ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Former Washington political staffer Elise Stefanik rode strong backing from national conservative groups to defeat self-funded businessman Matthew Doheny in Tuesday’s Republican primary for a northern New York congressional seat.
The unofficial tally showed Stefanik with 60 percent of the vote with 84 percent of precincts reporting.
In her victory speech, Stefanik promised supporters “new ideas, fresh energy and a new approach to shake up a failed Washington.”
Stefanik, a Harvard University graduate who worked on President George W. Bush’s staff and the national campaigns of former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Rep. Paul Ryan, had said she would seek the nomination and gathered support among county committees all before incumbent Democrat Bill Owens made a surprise announcement not to seek re-election.
Then Doheny, a Cornell-trained lawyer and investment manager who had narrowly lost in 2010 and 2012 to Owens in what had been a Republican stronghold for years, announced another bid for what is now the 21st District. It sprawls from Lake Ontario near Watertown across to the Vermont border and south through the Adirondacks to the outskirts of Saratoga Springs.
Doheny’s announcement set off what has become a bitter primary marked by ballot challenges, claims of carpet-bagging on both sides and, most recently, a flood of support for Stefanik from super PACS, which can spend unlimited amounts of money so long as they don’t coordinate with candidates.
During several debates, Doheny, 43, and Stefanik, 29, held generally similar positions on the issues. But they sparred over residency, with Doheny pointing out Stefanik grew up outside the district in the Albany area, where her family has a wood products business, and moved to a vacation home in Willsboro after years in Washington following college. For her part, Stefanik pointed to Doheny’s career in Wall Street investment banks before he moved back to the district in Watertown.
Federal campaign finance filings showed Doheny with little money on hand after pouring almost $600,000 into this race. Stefanik had about $180,000 on hand after raising $660,000 and spending almost $475,000. A number of her contributions have come from conservative political action committees supporting women as well as the Koch brothers’ Koch Industries Inc.
But the big spending was a more than $770,000 barrage of mailings and advertising from Karl Rove’s American Crossroads attacking Doheny.
Each candidate has another minor party ballot line, raising the possibility Doheny will continue in the race against Stefanik and Democratic nominee Aaron Woolf, a documentary filmmaker and political novice. He said in his concession speech Tuesday he will reevaluate his position Wednesday.
Campaign records showed Woolf has raised more than $580,000 and has $377,000 on hand.
The Green Party candidate is Matt Funiciello, who owns a bread company in Glens Falls.
