Democratic Activists are working to Register New York City Members at their second Homes outside the City ahead of 2018 U.S. House Races. The idea is to shift Votes from the heavily Democratic City to Swing Districts where they could have more Impact.
On Long Island, retired English Teacher Jane Flinter, 63 years old, visited and sent mail to Homes there belonging to People Registered to Vote in New York City. The Pitch: Vote instead on Long Island. “Second homeowners have a vested interest in protecting the rural character of the North Fork,” said Ms. Flinter, who lives there full time and said she got more involved in flipping the District after attending the Women’s March this year.
The Strategy has been Deployed by New York Democrats before with mixed results. Republicans have sometimes used the Strategy to their advantage by warning Voters against the Encroachment of New York City in Communities. “This is nothing new,” said a Spokeswoman for Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island. “[Democrats] are probably losing…votes from these games by turning off the district’s full-time residents.”
This Cycle, Democratic Activists said, is different, due to a Surge of New York Voters energized by the Election of Republican President Trump in an Upset Victory last year over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who won New York City and State. Activist groups with names such as “Vote Smart” and “Vote Where It Counts” have sprung up to help New Yorkers Register where their Votes could be most Pivotal. Some are Affiliated with National Groups seeking to Flip the House for Democrats, like Indivisible and Swing Left, while others are Local Grass-Roots efforts. In particular, Democrats are eyeing Mr. Zeldin’s Long Island Seat and a Hudson Valley-area Seat held by U.S. Rep. John Faso, a First-Term Congressional Republican. Both are Districts with roughly the same numbers of Democrats and Republicans, and the types of Races Democrats need to Win to Regain Congressional Power.
Upstate, Democrat Ellen Schorsch, 59, recently Registered to Vote at her Greene County Home instead of Yonkers, where she Rents an Apartment, and has shown up at Farmers Markets with Registration Forms encouraging others to do the same. Ms. Schorsch said she took a closer look at where her Vote could be more consequential after Trump’s Election. “I don’t feel represented in upstate New York,” she said.
A Spokesman for Mr. Faso, Cam Savage, pointed out that the past Two Democratic Candidates to Run for the Seat, who both had Roots in New York City, Lost. “This latest effort is a clear acknowledgment their latest crop of New York City candidates don’t have support within the district either,” he said. It is not clear how many Second Homeowners are in these Districts, or how many of them are Democrats, but the numbers are likely sizable.
Officials with just One County in Faso’s District, Columbia, said about 20% of County Tax Bills are sent to Homes outside of Columbia County, an Area of roughly 62,000 People. In 2016, Faso beat Democratic Challenger Zephyr Teachout by about 25,000 Voters, State Election Results show.
Hudson Valley Real-Estate Agents said much of their Clientele hails from the Largely Democratic New York City, where City Dwellers have long bought Homes in the surrounding Region for the slower Pace of Life. Even as Liberal Activists sought to boost Democratic numbers in these Areas, Democratic Candidates were wary of Embracing the Tactic themselves. “My campaign does not need any new voters,” said Gareth Rhodes, a former Aide to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo now Running in a crowded Democratic Primary to Challenge Faso next year. “The folks who have lived here for years will hold Faso accountable.”
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
