New York has produced another decisive result in a closely watched House primary. According to the reporting, the Associated Press has called the Democratic primary in New York's 12th congressional district for Micah Lasher. The projection settled one of the contests that drew attention during a busy primary night across the state.
The winner comes to the race with experience in state government. According to the reporting, Micah Lasher is a state assemblyman who represents a Westside district. That record gave him a platform in Albany before his bid to move from the state legislature to a seat in the United States House of Representatives.
The contest was shaped from the start by the absence of a long-serving incumbent. According to the reporting, the 12th district seat is being vacated by retiring U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler. His departure opened up the district and set off a competition to take over a seat that had been held by the same congressman for years.
That open seat drew a large number of contenders into the Democratic field. According to the reporting, Lasher beat out quite a few candidates in what was a crowded field, with eight Democrats running to succeed Nadler. Emerging from such a wide field underscored the scale of the win for the assemblyman.
The numbers behind the projection pointed to a clear lead as the count progressed. According to the reporting, Lasher had 39 percent of the vote share, and the Associated Press said about 85 percent of the votes had been counted. That margin gave the news organization enough confidence to declare him the winner of the Democratic nomination.
The 12th district was one of several New York races that commanded national attention on primary night. According to the reporting, only about six congressional districts were garnering significant media coverage nationally, and this was certainly one of them. The result adds to the picture of how the party's primaries are taking shape ahead of the November midterm elections.