The 8 most crucial state Senate primary races in New York

While the general election is still a few months away, a number of state Senate candidates are gearing up for tough tests in this month’s primaries. In some districts that are heavily Republican or Democratic, the Sept. 13 primary is the only contest that matters. In other districts, the primaries will simply narrow down the number of candidates for even tougher fights in November – when the state Senate could be up for grabs. Here’s a snapshot of some of the biggest races.

District 10

Democratic Primary

Adrienne Adams

James Sanders

State Sen. James Sanders has represented this strongly Democratic Southeast Queens district for a long time, serving as a state senator since 2013 and representing much of the area in the City Council before that. But he seems to have angered the Queens political establishment when he filed paperwork this year for a primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks. Sanders eventually backed out, but his waffling opened a window for Queens Community Board 12 Chairwoman Adrienne Adams to mount a challenge – and pick up institutional support. She earned the endorsement of the Queens County Democrats and has received checks from U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Joe Crowley, who is also the county chairman, and from Meeks’ own campaign. Even Meeks’ wife, Simone-Marie, donated $100 to Adams. That has helped add to Adams’ impressive fundraising total of more than $102,000.

Sanders trails in fundraising, with nearly $75,000, including donations from unions like CWA, NYSNA and 32BJ. In February he was accused of seeking a kickback while allocating his discretionary funding as a City Councilman in 2012, but no charges have been brought.

District 31

Democratic primary

Marisol Alcántara

Robert Jackson

Micah Lasher

Luis Tejada

Given uptown Manhattan’s strong Democratic leanings, whoever clinches the four-way primary is all but guaranteed to coast through the general election. The district, which runs along the western side of the island from midtown to the tip of Inwood and up through Marble Hill, has long been represented in the by state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, who, as the Democratic nominee for Congress, is presumed to be bound for Washington, D.C.

Espaillat endorsed Marisol Alcántara, a district leader in Harlem and organizer for the New York State Nurses Association. She’s also backed by the Bronx borough president, City Councilmen Ydanis Rodriguez and Ritchie Torres, and the Independent Democratic Conference, which has partnered with the Senate Republicans in Albany. Beyond the union she works for, she has received support from the New York State Hotel and Motel Trades Council and Transit Workers Union Local 100.

The city and state teachers unions and state AFL-CIO, however, have lined up behind former City Councilman and district leader Robert Jackson, who unsuccessfully challenged Espaillat in 2014. Jackson has also been endorsed by several Harlem officials, including outgoing U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel and former Mayor David Dinkins.

Micah Lasher, a former chief of staff to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and aide to former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, has received support from his old bosses and many in their orbit. The Communications Workers of America and some groups representing the taxi and livery industry have also backed him.

Another unsuccessful contender in the 2014 primary, Luis Tejada, is giving it another go. Tejada founded the Mirabal Sisters Cultural and Community Center and describes himself as a community activist.

Lasher has knocked Alcántara for declining to say whether she would caucus with the IDC or the traditional Democratic caucus if elected, arguing she may empower Republicans.

Meanwhile, Alcántara, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, has suggested Lasher is an out-of-touch operative, saying she had never heard of him before. Lasher’s campaign haul of about $386,600 dwarfed his opponents’: Jackson reported about $101,700; Tejada, $4,100; and Alcántara, $1,300.

District 33

Democratic primary

Fernando Cabrera

Gustavo Rivera

For those who watched the last state legislative primaries shake out, this year’s showdown between state Sen. Gustavo Rivera and City Councilman Fernando Cabrera may get a sense of déjà vu.

Cabrera, who also serves as the senior pastor at New Life Outreach International, claims Rivera is falling short in bringing state funding to the heavily Democratic central Bronx district. Rivera has pointed out that, unlike in the City Council, the state does not have a member item system lawmakers can use to direct funding to specific community projects or organizations.

Rivera, who is also running on the Working Families Party line, has described his opponent as a Republican in a Democrat’s clothing, pointing out that Cabrera has praised the Ugandan government’s anti-LGBT stances. The senator also questioned why the New Yorkers for Independent Action PAC, which is funded by GOP activists, is supporting Cabrera. The group’s backing comes down to Cabrera being a proponent of an educational tax credit that would benefit private or charter schools, the councilman said. The PAC has already reported spending nearly $256,000 on this and three other races. Cabrera reported raising about $261,500, well behind Rivera’s $610,400.

District 36

Democratic primary

Jamaal Bailey

Que English

Pamela Hamilton-Johnson

Edward Mulraine

Alvin Ponder

This Democratic-majority district, which straddles the Bronx and Mount Vernon, was put up for grabs when longtime state Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson announced she would join the Cuomo administration and not run for re-election.

