High Stakes In 2 Long Island Congressional Races As Campaign 2020 Gets Down To The Wire
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Democrats are trying to flip two congressional seats in Long Island suburbs that went big for President Donald Trump in 2016.
The races are too close to call.
"The suburbs have been trending from bright red to dark blue over the last generation," said Lawrence Levy, dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.
Levy says all eyes are on the East End, where Republican Lee Zeldin - attorney, veteran and ardent supporter of President Trump, is trying to keep his seat against Nancy Goroff, a PhD scientist from Stony Brook University, who's creating a lot of buzz.
"Voters want law and order. They want safety and security, peace and prosperity," Zeldin said.
CAMPAIGN 2020: Tri-State Area Voter Guide For Nov. 3 General Election
"For too long we have had a representative who is defending a reckless and incompetent president, than in actually doing the work," Goroff said.
The gloves are off in the open seat of the second district - respected Rep. Peter King chose not to run again. So it's state Assemblyman and attorney Andrew Garbarino versus Democrat Jackie Gordon, a combat veteran, former school teacher and town councilwoman.
"We need to bring united back into the United States, sit at the table together, Democrats and Republicans alike," Gordon said.
"Very pro law enforcement, very pro public safety, totally against defund the police movement," Garbarino said.
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Early voting smashed Long Island records, and so did requests for absentee ballots.
"We are allowed to start counting seven days after the election, so November 10th is the first day to start to count those absentees," said Nassau Board of Elections Commissioner James Scheuerman.
The ads in both races have been negative.
An extra phenomenon: More than 30,000 new registrants from New York City, driven away from New York City by the COVID pandemic, will vote on Long Island. They could sway the outcome.
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