New York's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

2018 → ← 2014

New York's 3rd Congressional District

General Election Date November 8, 2016

Primary Date June 28, 2016

November 8 Election Winner: Tom Suozzi

Incumbent prior to election: Steve Israel

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Likely D Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely D Rothenberg & Gonzales: Lean D

New York U.S. House Elections District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14 • District 15 • District 16 • District 17 • District 18 • District 19 • District 20 • District 21 • District 22 • District 23 • District 24 • District 25 • District 26 • District 27

2016 U.S. Senate Elections

The 3rd Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as a race to watch. Incumbent Steve Israel (D) chose not to seek re-election in 2016, leaving the seat open. Tom Suozzi (D) defeated Jack Martins (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Suozzi defeated Anna Kaplan, Jon Kaiman, Steven Stern, and Jonathan Clarke in the Democratic primary. The primary elections took place on June 28, 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS

The seat was open following incumbent Steve Israel's retirement.

Heading into the election, Tom Suozzi (D) led Jack Martins (R) in both polling and fundraising.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
April 14, 2016	June 28, 2016	November 8, 2016

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New York utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Steve Israel (D), who was first elected in 2000. Isreal announced on January 5, 2016, that he would not seek re-election in 2016.

New York's 3rd Congressional District is located in the eastern portion of the state and includes parts of Nassau, Queens, and Suffolk counties.

Election results

General election

U.S. House, New York District 3 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Tom Suozzi	53%	171,775
	Republican	Jack Martins	47%	152,304
Total Votes				324,079
Source: New York Board of Elections

Primary election

U.S. House, New York, District 3 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Tom Suozzi	35.1%	7,142
Steve Stern	22%	4,475
Jon Kaiman	21.6%	4,394
Anna Kaplan	16.3%	3,311
Jonathan Clarke	5%	1,021
Total Votes		20,343
Source: New York State Board of Elections

Candidates

General election candidates:

Jack Martins
Tom Suozzi a
Michael McDermott (Write-in)

Primary candidates:

Democratic

Anna Kaplan - North Hempstead Town Board member
Jon Kaiman
Steve Stern - Suffolk County Legislator
Tom Suozzi a
Jonathan Clarke

Republican

Jack Martins a
Philip Pidot

Not running:

Steve Israel - Incumbent

Race background

Jack Martins is a member of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Young Guns Program. According to the NRCC, the program "supports and mentors challenger and open-seat candidates in races across the country."

Republican primary

Jack Martins ran unopposed in the Republican primary on June 28, 2016. Martins would have faced Philip Pidot in the primary, but he got Pidot thrown off the ballot after challenging his signatures. However, it was later ruled that Pidot had the required number of signatures, but it was too late for him to be reinstated on the June ballot. On August 17, 2016, a federal court ruled that a new primary would be held on October 6. A federal appeals court then overturned the decision, canceling the newly scheduled Republican primary. As a result, Jack Martins was the Republican nominee on the general election ballot.

Endorsements

Steve Stern

• Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone - "Steve Stern is the right choice to succeed Steve Israel because Steve Stern shares our values and will always fight for Long Island’s middle class families."

• Retiring incumbent Steve Israel - "While I admire all of the Democratic candidates, I believe that Steve Stern is best able to continue and build on my four priorities in Congress: consistently supporting women’s rights, standing up for US-Israel relations, and demonstrating leadership on the environment and veterans."

• The labor union 1199/SEIU

Anna Kaplan

• EMILY's List - "Anna Kaplan is committed to protecting New York women and families. As an Iranian American who fled Iran as a Jewish refugee, Anna knows how important it is to protect the rights of immigrants and stand up to the anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Anna is a dedicated public servant focused on expanding economic opportunities for women and families and protecting women’s access to health care. The EMILY’s List community of more than three million members is proud to endorse Anna in her historic bid to be the first Iranian American in Congress in this important swing district."

Polls

New York's 3rd District - Tom Suozzi vs. Jack Martins
Poll	Tom Suozzi	Jack Martins	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Siena College September 28-October 5, 2016	50%	34%	+/-4.0	613
GBA Strategies September 19-21, 2016	55%	38%	+/-4.9	400
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Media

