U.S. Representative Maloney declares victory in New York Democratic primary

U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, who has represented a New York City district in Congress since 1993, declared victory in a hard-fought Democratic primary on Tuesday, defeating progressive challenger Suraj Patel. Maloney announced her victory in a statement after the New York State Board of Elections certified the results from the June 23 primary.

U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney, who has represented a New York City district in Congress since 1993, declared victory in a hard-fought Democratic primary on Tuesday, defeating progressive challenger Suraj Patel.

Maloney announced her victory in a statement after the New York State Board of Elections certified the results from the June 23 primary. The conclusion of the race was delayed more than a month as election officials struggled to count many thousands of mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, Maloney said she was thrilled by the outcome. "This has been a historic election, with historic turnout and participation - and a historic wait time for results. We've learned many lessons for November, and must take a number of actions to protect the safety of our vote in the general election."

There was no immediate response Tuesday evening from the Patel campaign. Maloney, 74, is chairwoman of the powerful House Oversight Committee. Patel, 36, an attorney, businessman and son of Indian immigrants, cast himself as the candidate for change.

The contest was a rematch from two years ago. Maloney was slightly ahead in preliminary results on election night June 23, but thousands of absentee ballots were still outstanding. Some election observers have suggested the delayed results could be a harbinger of what Americans may experience in November, with large numbers of mail-in ballots possibly meaning results of the presidential race will not be clear election night.

New York election officials disqualified many of the mail-in ballots for minor errors. The 12th congressional district includes some of the wealthiest parts of Manhattan. The Democratic nominee is expected to win in November.

The race was one of several that tested the strength of the Democrats' left flank after moderate Joe Biden became the party's presumptive presidential nominee. Progressive Black Jamaal Bowman defeated a senior House Democrat, Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Eliot Engel, in a nearby New York district primary.

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