New York's 11th Congressional District special election, 2015
The 11th Congressional District of New York held a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015.
The election filled the vacancy left by the resignation of Michael Grimm (R). He resigned on January 5, 2015, after pleading guilty to felony tax evasion.[1]
This special election was the sixth special election to take place in New York in six years. In four of the five previous special elections, control of the seats shifted to the opposite party.[2]
The special election took place on May 5, 2015. There was initially some delay in choosing the election date; however, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was required to set the date following a lawsuit filed by eight residents of the district.[3][4]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Due to New York election law, special election candidates for the general election are chosen in party conventions rather than in a primary election.[5]
New York's 11th Congressional District is located in the southeastern portion of the state and includes parts of Kings County and Richmond County.[6]
Election results
Daniel Donovan won election to the U.S. House on May 5, 2015. He defeated Vincent Gentile (D) and James Lane (G) in the general election.[7]
| U.S. House, New York District 11 Special General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Daniel Donovan |
58.3% | 24,797 | |
| Democratic | Vincent Gentile | 40.1% | 17,049 | |
| Green | James Lane | 1.3% | 567 | |
| K.A. | Write-in votes | 0.2% | 96 | |
| Total Votes | 42,509 | |||
| Source: New York State Board of Elections, "State of New York State Board of Elections 11th Congressional District," accessed September 3, 2021 | ||||
Candidates
|
General election candidates:[8] |
|
Democratic |
Republican |
|
Third Party/Other |
|
Not running: Michael McMahon (D) William Colton (D) Robert Holst (D) Andrew Lanza (R) Nicole Malliotakis (R)[12] Vito Fossella (R)[13] |
Race background
Special election date
Governor Cuomo was ordered by a U.S. District Judge to set a date for the special election by February 20, 2015. This was following a lawsuit filed by eight residents of the 11th Congressional District.[4]
Judge Jack Weinstein wrote, "The right to representation in government is the central pillar of democracy in this country. Unjustified delay in filling a vacancy cannot be countenanced. Unless the Governor announces the date for a special election on or before noon on Friday, February 20, 2015, or justifies a further delay at a hearing to be conducted by this court at that time and date, this court will fix the date for a special election as promptly as the law will allow."[4]
Following the ruling, Cuomo replied that he would announce the special election date "shortly". The official statement read, "As reflected in the State's papers filed last week, the Governor will announce the date for the Special Election for New York's 11th Congressional District shortly, consistent with our constitutional obligation and in a manner that balances both the economic impact of the election as well as the need for fair representation."[14]
Cuomo did announce the special election date on February 20, 2015. The general election was held on May 5, 2015, with no preceding primary. Party leaders instead chose their candidates at nominating conventions as per New York election law.[15]
Eric Garner case
Donovan, the district attorney for Richmond County, gained national attention in 2014 for his involvement in the Eric Garner case. According to The Huffington Post, "Garner, an unarmed African-American man, died on July 17 in Staten Island after police officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a chokehold and pushed him to the ground in order to arrest him for selling untaxed cigarettes. Garner repeatedly said 'I can't breathe' before he died."[16] The grand jury chose not to indict Pantaleo, and Donovan received criticism from various groups for not trying harder to secure the indictment.[16] Some civil rights groups planned to hold protests against Donovan's 2015 run for U.S. Congress.[17]
On January 11, 2015, Donovan expressed his hopes that Democrats would not use the Eric Garner case as a talking point in the 2015 special election. He stated, "I would hope that they would respect the fact that there was a man who died, a mother who lost her son and there's a wife who lost her husband and some children who lost their dad."[18]
Endorsements
Dan Donovan
Donovan received the following endorsements:
- John Antoniello, Staten Island GOP chair[19]
- The Staten Island GOP[20]
- Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis[21]
Vincent Gentile
Gentile received the following endorsements:
- Governor Andrew Cuomo - "Vinnie Gentile has fought for the hardworking people of New York his entire career. He is a steadfast advocate for first responders and he is committed to growing our economy by cutting taxes, creating jobs and supporting small businesses. I endorse Vinnie for Congress because the people of the 11th District deserve a fighter who will always put people first."[22]
Nicole Malliotakis
Malliotakis received the following endorsements:
- Former Gov. George Pataki[23]
Polls
The following poll conducted by Global Strategy Group was commissioned by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The poll asked voters to decide between likely Republican candidate, Daniel Donovan, and Democrat Michael Cusick, who since dropped out of the race. Originally, voters preferred Donovan 48-28 percent. After giving their initial opinions, voters received general profiles about each candidate and were again asked to choose between the two candidates. Cusick's support increased, but Donovan still led 49-33 percent.[24] The poll then presented various statements opposing Donovan, such as, "Dan Donovan has a history of making plea bargains that let violent criminals, drug dealers, and child pornographers off the hook," and, "Dan Donovan was caught accepting $1,500 from a mobconnected waste management company that received millions of dollars in government contracts under his watch."[25] After hearing these statements, Donovan's lead significantly decreased, but voters still supported Donovan over Cusick 42-39 percent.[25]
| Daniel Donovan vs. Michael Cusick | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Daniel Donovan (R) | Michael Cusick (D) | Undecided/Refused | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||||||
| Global Strategy Group January 16-18, 2015 | 48% | 28% | 24% | +/-4.9 | 404 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected] | |||||||||||||||||||
Media
Daniel Donovan
Donovan's first ad emphasized his humble beginnings.[26]
|
Campaign contributions
Heading into the special election, Donovan had over raised over three times as much money as Gentile.
