Niou Concedes NY-10 Primary, Will Not Run in General Election

By Matis Glenn

Yuh-Line Niou conceded the NY-10 Democratic congressional primary election to Dan Goldman Tuesday evening, and said that she will not be running in the general election on the Working Family Party’s line.

 While the race was close, former Trump prosecutor Dan Goldman’s victory in the election was called by the Associated Press on election night; Goldman, 46, had declared victory two hours before. With 98% of votes counted that night, Goldman led Niou by just over 2 percent.

Niou, a state Assemblywoman, refused to concede, hoping that enough absentee votes would turn the result in her favor.

 “I know that tonight, the results aren’t yet what we hoped to hear. But we will not concede until we count every single vote,” she said on election night.

The Working Family’s Party had endorsed Niou, 39, and invited her to run on their party in the general election.

Niou was the only candidate in a crowded field of a dozen candidates to support the BDS movement.

After more than two weeks, Niou finally announced on social media that she was conceding. “Enough of the absentee ballots have been counted, and we are conceding the primary, and I will not be on the WFP line for the general,” she said.

The district includes Lower Manhattan, and parts of Brooklyn including Park Slope, Boerum Hill, and Boro Park below 14th Avenue.

Niou had been weighing a decision to run on the WFP line, thinking that people who voted for the other progressive candidates in the primaries – Rep. Mondaire Jones, City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon, and former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman – might coalesce behind her, and oppose Dan Goldman, seen as the only viable moderate candidate. Goldman received 25.7 percent of the vote, while the other five received a combined 69.4 percent.

NY-10 is a heavily Democratic district, and a Republican win – even if two Democrats are running – is not very likely.

Niou ultimately decided that the chances of a Republican victory were enough to deter her from running in the general election.

“We simply do not have the resources to fight all fights at the same time, and we must protect our democracy now. This starts with keeping insurrectionists from taking control of Congress in November,” she said.

It isn’t clear if Niou is accusing Republican candidate Benine Hamdan of being an insurrectionist, or if she meant that Republicans are such in general.

A spokesperson has not immediately returned Hamodia’s request for clarification.

Goldman is expected to easily defeat Hamdan in the general election, to be held on November 8.

“Each of the candidates in this race raised critical issues that must be addressed in City Hall, Albany and Washington, and I learned so much from them during the primary,” Goldman said in a statement shortly after Niou’s announcement.  

Goldman continued, saying that a Democratic majority was necessary to protect Democracy. “I look forward to joining forces with leaders, organizers and activists in the days and months ahead, and towards our shared goal of holding the Democratic majority in the House and Senate so that we can protect our democracy, our fundamental rights, our neighbors, and the future of the planet itself.”

mglenn@hamodia.com