In a congressional district stretching from the southern Bronx to Westchester, an African American educator, once handcuffed by the NYPD, is mounting a credible challenge against the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee.
In an adjacent congressional district just to the south, a conservative minister who is sympathetic to President Donald Trump, has a chance to run away with the most Democratic seat in the country.
And in a state assembly district in central Queens, a Latina activist has gained serious endorsements in her challenge against a six-term incumbent.
All of these races are coming amid the coronavirus pandemic and protests against police violence, which have made matters more complicated.
"The coronavirus crisis has certainly made campaigning a lot more difficult, and that may favor some of the incumbents or some of the establishment candidates," says Gotham Gazette Executive Editor Ben Max. "But it also might be putting a lot more urgency behind the more upstart progressive candidates and certainly some of the candidates who would bring more diversity to some of these legislative bodies."
City Limits Executive Editor Jarrett Murphy adds, "Most people will be voting presumably by mail-in ballots, and who knows what that will do to turnout. And you do have this tremendous political energy around this Black Lives Matter moment."
For more about the June 23rd New York primary, listen to the full interview by WNYC's Kerry Nolan with Max and Murphy. And enter your address in the space above for information on races in your neighborhood from our voter guide, produced in partnership with City Limits and Gotham Gazette.