MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A New York state senator has won the Republican primary for the 1st Congressional District, representing a wide swath of eastern Long Island.
Lee Zeldin defeated former Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer George Demos on Tuesday in unofficial returns. He now faces incumbent Democratic Rep. Timothy Bishop in November.
The Center for Responsive Politics says more than $1.2 million was spent on the primary by outside super political action committees seeking to portray candidates they oppose as too liberal to merit Republican support. The committees have spent $854,000 against Zeldin and $380,000 against Demos.
The National Republican Congressional Campaign considers Bishop to be vulnerable and has reserved $1.1 million in cable TV time for ads.
