hill country observerThe independent newspaper of eastern New York, southwestern Vermont and the Berkshires

 

News & Issues August 2022

 

Two vie for right to challenge Stefanik

Castelli, Putorti spar over ballot lines in busy Aug. 23 election

 

By MAURY THOMPSON
Contributing writer

 

A new wrinkle in the 21st Congressional District race developed recently when Matt Castelli, one of two candidates running in the Aug. 23 Democratic primary, established an independent “Moderate Party” line.


It’s the latest bone of contention in a primary race that has become a referendum on the Democrats’ regional leadership as much as or more than a debate about policies.
Matt Putorti, the other Democratic candidate, has cast himself as the one looking to break the lock of party leaders, who early on coalesced behind Castelli.


The two men are competing for the right to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, who is considered the heavy favorite in a district that already leaned Republican and was redrawn earlier this year to give the GOP an even stronger edge of 12.6 percentage points in voter enrollment.


Castelli, by establishing a third-party line, has set up the possibility of a three-way general election contest if Putorti wins the Democratic primary. With his independent line, Castelli’s name will be on the November ballot regardless of the outcome of the primary, and he has not ruled out continuing to actively campaign if he loses the primary.

 

Many races across region
The race between Castelli and Putorti is one of several congressional contests around the region in which New York voters will cast ballots on Aug. 23.


In Columbia and Rensselaer counties, voters will be deciding a special election to fill the remainder of the term of Democratic Rep. Antonio Delgado, who resigned earlier this year to become lieutenant governor. That contest, to be held within the boundaries of the old 19th Congressional District in which Delgado won in 2018 and 2020, pits Republican Marcus Molinaro, the Dutchess County executive, against Democrat Pat Ryan, the Ulster County executive. Although the winner will serve only until January, the contest is being closely watched as potential bellwether for the national midterm elections in November.


Regardless of the outcome of that race, however, Molinaro will be running in November as the GOP candidate in the newly drawn 19th district, which no longer includes Rensselaer County and instead stretches from Columbia County westward to Ithaca. On Aug. 23, Democrat primary voters in the new, highly competitive district will choose between two candidates to oppose Molinaro: Jamie Cheney, an activist and business owner from Rhinebeck, and Josh Riley, a lawyer and former aide to the late Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Saugerties.


Ryan, meanwhile, hopes to run in November to represent the new 18th district, another politically competitive territory that stretches from Dutchess County southwest to the Pennsylvania border. He faces an Aug. 23 Democratic primary contest with Moses Mugulusi, a state auditor, for that seat.


And in the redrawn 20th Congressional District, which now includes all of Saratoga County, incumbent Democratic Rep. Paul Tonko will face a primary challenge Aug. 23 from Rostislav Rar, an Albany immigration lawyer.

 

Third-party gambit
In Stefanik’s reconfigured North Country district, which now takes in nearly all of Rensselaer County, Castelli’s move to create an independent line for himself carries certain risks.
If Castelli wins the Democratic primary, as he says he expects, he’d have a second ballot line on which he could potentially attract support in November from disaffected Republicans who might be reluctant to vote on the Democratic line.


The district has a history of being moderate on social, labor and environmental issues but conservative on gun control and fiscal policy.


If Putorti wins the primary, however, Castelli’s name will still appear on the general election ballot on the Moderate Party line. He could wind up drawing votes away from the Democratic line even if opts not to continue campaigning.


Under New York’s election laws, there will be no way for Castelli to remove his name from the November ballot even if he loses the Democratic primary.


Established third parties in New York, such as the Working Families and Conservative parties, can replace a losing major-party candidate with the winning candidate by nominating the losing candidate to some other general election race in the state — often a race the losing primary candidate has no chance to win – and the losing candidate also can be removed from the ballot by moving out of state.


But those rules don’t apply to independent ballot lines, such as the “Moderate Party” Castelli has created specifically for this congressional election, with no established statewide party structure. (His effort is not affiliated with an effort in New Jersey to establish a new national Moderate Party.)
Putorti does not have an independent or other third-party line.

 

Building a coalition?
Castelli, a former CIA counterterrorism official, recently moved to Glens Falls from the town of Saratoga, which, along with the rest of Saratoga County (including Stefanik’s home in Schuylerville) was drawn out of the new 21st district.


He said establishing the independent line is part of his strategy to build a coalition of Democratic, Republican and independent voters necessary to defeat Stefanik, who has evolved from a one-time moderate to a hard-line conservative aligned with former President Donald Trump.
“Government is better when it reflects a coalition,” Castelli said.


It’s a strategy that is logical in a district with a Republican enrollment advantage, said Robert Turner, a political science professor at Skidmore College.


“Every Democrat running in a redder district would love to send the message that they are a moderate — whatever that is,” he said.


Castelli said it places him on par with Stefanik, who has two ballot lines in November, Republican and Conservative.


