Throne-Holst, Calone Gearing Up for Tuesday's Election

With less than a week until the Democratic primary in New York’s 1st Congressional District, the Anna Throne-Holst and Dave Calone campaigns are trying to make Democratic voters aware of their candidates’ platforms as well as the election on Tuesday.

The Throne-Holst campaign is sending out hundreds of volunteers to knock on doors and call Democrats to encourage them to vote in Tuesday’s election.

“We’re working a very grassroots campaign, where neighbors are talking to their neighbors,” said Andrew Grunwald, the campaign manager for Anna Throne-Holst’s campaign.

Based on these conversations and the almost $300 thousand the campaign has raised, members of the Throne-Holst campaign believe they will be successful in the election.

“We have 5,000 donors to Anna’s campaign and the average donation was under $75. It’s helpful when it comes to votes as well, because we have 5,000 people who have invested in Anna’s campaign and we want to make sure they go out and vote,” said Grunwald. “We’re expecting a lot of people to go out to vote because a lot of people are excited to nominate a female to Congress.”

The Calone campaign is also sending out volunteers to knock on doors and make phone calls; but, they are also having several house parties, where people can meet Dave Calone.

“Democratic primary voters want to get to know the candidate on a personal level, and Dave has made himself very accessible,” said Rahul Kale, the campaign manager for the Dave Calone campaign.

The Calone campaign, which raised more than $170 thousand, also believes they will be triumphant on Tuesday due to Calone’s many endorsements.

“So, we have raised well over a million dollars in this race, and it has helped to introduce Dave to voters in the district; but, ultimately the election will be about what happens on the ground, and that’s where all the local support that Calone has is helpful,” said Kale.

Calone has been endorsed by members of various town councils, members of Congress as well as members of the state legislature. Throne-Holst, however has been endorsed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and former Representative Tim Bishop, as well as by labor unions and women’s groups.

But both campaigns say they are ready to take on Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin in the November election. Zeldin, however, will fight back. At his campaign kickoff on Monday, he said, “... we are ready next Tuesday night to throw so many punches.”

Watch Dave Calone get out the vote at a house party in Setauket, New York.