Supporters of challenger Kate Cucco this week succeeded in getting Democratic incumbent 46th District Assemblywoman Pam Harris taken off both the Working Families Party and Independence Party ballot line in the upcoming Sept. 13 primary.
In order to get on the WFP line, the signatures of 10 registered party voters in the district are needed. Harris submitted the exact number, but three were not found to be valid so she lost the party line on the ballot.
In order to get the Independence Party line, 89 valid party signatures are needed and Harris only submitted 63 signatures. Of those 63, the Board of Elections determined that five were not valid leaving Harris with 58 Independence Party signatures.
“The signature requirement plays an important role in the democratic process and can sometimes be a helpful litmus test for the health of a campaign operation,” said Cucco spokesperson Jonathan Yedin.
“While I cannot say what failing to qualify on two lines means for our opponent’s campaign, when Kate filed her signatures to get on the democratic line, she submitted more than six times the required amount and 50% more signatures than the number filed by her opponent. Kate’s candidacy is built on an ever expanding network of grassroots support, and we look forward to building that base as election day nears.”
Harris responded that she remains committed to the constituents in her district.
“My top priority has been listening to the concerns of residents in my district and fighting for their needs. I have my summer meeting with seniors and visiting homes in desperate need of maintenance and repair. The residents I have the privilege of representing always take precedence,” Harris said.
WFP New York State Political Director Ari Kamen said despite Harris being taken off the party line on the ballot, she should still expect the party’s support.
“We’ve endorsed Pam Harris for Assembly and she has the the Working Families Party’s full support. While she won’t appear on our ballot line due to a technical error, we’ll make sure that every WFP voter in the district knows that she is our candidate and the best voice to fight for our progressive values,” said Kamen.
A WFP source noted that the Brooklyn Chapter of the WFP recommended to the New York City Advisory Committee that Cucco get the WFP endorsement.
“At the NYC Advisory Committee meeting a case was made for endorsing Harris, which we did. This type of thing happens from time to time, in part because there are more voices weighing in at the citywide level than at the local chapter level,” said the source.