Daniel Donovan
| Daniel Donovan (2015) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bericht | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| Pre-Special[27] | April 23, 2015 | $0 | $614,975 | $(153,193) | $461,781 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $614,975 | $(153,193) | ||||||||
Vincent Gentile
| Vincent Gentile (2015) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bericht | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| Pre-Special[28] | April 23, 2015 | $0 | $195,724 | $(79,697) | $116,026 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $195,724 | $(79,697) | ||||||||
District history
2014
The 11th Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Rep. Michael Grimm (R) defeated Domenic Recchia (D) and Henry Bardel (Green) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Grimm Incumbent |
54.8% | 58,886 | |
| Democratic | Domenic Recchia | 42.1% | 45,244 | |
| Green | Henry Bardel | 2.5% | 2,687 | |
| K.A. | Write-in votes | 0.5% | 546 | |
| Total Votes | 107,363 | |||
| Source: New York State Board of Elections, NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns November 4, 2014," accessed August 30, 2021 | ||||
2012
The 11th Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent from the 13th District, Michael Grimm (R), defeated Mark Murphy (D) and Henry Bardel (Green) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mark Murphy | 46.8% | 92,430 | |
| Republican | Michael Grimm Incumbent |
52.2% | 103,118 | |
| Green | Henry Bardel | 1% | 1,939 | |
| K.A. | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 148 | |
| Total Votes | 197,635 | |||
| Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns Nov. 6, 2012," accessed September 1, 2021 | ||||
See also
- Special elections to the 114th United States Congress (2015-2016)
- New York's 11th Congressional District
Footnotes
- ↑ CNN, "Michael Grimm announces resignation," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ Roll Call, "Welcome to New York’s Sixth Special Election in Six Years," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ SI Live, "What happens after Rep. Michael Grimm resigns -- from special election to sentencing," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 silive.com, "Federal judge orders Gov. Andrew Cuomo to set a date for special congressional election," February 17, 2015
- ↑ MSNBC, "Why the race to replace Michael Grimm matters," accessed January 5, 2015
- ↑ New York Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed September 25, 2012
- ↑ The New York Times, "Donovan Wins Race for House Seat Grimm Vacated, A.P. Says," May 5, 2015
- ↑ Candidates are listed by party and alphabetically within each party.
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Republican Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan running to replace disgraced Rep. Michael Grimm," accessed January 12, 2015
- ↑ James Lane campaign website, "Media," accessed April 13, 2015
- ↑ SI Live, "Assemblyman Michael Cusick announces he is not running for Congress," accessed January 27, 2015
- ↑ SI Live, "Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis backs out of possible bid for Congress," accessed January 13, 2015
- ↑ New York Observer, "Vito Fossella Really Does Not Want to Go Back to Congress," accessed January 13, 2015
- ↑ silive.com, "Cuomo's office says special election announcement will happen 'shortly,' but doesn't specify timeline," February 17, 2015
- ↑ Roll Call, "Cuomo Schedules New York Special Election (Updated)," February 20, 2015
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Huffington Post, "Daniel Donovan, Prosecutor Who Failed To Indict Eric Garner's Killer, Running For Congress," accessed January 12, 2015
- ↑ Business Insider, "The Republican Party's Rebranding Effort Might Be Headed For A Roadblock In New York," accessed January 12, 2015
- ↑ Associated Press, "Staten Island DA: Garner case shouldn't be a campaign issue," accessed January 13, 2015
- ↑ Capital New York, "Staten Island G.O.P. chair backs Donovan for Congress," accessed January 6, 2015
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Staten Island GOP backs Daniel Donovan to replace Michael Grimm in Congress," accessed January 12, 2015
- ↑ Capital New York, "Malliotakis backs Donovan for Congress," accessed January 13, 2015
- ↑ State of Politics, "Initially Steering Clear Of NY-11, Cuomo Endorses Gentile," April 30, 2015
- ↑ SI Live, "Report: Pataki supports Malliotakis for Michael Grimm's old seat," accessed January 12, 2015
- ↑ Capital New York, "DCCC polls potential Donovan challengers," accessed January 23, 2015
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Capital New York, "Global Strategy Group, 7557 NY 11 Viability Survey," accessed January 23, 2015
- ↑ silive.com, "DA Donovan's campaign for Congress releases first TV ad," April 10, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Daniel Donovan Pre-Special," accessed April 27, 2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Vincent Gentile Pre-Special," accessed April 27, 2015
