Congressional primaries Tuesday; early voting shows low turnout for Democratic NY-21, Republican NY-24 party races

Alex Gault, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·3 min read

Aug. 23—It's primary day in New York — again. In the north country, voters will have options on the ballot in primary races for Congress.

Today's primaries were originally planned to be held in June with the primary races for governor, Assembly and local seats, but the last-minute redistricting of New York's congressional and state Senate lines pushed them to August.

Voters registered to a party hosting a primary in their congressional district have been able to vote early at their county board of elections site or an alternate open site since Aug. 13. Today, poll sites will open for full polling hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Early voting numbers show there's been a lighter turnout so far than the early voting from June. In Jefferson County, 114 people voted in either the Democratic NY-21 or Republican NY-24 primaries at the county's two locations in Watertown and Adams. The county's two sites saw 449 early voters in June, when Republicans were voting for their Assembly and county sheriff nominees, and voters of both parties were selecting their gubernatorial tickets.

In St. Lawrence County, 225 people voted in the Democratic NY-21 primary, and in Lewis County 68 people voted in the Democratic NY-21 primary. St. Lawrence County saw 510 early voters in June, while Lewis County had 172.

For the 21st Congressional District, Democratic voters in Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, as well as those on the eastern side of Jefferson County, including Alexandria Bay, Fort Drum, Black River and Carthage, will be able to select their preferred candidate to run against Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, R-Schuylerville. Their options are Matt Castelli, a former CIA officer and counterterrorism official, and Matthew F. Putorti, a Whitehall native and former corporate lawyer.

There is no Republican primary for NY-21.

For the 24th Congressional District, which includes the city of Watertown, western Jefferson County, out to the Finger Lakes and Niagara County in Western New York, Republican voters will have the chance to select their preferred candidate. Incumbent Southern Tier Rep. Claudia L. Tenney, R-Utica, is facing a challenge from Geneva-based businessman and former lawyer, Mario J. Fratto. George Phillips, a Binghamton resident who followed Rep. Tenney into this primary race but never officially campaigned, is also on the Republican ballot for NY-24.

The winner of that race will advance onto the general election against Democrat Steven W. Holden Sr., an Army veteran and business owner from Camillus.

While the state Senate primaries are scheduled for today, there are no primary races in districts 45 or 49, the districts covering Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. In the 45th State Senate District, covering the northeastern tip of St. Lawrence County from Canton and Waddington, east to Franklin, Clinton, Essex and Warren counties, incumbent Daniel G. Stec, R-Queenbury, is running against Democratic challenger Jean Lapper, an accountant from Queensbury.

The 49th State Senate District, which includes all of Jefferson, Lewis, Hermiker and Hamilton counties, as well as the rest of St. Lawrence County not covered by the 45th and northern Oswego County, has only one candidate from either major party — current Assemblyman Mark C. Walczyk, R-Watertown, running unopposed.