King’s retirement sets up House battle in NYC suburbs
The race to fill a retiring Republican’s seat in Congress has begun as Democrats see opportunity in the shifting political dynamics of New York’s Long Island suburbs.
At least two Democrats are lining up to replace U.S. Rep. Peter King, a centrist who announced Monday that he won’t seek reelection in New York’s 2nd Congressional District. A host of Republicans are thinking about entering the race, shaping up to be one of the state’s most competitive congressional contests.
The district, which includes parts of Nassau and Suffolk counties, is a political hybrid. Democrats have a slight advantage in voter registration, but the district picked President Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016. It is an area that has seen a steady influx of Hispanic immigrants, which has turned the area bluer but also agitated a base of more conservative voters who have concerns about Central American gangs and crime.
King’s last election opponent, Liuba Grechen Shirley, surprised many in 2018 by coming within 6 percentage points of the veteran lawmaker. She said after King’s announcement Monday that she is considering running again in 2020.
A child care advocate and liberal activist, Grechen Shirley ran her last campaign with support from some local Democratic Party officials as well as Emily’s List, a national organization that works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights.
“The issues I focused my campaign on last year — from paid family leave and affordable health care to climate change and a woman’s right to choose — are still very much at the forefront of today’s political debate,” she said.
Another Democrat who got into the race in May — long before King announced his planned retirement — is the just the kind of candidate party officials have championed in recent elections in districts they hoped to flip from Republican control.
Jackie Gordon, a high school guidance counselor and Babylon Town Board member, retired as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves in 2014 after nearly three decades in the armed forces. She was born in Jamaica but grew up in New York City.
Gordon, 54, said King’s decision not to run “doesn’t change things for me at all.”
“I’m focused on my race. I’m focused on winning. I wasn’t waiting on whether Peter King was running or not running.”
Asked about the potential for a large Democratic primary field now that the seat is open, she said, “You know that I’m a veteran, so I’m prepared for anything.”
Some Democrats were also speculating about a possible run by Suffolk District Attorney Tim Sini, who has led a countywide law enforcement crackdown on the MS-13 street gang. Another prominent Democrat, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, tweeted Tuesday that he wouldn’t run.