CQ Politics | District Detail: NY-01 (original) (raw)

CQ 2010 Election Guide

Updated March 1, 2010

New York - 1st District

Eastern Suffolk County -- Hamptons, Smithtown, Brookhaven

CQ Politics Race Rating: Leans Democratic

House Race Rating Chart

Incumbent — Timothy H. Bishop (D); Running for re-election

Most Recent Election

Details and state election history

Bishop, now in his fourth term, has never faced a particularly tight re-election race, despite the fact that the 1st District voter registration favors Republicans. But conservative unrest in the eastern Long Island district over federal government spending — and the emergence of a wealthy Republican candidate, businessman Randy Altschuler, capable of self-funding his campaign — has had the GOP working to talk up Bishop’s vulnerability.

Altschuler wasted no time showing off his financial muscle. His campaign finance report for the year’s third quarter showed 664,000intotalreceipts—664,000 in total receipts — 664,000intotalreceipts—450,000 of that from the candidate’s own pockets. And by the end of the year, he reported $776,000 in reserve in his campaign account.

But incumbent Bishop is proving no slouch at fundraising, with his campaign organization declaring it had more than $1 million cash on hand as of Dec. 31.

And it now looks like Altschuler will have a serious and potentially expensive tussle for the Republican nomination, something he surely would have wanted to avoid, especially since the primary is very late (Sept. 14).

George Demos, a lawyer who appeared an obscure longshot candidate when he entered the race, drew attention in January after he revealed he had raised a hefty total of more than 300,000bytheendof2009andhad300,000 by the end of 2009 and had 300,000bytheendof2009andhad275,000 left in the bank.

Then, on Jan. 28, the race was joined by Chris Cox, the 30-year-old co-founder of a business consulting firm – who is a grandson of the late President Richard M. Nixon. His father, Edward Cox is the New York State Republican Party chairman; his mother is Tricia Nixon Cox, whose 1971 wedding took place at the White House.

The race has also been joined by retired CIA officer Gary Berntsen, who impressed local Republican officials during a vetting interview. And state Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R) is also taking a look.

And if that isn’t enough intrigue (and potential trouble for Republicans), Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman, a member of the Independence Party, has created an exploratory committee to run in November. Bishop has usually run on the Independence line, but if the party has one of its own on the November ballot, that could actually hurt the Republican nominee.

Race Information

• Incumbent: Timothy H. Bishop, D
• First Elected: 2002 (4th term)
• Last Elected: 2008 (58.38%)
• Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
• CQ Politics Race Rating: Leans Democratic

District Information

Politics in America District Profile

Covering the eastern two-thirds of Long Island’s Suffolk County, the 1st reaches out into the Atlantic Ocean. Its western edge is home to small communities that have grown alongside the district’s research facilities, while its eastern end takes in second homes for some of New York’s wealthiest in the Hamptons and Shelter Island. Villages and hamlets line Route 27 on the way to Montauk at the rural end of the island, which retains its pastoral character with scattered fishing villages and farms.

Scientific research, attracted by local colleges and Brookhaven National Laboratory, dominates the district’s economy. The education and health care sectors have provided jobs in the region, even during an economic downturn. Stony Brook University Medical Center is a renowned teaching hospital, and Brookhaven has produced six Nobel Prize recipients. On a smaller economic scale, Suffolk County brings in the most agriculture money of any county in the state, and the 1st’s portion of Long Island’s wine industry also has a significant presence. In 35 years, the industry has grown from one vineyard to 60 wineries and more than 4,000 acres. Instability in the retail and real estate sectors of the über-elite Hamptons concern residents and local officials.

The 1st takes in some blue-collar towns and areas that depend on fishing and tourism, where environmental issues rank high. The 1st’s lingering rural temperament and small-town feel make it more likely to lean to the right than many other districts near New York City. As many liberal-leaning homeowners reside primarily in New York, voter registration favors the GOP. Republicans win at the local level, but Democrats make the 1st competitive at the federal level — Democrat Barack Obama secured a slim majority of 51 percent in the 2008 presidential election four years after Republican George W. Bush won a narrow plurality here.

Major Industry

Higher education, research, health care, tourism

Cities

Coram (unincorporated), 34,923; Centereach (unincorporated), 27,285; Shirley (unincorporated), 25,395; Medford (unincorporated), 21,985

Notable

The Montauk Point Lighthouse, built in 1796, was the first lighthouse in New York State.

Demographics (2000 census)

Population: 654,360

Under 18: 26%

Over 65: 12%

Married: 58.4%

Non-Hispanic White: 84%

Black: 4%

Hispanic: 8%

Asian: 2%

Foreign Born: 9.0%

Language other than English: 13.8%

Median Household Income: 61,884

Owner Occupied Housing: 79%

Income above $200k: 3.3

Workforce/Education (2000 census)

White Collar: 64.4%

Blue Collar: 20.7%

Services: 14.8%

Bachelor's Degree: 27%

Graduate Education: 12.2%

Civilian Veterans: 58,802

District Election History

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