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- Mike LiPetri, 3rd District, Republican
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- US Rep. Thomas Suozzi, 3rd District, Democrat
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- US Rep. Nick LaLota, 1st District, Republican
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- John Avlon, 1st District, Democrat
Tuesday’s Democratic primary showed that many voters were confused by the changes made not once but twice to congressional districts in the last four years.
Because of the second redistricting, Huntington will be part of two congressional districts, the 1st and the 3rd, effective Jan. 1.
The 3rd is currently represented by US Rep. Tom Suozzi; his challenger is Republican Mike LiPetri. No one in Huntington is part of the 3rd district yet; the new map takes effect Jan. 1, and Huntington residents in that district will be voting in that race in November.
The 1st district is represented by US Rep. Nick LaLota, R-Amityville. The 1st covers a large part, but not all, of Suffolk County and some media outlets refer to the district as “covering eastern Long Island.” That map, too, takes effect in January. His Democratic opponent, John Avlon, was just chosen in Tuesday’s primary.
Some people who were not eligible to vote Tuesday because they aren’t members of the Democratic Party were turned away; New York has closed primaries, meaning only members of that particular party can vote.
Others were confused by information they were given by political officials, by signs for candidates that were planted on lawns in the wrong district, and a lack of knowledge about the new maps.
This confusion mirrors that which occurred in February, when Suozzi ran in a special election to fill the seat vacated by the disgraced George Santos. A number of voters in Huntington attempted to vote in that race, thinking the 3rd included Huntington, which it did not. And the fact that Suozzi previously represented Huntington has added to the confusion now about who he represents now, or might in the future.
Members of both parties earlier this year acknowledged confusion themselves over district lines.
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