make your case, but seems Schumer did enough to satisfy his left flank.  My assembly woman is running for state senate, dropping out of the assembly race too late for a replacement (so the party or something decides).  And, no one else is running there. 

For others, there are assembly races, but that leaves the governor race for this voter.  This is not trivial though again it would have made a lot more sense (unless there was some reason not to do so) to have one primary.  I think I will be saying this a few more times before this is all over.  

Anyway, governor turns on the current one, the New York City based liberal (Working Family Party) challenger, and a conservative Democrat (his tool factor includes seeking Cuomo's endorsement).  I was never too enthused about the WFP candidate in general.  My decision is basically based on being happy Cuomo is gone and thinking  Hochul is generally doing a good enough job to support.  

Dave Barry once said the basic job of a lieutenant governor is to wear a suit and to check to see if the governor is dead. A vice president has various ceremonial and other stuff to do, including various meetings on reproductive rights issues.  The New York lieutenant governor is not as important, from what I can tell, though two did become governors in the last fifteen or so years.  

So there are three options.  There is the recently appointed lieutenant governor, who used to be a member of Congress.  Then, there is the Working Family Party option (my choice) as well as the more conservative option.  Normally, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado would have the incumbent advantage, but he has barely been there.  So, maybe Ana Maria Archila has a shot, especially for those who want to send a message to Hochul. 

Anyway, there are more early voting spots (when I first did this, I had to walk about twenty minutes;  this year, there is one five minutes away), and you shouldn't have much of a wait.  So, go vote, get your stylus type pen, sticker, and a white "early voter" wrist ban.  And, do your job as a citizen. 

---

* Along with a bunch of others, the redistricting changed some things for me, including moving the table (election district) I would vote at on Election Day.  I am now in Election District 19 instead of District 6.  More importantly, as I said, I am no longer in AOC's district (House) or Alessandra Biaggi's (moving on and my assemblywoman is running for that seat) state senate district.  

(To be clear, on Election Day, the usual practice here is to go to specific tables at the polls that match up with your election district.  Some tables match up with a single ED, others more than one.  And, you are given a general ballot appropriate for that voting place and your party (primary).  But, on early voting days, you don't have to go to your specific polling place. There is a general table and they print out the ballot specific to you.)