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HOUSE
FL-23: Rep. Moskowitz to Remain in Congress
Earlier this week, speculation was surfacing that US Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) was being considered to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Yesterday, Mr. Moskowitz stated that he will remain in Congress and killed any further speculation that he would join the Trump Administration. If his seat were to become vacant, a special election would have been competitive, thus risking a Democratic seat.
PA-7: Re-Match Possible
Defeated Pennsylvania US Rep. Susan Wild (D-Allentown), who lost her seat to state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Emmaus) by a 50.5 - 49.5% slight majority (or a margin of 4,062 votes from 403,314 ballots cast), said yesterday that she is not ruling out returning in 2026 for a re-match.
Pennsylvania's 7th District, which includes the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, is a politically marginal entity. In her three successful elections beginning in 2018, Ms. Wild only averaged 52.1% of the vote. Therefore, we can again expect to see another highly competitive race here two years from now, regardless of Ms. Wild returning or another Democrat taking her place.
GOVERNOR
New York: Lt. Gov. Denies Challenge
Stories are running in the New York media that Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D) is considering challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in the 2026 Democratic primary. To counter the story, Mr. Delgado publicly denied having such an intention, and re-tweeted his statement on the X social media platform. Speculation, however, continues.
Governor Hochul is in serious trouble, with very poor job approval ratings, and the New York electorate is showing a bit more favorability toward Republicans. It appears, however, that Mr. Delgado, who Gov. Hochul chose as her running mate while in his second term in the US House, is not her most serious primary threat. In fact, one should take him at his word that he would not challenge the woman who appointed him to a statewide position.
Rather, US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) does appear to be seriously considering challenging the governor and would be a very strong contender in a Democratic primary. In any event, the New York governor's race is likely to be highly competitive both in the 2026 Democratic primary and potentially in the general election.
LOCALITIES
New York City: Mayor Denied Public Funding
Citing his indictment for campaign finance violations, the New York City Campaign Finance Board – which has the responsibility of approving public funding for city candidates – has unanimously voted to deny such funding to Mayor Eric Adams in the 2025 mayoral election.
Next year's election is already off to a strong start. A total of seven Democrats have announced their challenge campaigns to Mayor Adams, who has also declared his intention to seek re-election. Included in the list are City Comptroller Brad Lander, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, two state Senators, two state Assemblymen, and a hedge fund manager. Waiting in the wings to launch possible candidacies are former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and perhaps US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx), though the latter man is more likely to run for governor.
The citywide Democratic primary, which will likely determine New York's next mayor, is scheduled for June 24, 2025. Though Mayor Adams could prevail in a crowded primary, he would likely have trouble in the Ranked Choice Voting rounds that will be again employed in this upcoming election.
Jim Ellis is a 35-year veteran of politics at the state and national levels. He has served ss executive director for two national political action committees, as well as a consultant to the three national Republican Party organizations in DC, the National Federation of Independent Business, and various national conservative groups.
Born and raised in Sacramento, California, he earned a B. A. in Political Science from the University of California at Davis in 1979. Jim raised his daughter, Jacqueline, alone after his wife died following a tragic car accident. He helped establish the Joan Ellis Victims Assistance Network in Rochester, NH. Jim also is a member of the Northern Virginia Football Officials Association, which officiates high school games throughout the region.