Kryzan Gains Third Party Backing Against Lee in NY-26

Democrat Alice Kryzan will receive the nomination of the Working Families Party (WFP) of New York after its previous candidate moved out-of-state, potentially giving her a vital boost against Republican Chris Lee in New York’s 26th District.

The WFP had nominated Democrat Jon Powers for the seat before he was upset by Kryzan in the Democratic primary. Powers, though, remained on the ballot due to New York state law, which only allows replacements on the ballot if a candidate dies, is nominated for a judgeship, or moves out of state.

Powers notified the WFP that he has moved out of the state to take a job in Washington, D.C., said a spokesman for the party. The WFP expects to endorse Kryzan in the next few days, after it meets and formally votes to back her campaign.

“We would certainly welcome their support,” said Kryzan spokeswoman Anne Wadsworth, who would not comment on whether the Kryzan campaign or the WFP had initiated talks about an endorsement. “From the day since Alice won, the WFP started to signal their support for them.”

A spokeswoman for the Lee campaign was not immediately available for comment.

Kryzan upset Powers, who was backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), in early September, and has since won the endorsement of the DCCC and the pro-choice EMILY’s List. And while the WFP said it would back Kryzan after Powers’s loss, there was no way to remove his name from the ballot.

Last month, Lee similarly benefited when he garnered the endorsement of the Independence Party after its candidate was nominated for a judgeship.

The two are running to replace the retiring Republican Rep. Tom Reynolds in a race the Cook Political Report says leans Republican. An independent poll released last week by SurveyUSA showed Lee winning 48 percent to Kryzan’s 38 percent, though both minor party candidates were included separately. The Independence candidate drew three percent and the WFP candidate drew five percent. The poll said seven percent of voters were undecided, and had a 4.1 percent margin of error.

The DCCC released its own poll last week as well, showing Kryzan beating Lee by 10 points.

–Michael O’Brien