Tom Suozzi

Support

"Mom" - Suozzi's first campaign ad, released September 2016

"Caroline" - Suozzi campaign ad, released September 2016

"Higher Purpose" - Suozzi campaign ad, released September 2016

"Phony" - Suozzi campaign ad, released October 2016

Opposition

"Big Chunk" - NRCC ad opposing Suozzi, released September 2016

Anna Kaplan

"Made" - Kaplan's first TV ad, released May 2016

"Important" - Kaplan's second TV ad, released June 2016

Campaign themes

Jack Martins

“	Controlling Spending: Over the past six years as a State Senator, Jack has cut state income taxes to the lowest levels in the past 70 years, cut manufacturing and corporate taxes and taxes on small businesses throughout New York State. Jack helped close a $10 billion state budget deficit without raising a single tax or fee by consolidating state agencies, streamlining operations and forcing state government to do more with less, just as families and small businesses must do. Growing the Economy: Our economy has yet to recover from the Great Recession, in large part because of the Obama administration’s failed policies and over regulation. US productivity has now fallen for three straight quarters, the longest period of decline since 1979. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth continues to underperform and is now projected to grow only by approximately 1%. Businesses are having a hard time accessing capital to grow. It seems like the only businesses who can qualify for a loan are those that don’t need one. Simply put, we need to get our economy jumpstarted so that the private sector can grow and create jobs. Protecting Our Security: Radical jihadist terrorists, inspired by ISIS and a warped view of the Islamic religion, are continuing to carry out deadly attacks against Americans and our allies around the world. As a result of the Obama administration’s executive order authorizing the Iran Nuclear Deal, Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, is now receiving billions of dollars in the short term and is on a certain path to developing a nuclear weapon. The funds will undoubtedly be used to finance terror against America, our families here at home, and our allies around the world. Standing with Israel: Jack is an ardent supporter of Israel, one of our strongest and most important allies, and the only democracy in the Middle East. Having been to Israel and seen firsthand homes that were destroyed by indiscriminate rocket attacks and spoken with families who lost everything, it is a very personal issue for him and those experiences have helped shape his views. Protecting the Environment: Clean water, clean air and a healthy environment are everyone’s right, not luxuries. That is why Jack has been an outspoken champion on Long Island for environmental protections. During his time in the State Senate, he successfully fought to deliver state funding for a comprehensive ground water study to help protect Long Island’s drinking water from saltwater intrusion and other threats.	”
—Jack Martins' campaign website

Tom Suozzi

“	Jobs Creation & the Economy: The American dream is still attainable, but it has changed, thanks to globalization and rapidly changing technology, and we must keep up with the pace of this change by offering New Yorkers more skills, more jobs, and more wages. Infrastructure: New York State is a net donor to the federal government and the third congressional district is one of the largest tax contributors nationally. The money we send to Washington is distributed to other states where they invest New York State’s tax dollars in their roads, bridges, and tunnels. We need to start bringing our tax dollars back to our district, and investing in our own roads, bridges, and tunnels. Clean Energy & the Environment: Today, climate change is affecting our national, economic, food, and water security, and we must take decisive action to reclaim control of our energy future. The threat of climate change has proved itself as one of the defining issues of our time, and we are already feeling its undeniable consequences. As your Congressman, I promise to support policies that will increase our energy independence, lower our energy expenditures, and transition the country toward cleaner, more cost-effective energy sources. Senior Citizens, Medicare and Social Security: My father is 95 years old and my mother is 92, and unfortunately, I know firsthand the struggles too many of our senior citizens bravely face every day. My parents were fortunate enough to secure long-term health insurance and have adult children living nearby who can help out with their every day needs, but too many of our senior citizens lack healthcare security, and do not have the support of loved ones nearby. Protecting our Country and Fighting Terrorism: I am committed to protecting our core values as Americans, and as a member of Congress, Homeland Security will be one of my top priorities. The realities of terrorism have hit New Yorkers too close to home, and we have endured more than a decade of post-traumatic stress after the attacks on 9/11 by extremists motivated by hatred and bloodshed. In order to ensure our future well-being and establish peace and stability in the Middle East, we must impose a multi-pronged strategy to curbing the growth of terrorist organizations, and stopping the spread of extremist values at home and abroad.	”
—Tom Suozzi's campaign website, https://suozziforcongress.com/issues

Campaign contributions

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Tom Suozzi

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Jack Martins

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

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The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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District history

2014

See also: New York's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 3rd Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Steve Israel (D) defeated Grant Lally (R) in the general election.

U.S. House, New York District 3 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Steve Israel Incumbent	54.8%	90,032
	Republican	Grant Lally	45.2%	74,269
	N/A	Write-in votes	0%	74
Total Votes				164,375
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns November 4, 2014," accessed August 30, 2021

2012

See also: New York's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2012

The 3rd Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. The incumbent from the 2nd District, Steve Israel (D), defeated Stephen Labate (R), Michael McDermott (L) and Anthony Tolda (I) in the general election.

U.S. House, New York District 3 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Steve Israel Incumbent	57.8%	157,880
	Republican	Stephen Labate	41.4%	113,203
	Libertarian	Michael McDermott	0.6%	1,644
	Independent	Anthony Tolda	0.1%	367
	N/A	Write-in votes	0%	77
Total Votes				273,171
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns Nov. 6, 2012," accessed September 1, 2021

Important dates and deadlines

See also: New York elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in New York in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline	Event type	Event description
April 14, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing federal designating petitions
April 21, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing federal opportunity to ballot petitions
June 28, 2016	Election date	Federal primary election
July 14, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing state/local designating petitions
July 21, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing state/local opportunity to ballot petitions
August 2, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for independent candidates for federal office
August 23, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for independent candidates for state/local office
September 13, 2016	Election date	State/local primary election
November 8, 2016	Election date	General election
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "Draft 2016 Political Calendar," accessed April 15, 2016

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2016
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2016

Footnotes

For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!

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New York's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

Chuck Schumer (D)

Representatives

District 1

Nicholas LaLota (R)

District 2

Andrew Garbarino (R)

District 3

Tom Suozzi (D)

District 4

Anthony D'Esposito (R)

District 5

Gregory Meeks (D)

District 6

Grace Meng (D)

District 7

Nydia Velazquez (D)

District 8

Hakeem Jeffries (D)

District 9

Yvette Clarke (D)

District 10

Daniel Goldman (D)

District 11

Nicole Malliotakis (R)

District 12

Jerrold Nadler (D)

District 13

Adriano Espaillat (D)

District 14

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)

District 15

Ritchie Torres (D)

District 16

Jamaal Bowman (D)

District 17

Michael Lawler (R)

District 18

Pat Ryan (D)

District 19

Marcus Molinaro (R)

District 20

Paul Tonko (D)

District 21

Elise Stefanik (R)

District 22

Brandon Williams (R)

District 23

Nick Langworthy (R)

District 24

Claudia Tenney (R)

District 25

Joseph Morelle (D)

District 26

Vacant

Democratic Party (17)

Republican Party (10)

Vacancies (1)