Down-ballot Democrats cheer on Harris at the top of the ticket

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Across the state, Democrats on the ballot in November praised substituting Vice President Kamala Harris for President Joe Biden as the party's nominee in the general election. After months of stagnating poll numbers, they said their campaigns feel invigorated.

"The presidential candidates' performances will have significant impact on candidates running down-ballot. Relative to President Biden, early polling shows Vice President Harris making significant gains among young voters as well as both Black and brown voters," read part of a statement from State Sen. James Skoufis, whose district borders New Jersey. He's an incumbent running against Republican Dorey Houle. "Anecdotal evidence, fundraising numbers, and polling data all point to the same thing: newfound excitement that will mean both greater turnout among key Democratic constituencies as well as meaningful improvements among voters who disapproved of both President Biden and former President Trump. Down-ballot Democrats face far better prospects today than a week ago."

“The excitement is palpable," said incumbent Long Island State Sen. Monica Martinez. She's up against Republican Teresa J. Bryant. "Many have reached out to me expressing their excitement and willingness to get involved in helping Vice President Harris’ election, as well as our Democratic candidates down the ballot. This change has truly energized voters throughout the state.”

“Studies show in general there’s an extremely strong relationship between the presidential vote and down-ballot races on the same day. It could be two or three points, but that could be important in determining the winner of those elections in close Congressional, State Senate, and Assembly races in places like Long Island and the Hudson Valley," said State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal. On election day, he's defending his seat in Manhattan against Republican Emily Yuexin Miller. "I’m hopeful that the renewed enthusiasm for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris will translate into more seats in these areas—and most importantly, help Democrats take back control of the House.”

“The effect on down-ballot races will be considerable, especially in districts like mine where voters are sick and tired of the nastiness in today’s politics, and are receptive to the positive, future-focused message espoused by Vice President Harris. Voters want candidates who deliver real solutions," said Rob Lubin, running to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino on Long Island. "We’ve already seen momentum build among Democrats in the district, especially among youth voters who are particularly engaged with my candidacy. We have had thousands of new donors and volunteers sign up. When Biden was at the top of the ticket, we expected to need to invigorate less engaged voters based on the needs of the congressional. Now, we have to win Kamala’s voters, while providing common sense solutions that appeal to all Long Islanders."

"Having strong turnout from Democratic voters for our Presidential candidate is crucial for candidates like me running for state office," said former State Sen. Elijah Reichlin Melnick. He campaigning to retake the seat downstate he lost to Republican State Sen. William Weber Jr. in 2022. "Harris' candidacy has injected some major new enthusiasm into this election. The big story of 2024 had been that many groups that normally vote strongly Democratic were disengaged or apathetic about voting this year. Harris' historic candidacy is already changing that. We're seeing increased engagement and unity from Democrats. Besides inspiring additional people to vote, this enthusiasm translates into more volunteers and more donors for other candidates. In New York, I see a strong positive impact on down-ballot races like ours."

"The change at the top of the ticket is energizing voters to turn out and be involved in something historic and significant culturally," said Tom Carle, who's running for U.S. Congress in District 23, a massive chunk of the state including Elmira and Jamestown. The incumbent is Rep. Nick Langworthy, past chair of the New York State Republican Committee. "Harris is ready to go—experienced, well-mentored, and full of energy. She is endorsed by everybody that is anybody and her oratorical skills are a breath of fresh air. The impact on the down-ballot races should be significant—if the financials are any indication of voters' intentions, an unprecedented impact on the race is in the offing! With all of that being said, I expect those of us down the ballot will see our numbers increase beyond forecast."

"A few weeks ago a boring race turned into a roller coaster," said David Wagenhauser, the Democratic nominee for New York's 24th U.S. Congressional District on Lake Ontario. That's Rep. Claudia Tenney's district. "While it's early, we've seen a marked increase in enthusiasm—almost a swagger. If it can be maintained, the enthusiasm could result in increased turnout in November, which would impact down-ballot races."

"The nomination of Kamala Harris has put tremendous energy and vitality into the race. With the New York ballot including the Equal Rights Amendment, having a woman at the top of the ticket is an added plus," said Paula Collins, candidate for the House of Representatives in the 21st Congressional District. "Harris will need a functioning House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. My hope is that the support for the down-ballot candidates, both financial and in-field operations, will step up so that we can deliver a trifecta of Blue in November."

Collins faces high-ranking Republican Congressmember Elise Stefanik in the general election. For her part, since Biden decided not to run, Stefanik introduced a resolution to condemn Harris for poor handling as the "border czar." "Harris' failed leadership led to the most catastrophic open border crisis in history," Stefanik said, and her resolution passed the House 220 to 196 on July 25.

Check out Stefanik's remarks on the House floor below:

Six House Democrats voted in favor of the resolution: Colorado Rep. Yadira Caraveo, Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, North Carolina Rep. Donald Davis, Maine Rep. Jared Golden, Alaska Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola, and Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Sixteen more Congressmembers—10 Democrats and six Republicans—did not vote.

As reported by PolitiFact, Harris' assignments did not include border security, a responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. Rather than overseeing law enforcement at the borders with Canada or Mexico, she worked with Guatemalan, El Salvadoran, and Honduran officials on issues driving people from those countries.