Jamaal Bailey, a Bronx district leader with close ties to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, is considered to be the heavy favorite. Bailey, who until recently served as Heastie’s community relations director, has received endorsements from NYSUT, 32BJ, 1199 SEIU and DC37, among others. Revs. Edward Mulraine and Que English are also seeking the seat. English has touted her experience as an activist and advocate, while Mulraine served as Williamsbridge NAACP president and on the District 12 school board. Alvin Ponder is a doctor who serves on Bronx Community Board No. 10 and the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit Initiative, and his main issue is access to quality heath care. Pamela Hamilton-Johnson, president of Community Education Council 11, is also seeking the seat.

District 40

Democratic primary

Ali Boak

Andrew Falk

In what has become one of the Hudson Valley battlegrounds in the state Senate in recent cycles, GOP state Sen. Terrence Murphy will face one of two Democrats: Andrew Falk or Ali Boak. Falk, a local lawyer who tried unsuccessfully to unseat Republican Assemblyman Steve Katz in 2012 and 2014, has been endorsed by the Working Families Party and CWA. Falk claims that support for him has grown with each campaign, but every Democratic Assembly member whose district overlaps with S.D. 40 has endorsed former Pound Ridge town board member Ali Boak. Boak also has around $50,000 in campaign funds on hand, while Falk has just under $5,000.

Both Democrats have emphasized the need for ethics reform and knocked Murphy for not immediately calling for former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos to step down following his arrest. During the primary, they have focused on presenting themselves as the best candidate to beat Murphy, rather than attacking each other. This is Murphy’s first re-election campaign after he won the seat in 2014 with about 55 percent of the vote, and Democrats have about 10,000 more voters in the district than Republicans, but City & State has designated the general election matchup “lean Republican.”

District 54

Republican primary

Sean Hanna

Pamela Helming

Brian Manktelow

Floyd Rayburn

Jon Ritter

With state Sen. Michael Nozzolio bowing out after more than two decades, a slew of candidates are vying to replace the GOP lawmaker. While the Republican committees from the six counties within the district voted to nominate Canandaigua Supervisor Pamela Helming in May, four more candidates will be on the ballot for the September primary, a field that narrowed from 11. Among Helming’s GOP rivals are former Assemblyman Sean Hanna and Lyons Supervisor Brian Manktelow. While Helming actually trails most of her opponents in terms of cash on hand as of the last filings, much of the money flowing to other candidates is coming from their own bank accounts, whereas hers has been raised from individuals and a handful of political action organizations. With a voter enrollment advantage of more than 14,000 over the Democratic candidate, town of Rose Supervisor Kenan Baldridge, Helming has a good chance at holding the seat for the GOP – assuming she survives the primary.

District 60

Democratic primary

Al Coppola

Amber Small

Amber Small, a political newcomer who currently runs a neighborhood community center, was passed over by Erie County Democrats when they endorsed state Sen. Marc Panepinto for re-election, despite numerous rumors circling about the lawmaker. A few days later, he unexpectedly dropped out of the race, reopening the door for Small, who received the backing of the local party after efforts to court candidates with more name recognition – specifically Assemblyman Sean Ryan – fell flat. Now she’ll square off against Al Coppola, a longtime figure in Western New York politics who spent more than a decade as a Common Council member in Buffalo before serving a brief stint in the state Senate, an office he has unsuccessfully tried to regain several times.

Small, who has more than $55,000 on hand, is expected to get union backing, with several already pledging their support. Meanwhile, Coppola has put some money into his campaign account recently, bringing the total to more than $18,000 as of the last filing. Whoever ends up in the general election is likely to see a flood of money from state Democrats and other interests, as this seat could be pivotal to regaining control of the state Senate.

District 60

Republican primary

Chris Jacobs

Kevin Stocker

With the backing of the Erie County GOP, Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs is hoping he can hold off Kevin Stocker, an attorney who has run for the seat several times. While Jacobs has many advantages – name recognition, party support, well-funded donors – Stocker shouldn’t be taken lightly, as he knocked out then-state Sen. Mark Grisanti in the 2014 GOP primary. Grisanti remained on the ballot on the Independence Party line, splitting the vote with Stocker and allowing Democrat Marc Panepinto to win with just over a third of the vote.

Still, Stocker, who is running on a platform of corruption reform, will have an uphill battle as he will be fighting the party machine and taking on a far less controversial candidate in Jacobs. In his last filing, Stocker had $7,800 on hand – meanwhile, Jacobs has more than $477,000 at his disposal. But beyond the considerable donations that are sure to come, as scion of the Jacobs family, owners of Delaware North Companies, the massive food services company, Jacobs can throw his personal wealth – he has already loaned the campaign $200,000 and shifted $100,000 from his County Clerk campaign account – and connections behind his efforts.