But Putorti, a lawyer from Whitehall, said Castelli’s establishing of an independent line is a misguided tactic that could splinter the Democratic vote in the general election.
Putorti said he agrees that it will take a coalition of Democratic, Republican and independent voters to defeat Stefanik. But by establishing an independent ballot line, he said, Castelli risks “playing the spoiler” in the general election.


Putorti said a winning coalition will be built not by political labels, but by emphasizing issues that voters care about such as health care, public safety, affordable housing, abortion and gay rights.
“We win in this district, and we are successful in this district, by championing Democratic values,” he said.


Alex DeGrasse, a senior adviser to Stefanik, said Castelli is not a moderate.
“Castelli supports gun control, the largest tax increase and largest spending bill in our nation’s history, and supports Joe Biden,” he said. “There is nothing moderate about his positions. He is running as a far-left Democrat in the far-left Democrat Party.”


Castelli, in a recent phone interview, would not say whether he would continue to actively campaign if he loses the primary.


“I plan to win the Democratic primary and carry both party lines in the general election,” he said.
Asked what he would do if his plan was unsuccessful, Castelli reiterated, “I’m going to tell you the same thing: I plan to win the Democratic primary and carry both party lines in the general election.”


Asked specifically if he would rule out continuing to actively campaign if he loses the Democratic primary, Castelli responded, “I won’t even entertain the possibility of losing the Democratic primary. We’re going to work really hard and win the confidence of the Democratic voters.”


Party leaders choose sides
Warren County Democratic Chairwoman Lynne Boecher said it is premature to comment on whether she and her committee members would endorse and actively campaign for Putorti if he wins the primary.


“At this time, I am focused on Aug. 23, and not on Aug. 24,” she said.
The county committee voted nearly unanimously to endorse Castelli in the primary, she said.
Turner said winning the primary is a daunting challenge for Putorti, with Castelli having solid support of party leaders, particularly if, as expected, turnout is low.


August is a time when people are focused on vacations and recreation, not politics, he said. And there is a high level of voter fatigue because of heated rhetoric on national issues and because of New York’s decision to hold two primaries this year – one in June for statewide offices and state Assembly, and another in August for Congress and state Senate.


Putorti reiterated that he will support Castelli in the general election if Castelli wins the primary.
“I have said from the beginning of this race that I believe voters should decide who is the best candidate to take on Stefanik and represent our party on the ballot,” he said. “I’ve also been consistently clear that I will support the winner of the primary, but this is apparently not something my opponent is willing to do.”


Putorti criticized Washington County Democratic Chairman Alan Stern and other party leaders for helping to circulate Castelli’s independent nominating petitions.


It’s the latest friction between Putorti and party leaders.
In February, the Putorti campaign accused party leaders of having an anti-gay bias when they urged Putorti, who is gay, to drop out of the congressional district race and, instead, challenge incumbent Republican Dan Stec for state Senate. Party leaders disputed the accusation.
In April, Jason Clark, a member of the St. Lawrence County Democratic Committee, challenged Putorti’s Democratic nominating petitions, claiming many of the signatures “clearly forged,” an accusation the Putorti campaign denied, The Watertown Daily Times has reported. The state Board of Elections dismissed Clark’s challenge, though it did not specifically address whether signatures were forged.


Castelli, in the recent telephone interview, said the challenge to Putorti’s petitions was important.
“It’s a real serious priority, when it comes to trust in Democrats,” he said.

 

Assault-weapons ban
On issues, the two Democratic candidates have few differences, the most significant being on gun control.


Putorti supports a federal ban on assault weapons. Castelli would not pledge to support a ban, saying his position would be based on specific language in any proposed legislation.
Castelli has said, if elected, he would join the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group of House members that propose consensus legislation, and the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally conservative, socially moderate House Democrats who are strong on defense.
Putorti said that after he is elected, he will evaluate what caucuses and groups fit best with the interests of the region.


Putorti touts his local roots as someone who grew up and lived in Whitehall, where his family ran a grocery store. He moved back to his hometown from New York City, where he had a law practice, to run for Congress.


Democratic Party leaders have said Castelli’s expertise in foreign affairs makes him the best candidate to carry the party’s banner.


In a television ad his campaign began airing in late July, Castelli contrasts himself to “politicians like Elise Stefanik,” but does not mention Putorti or the Aug.23 primary.


As of June 30, campaign finance reports showed Castelli had a balance of $586,000 in his campaign fund, while Putorti had $297,000. Stefanik had $3.35 million.


Stefanik is seeking a fifth two-year term in the House. Last year, she was elected chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, the third highest House GOP leadership post, after Rep. Liz Cheney was ousted from the position.


Turner said Stefanik has become a rising star in the national Republican Party.
“I think many people would have her on their short list for speaker of the House if the Republicans take control of Congress, or at least in the top three,” he said.