“I am currently in discussions with WFP and my community on how best to represent the needs of this district. I have to count the votes. I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and all the people who showed up and made it happen. Our people need and deserve a voice.”
The failure of progressives to coalesce behind Niu, Jones and Rivera, which by this point accounted for nearly 60% of the vote, seems to have helped Goldman. It is supported by an AIPAC-funded super PAC, the United Democracy Project, which clarified its role in a post-primary statement.
Asked if the UDP boasted about its spending and would be willing to run again, Niou touted grassroots funding and support before criticizing outside groups that opposed her.
“Hundreds of thousands of black money was spent attacking my campaigns and attacking the people in my community and our values,” Niou said. Nonetheless, I am very grateful for the community’s support and proud to have stood up to this baseless and dangerous attack on democracy.”
The anger over Goldman’s spending and the perception of a disconnect with much of the liberal district, mixed with confidence that Niu will do better in a virtually one-on-one matchup, is the near-immediate move she might seek with the WFP. Caused some chatter. Clean-cut rematch.
A blended voting system allows candidates to run on multiple lines, but the WFP usually gives way to one of the endorsed candidates, the Democratic candidate. Still, the line can also be used as a tool to challenge Democratic candidates in big-party-controlled cities and states.
In order to properly steer the upcoming clash, Jones, who originally claimed it, must formally decline the WFP line.
But even before Jones announced his decision, some of Niu’s most prominent supporters had already publicly encouraged Niu’s re-election.
“Dan Goldman spent $4 million of his own money to win a seat in Congress, but he won just 25% of the vote,” said actor and candidate for the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary. One Cynthia Nixon tweeted. “Yuh-line Niou just came with grassroots energy. Should @yuhline stay in WFP and run as a WFP candidate in November? If you think (yes) , please donate now.”
George Albro, co-chair of the New York Progressive Action Network, also took to Twitter, arguing that the upcoming general election provides the ideal platform for WFP to show its mettle.
“I helped found the WFP in 1998 with the idea that it was an independent (third party) that could push the Democrats to the left, not a spoiler. But in the proper race, the WFP could ( Win the (independent) candidate and the (corporate) conservative Democrats,” he wrote. “CD10 is that race.”
Source: www.cnn.com
