Rep. Carolyn Maloney and challenger Suraj Patel (Campaign Website / Instagram)
June 24, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Rep. Carolyn Maloney is in a tough fight as she looks to retain her congressional seat.
Maloney, who was first elected to congress in 1992, is just 648 votes ahead of insurgent Suraj Patel, according to the unofficial results from the City Board of Elections. However, the tight race means absentee voters could sway the final decision either way.
The results are far from final, since an unprecedented number of absentee ballots have yet to be counted. The BOE will begin counting absentee ballots by hand after June 30.
Tuesday night’s unofficial results are gathered from in-person ballots cast on Election Day and during early voting.
Patel issued a statement Tuesday night stating he believes he may win the seat.
“We are confident in our path to victory after a very strong performance on Election Day, which traditionally favors establishment voters,” Patel said shortly before midnight.
He believes his campaign has an advantage thanks to the thousands of absentee ballots yet to be counted.
“We are proud to have run the best absentee ballot field program in this race, and now the energy and momentum is on our side,” he said.
This is Patel’s second time challenging Maloney, whom he lost to in 2018.
Patel, an attorney and an adjunct professor at NYU, took 41 percent of the vote in 2018 compared to Maloney’s 59 percent.
Maloney was first elected to the 14th Congressional District in 1992 and has represented the 12th Congressional District since 2013. The district includes Astoria, Long Island City and parts of Woodside, as well as the east side of Manhattan and Greenpoint in Brooklyn.
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