Maloney Wins Dems Primary, Will Challenge Hayworth for House Seat
Former White House aide Sean Patrick Maloney appears to have won the Democrats Congressional Primary for the 18th District, according to the unofficial results posted Tuesday night.
Maloney, a Cold Spring resident, garnered 7,098 votes, a total that equals the entire amount of votes collected for the other four candidates in the race. Cortlandt Councilman Richard Becker had 4,775 votes, Wappinger Falls Mayor Matt Alexander collected 1,752, 674 voted for Buchanan Trustee Duane Jackson and Tuxedo Park Mayor Tom Wilson got 329 votes.
The 18th District includes all of Putnam and Orange Counties and part of Westchester County, including a small piece of Yorktown and New Castle, as well as all of Somers, and the southwestern portion of Dutchess County.
“Democrats have spoken loud and clear, in one voice, echoing off every corner of the Hudson Valley — that we are back,” said Maloney, Tuesday night while giving his victory speech at the Teamsters Local 445 Union Hall in Rock Tavern. “We are strong; we have had enough, and we are ready work together to make Congress work for working people again.”
Maloney has worked as a senior West Wing adviser to President Bill Clinton between 1997 and 2000. He is also the former First Deputy Secretary to Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Gov. David Paterson. He is currently a partner with the Orrick law firm in its New York office and is a member of the Energy and Infrastructure Group.
His campaign platform focuses on the economy, jobs and protecting people’s rights. Maloney said he wanted to make smart investments in education and infrastructure, to establish what he described as sensible tax policies that would help to create jobs and balance budgets, to protect contraception coverage for women and protect the rights of gay and lesbian people.
“I am running not to complain about such extremism, but to defeat it, and replace it with common sense and cooperation,” Maloney said. “I am running to fight for the values we have as neighbors and families, who believe in each other and our shared responsibility to build a modern, prosperous country where we can all be free.”
Becker who was considered the front-runner in the race before Maloney threw his hat in, threw his support to the winner once the poll results were out.
“I’d like to congratulate my opponent for his victory tonight and wish him the best of luck in the general election,” said Becker. “The Hudson Valley can’t afford two more years of this Tea Party Congress. One term was one too many for Nan Hayworth. She’s part of the problem in Washington, and we Democrats need to be part of the solution.”
He added, “The stakes are just too great for anyone who supported me to sit this campaign out. I wish the voters had made a different choice, but as Democrats we have to respect that decision and move forward together.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
