The 2024 Democratic Assembly Primaries, a variaty of Ideological, racial, and Ego Contests in which Multiple NYC Primary voters got to vote in resulted in multiple African American and moderate victories—with some progressive Wins thrown in for Flavor—with all but one incumbent winning Renomination
To start off, The NY-35th AD Democratic Primary, a contest between community organizer and civic rights advocate Larinda Hooks & Disgrased frm State Senator Hiram Monserrate upon the retirement of longtime Assemblyman Jeff Aubry resulted in a comfortable victory for Hooks
While a relatively unidiological contest—though Hooks is a Liberal, and Monserrate a moderate who once voted against Gay Marriage—the contest centered around Monserrate's past legal trubbles, including a domestic assault charge and Corruption conviction that had originally disgraced Monserrate
As a result of his past, despite being a former state senator and council member, Monserrate lost in a comfortable 19% Rout to Larinda Hooks
Over in Queens, here we find the only NYC DSA gain of the 2024, where Claire Valdez beat Machine backed Johanna Carmona and Incumbent Juan Ardila in a 27% victory in this Long Island City/Ridgewood based AD.
Here, Juan Ardila's political career was cooked as multiple sexual assault alegations against him opened up—giving the DSA an opening to win in this progressive district.
And despite the Queen's machine's best efforts in backing Johanna Carmona, spending heavilly to hold this seat, the idiological lean and Valdez's campaign were too much, combined allowing her to lindslide Carmona
The Flushing based AD-40, here incumbent Progressive Representative—and Cuomo opponent—Ron Kim beat an inter-asian ethnic challenge from Yi Andy chen, winning by 14.2% after nearly losing an inter-ethnic challenge in 2022.
Kim's strength was likely aided by the fact that there were two Chinese candidates in the race, with Dao Yin likely taking votes from Yi Andy Chen. Regardless, Kim credits his victory to speaking and seeking to adress the district's voter's economic concerns (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/ron-kim-district-40-primary-flushing-queens-rcna159016)
In one of two of the NYC DSA's challenger losses this night, Eon Huntly lost by 6% to incumbent Stefani Zinerman despite a spirited challenge in this idiologically competitive district.
Here, Zinerman had the personal support of Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Attorney General Letetia Games in addition to the Brooklyn Democratic Machine.
In this Bedford-Stuyvesant Seat, despite Huntley's best efforts, Zinerman's incumbency and machine connections won out, allowing him to beat back a stiff challenge in this seat,
Huntley did best in Bestford, and Zinerman Crown Heights, with the later winning the seat because his win in Stuyvesant.
In El Barrio/Spanish Harlem, African American Incumbent Ed Gibbs won a fundamentally ethnic challenge in this once dominantly Puerto Rican seat to win the nomination to a second full term
This race was dominated by the Question of Representation, with both claiming to represent the whole seat, but with a fundamentally racial tinge to both candidates campaining regarding which communities they would represent.
Here, Gibbs had the suport of prominent African American electeds such as NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NY Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, winning thanks in large part to their support as he was seen as an incredibly endangered incumbent heading into the night
By contrast, Xavier Santiago, the head of the local community board was supported by the likes of Representatives Jerry Nadler and Adriano Espaillat, as well as former NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito
In his loss, Santiago attained the lowest percent for a Hispanic candidate in this seat in Multiple cycles, only reaching 33% when Hispanic candidates reached 44% only two years prior.
In a contest that was less idiological than it was a corronation, Micah Lasher won in a 5 candidate contest by 19%, besting Eli Northrup who was endorsed by incumbent assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell.
In this upper West side seat, Northrup's inability to be competitive in the money game, and Lasher's bevy of establishment endorsements allowed the latter to comfortably win, earning the right to run as the democratic Nominee for this Assembly District
Following the retirement if Inez Dickens, Jordan Wright won a 4 candidate contest in order to succeed the woman who succeeded his father (Keith Wright) 8 years prior in this central Harlem seat.
A coronation due to the support of the Harlem Political establishment, and non-opposition by Keith Wright's primary political antagonist (Adriano Espaillat)
in the early months of the campaign there was wonder whether or not this contest—as it would establish a Wright political dynasty—would backfire for the Harlem Machine
Here, his main chalenger was Anti-Espaillat Latina Maria Ordonez, a candidate with no shot in this African American district, she was able to best Wright in the Latino part of the district—whilst losing Harlem in a landslide
But in the end, neither the challenge or aforementioned controversy would matter with Jordan Wright winning comfortably—with him now all but guaranteed to succeed Inez Dickens as this seat's assemblymember.
One of Two Espaillat Challenges that failed in 2024, Landon Dais won Renomination to his first full term after winning a special earlier in the Year, over Dominican Latino Leonardo Coello by 18%.
A mostly under the Radar Race, in a seat which has tended to have African American Incumbents, Dais stood a chance at renomination despite the Espaillat Challenge and 61% Latino VAP (45% Black VAP)
While Coello stressed his hispanic credentials, Dais—who grew up in Spanish Harlem—sought to appeal to Latinos to solidify his seat
And solidify he did, despite Coello's Espaillat support getting him withing 20%, Dais' incumbency was enough to overpower the Challenge, winning by 17.8%
A partial rematch from 2022, former AOC Staffer and runner up Jonathan Soto ran again against Incumbent Michael Benedetto in this Plurality Hispanic (37.9%) and Majority Minority seat (71.1), losing to bennedeto by a larger 24.4% when compared to his 2022 Showing.
One of Two NYC DSA Losses this night, the moderate Nature of the district and underlying demographics made it dificult for Soto to win.
Despite being Backed by Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, & Jamaal Bowman (both won the areas of the seat that overlapped with their CD's) Soto was unable to receive much of a boost from either, posting a comanding loss in African American heavy Co-Op city and White Throg's Neck
Only winning precincts in the seat's Hispanic/Puerto Rican areas as a result of him being Puerto Rican Himself.
Heading into election night, this race was seen as incredibly competitive, but it was a mirage, with Soto's percent holding closely to the Hispanic percent of the seat Bennedetto was able to romp to a 24.4% renomination.