The New York Democratic Primary is taking place today. Here on the Lower East Side, the competitive race to watch is the 7th Congressional District contest in which longtime Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez is facing a spirited challenge from three opponents. They are Erik Dilan (pictured), Dan O’Connor and George Martinez.
The new 7th District includes sections of the Lower East Side and Chinatown formerly represented by Rep. Carolyn Maloney. To find out what district you live in and where your polling place is located, click here.
Velazquez is making a big push in this neighborhood. She has numerous campaign appearances scheduled today with various elected officials. Velazquez and Comptroller John Liu will be at Confucius Plaza in about an hour; she’s with Congresswoman Maloney and State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver at two LES senior centers later in the morning.
We conducted in-depth interviews with Velazquez and Dilan. You can read them here:
TLD Interview: Nydia Velazquez
The polls are open until 9 p.m.
Please check which district you’re now in before you head to the polls. You may have been in Velazquez’s district in the past, but that may no longer be the case, depending on where you live. The Board of Elections did absolutely nothing to notify voters of the redistricting.