Daily Kickoff
👋 Good Wednesday morning!
A number of primary races were called shortly after polls closed in Maryland last night, despite the state not beginning the process of counting mail-in ballots until later this week. More below on last night’s results.
Last week, we published an interview with New York state Assemblymember Yuh-line Niou, one of several frontrunners in the Democratic primary for the state’s newly created 10th Congressional District, in which she expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Initially, Niou did not share her views on BDS but subsequently emailed our reporter stating, “I believe in the right to protest as a fundamental tenet of western democracy, so I do support BDS.”
Days later, speaking at an event hosted by Jewish community members in the district — which had been scheduled prior to Niou’s comments on BDS — the assemblywoman appeared to walk back her support for the movement.
But on the latest episode of the Gotham Gazette’s “Max Politics Podcast,” released yesterday, Niou was again asked — this time by podcast host Ben Max — about her position on BDS. Here’s a transcript of the question and her response:
“And in giving full-throated support for the right to do these things, do you also consider yourself a supporter of that BDS movement?” Max asked.
Niou responded, “I mean, I personally myself, um, you know, I think that it’s really important for us to you know, know that… I believe our tax dollars should never be used to violate human rights, which is why I also support legislation that would prevent federal funds from going to the persecution of Palestinians or to the construction of settlements. And I think that, you know, the only way that, um you know, we have, you know, a voice in this is, you know, how, you know, the direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians are going, we have to make sure that they are the ones who are actually since they’re closest to their own pain, obviously, that, you know, there are many things that they can do and I think that, you know, they have to be the ones to make that decision.”
Niou then briefly mentions a fellow Evergreen College student, Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003. She concludes her answer without directly addressing Max’s question: “And so here’s the bottom line. I think I’ll just say it out loud that I will be a strong voice in Congress, against occupation and in support of equality, justice and a thriving future for all Israelis and Palestinians. So I think that’s the only way we get through direct negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians themselves.”
After the release of the podcast episode, JI spoke to one of the Jewish constituents who met with Niou last week. “She said enough [on the podcast] to make sure that most people who care and this is an important issue [for them] will anyway move away from her. She’s done enough, she’s said enough to have everyone choose another candidate. She’s still left the door open that if she wins, [it] doesn’t mean she’s going to be the worst person in Congress… For the voter, it’s enough to drop her. That’s what I think the bottom line is here.”
We’ve reached out to Niou’s communications director three times since Friday to give the assemblywoman a chance to clarify her comments — and her position — and have received no response.
In other NY-10 news, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he was dropping out of the crowded race, saying it was “time for me to leave electoral politics.” The former mayor had faced several polls that showed him well behind the race’s frontrunners.
You heard it here first: JI has learned that former New York Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch, a Democrat, and former Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) are endorsing Dan Goldman, who served as lead attorney in the first Trump impeachment trial, in the NY-10 race. “I know what it takes to win congressional elections and am proud to be part of Dan’s growing campaign to defend our democracy, our fundamental rights, our safety, and our planet itself,” Israel said.
What we’re reading: Isaac Chotiner’s New Yorker interview with Alan Dershowitz. Remember the story about Dershowitz’s confrontation with Larry David in a Martha’s Vineyard supermarket? Chotiner gets more details — and discovers that Dershowitz is no longer a “Curb Your Enthusiasm” fan.
early results
Ivey defeats Edwards in heated Maryland primary

Glenn Ivey
As polls closed in Maryland last night, several candidates in key races racked up early wins, even though the state will not begin counting ballots until Thursday morning. In Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, the latest race in which pro-Israel activists have invested millions of dollars to boost their preferred candidates, former state’s attorney Glenn Ivey defeated former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD), Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod and Gabby Deutch report.
Ivey’s in:Ivey, who was down in the polls earlier in the race, leads Edwards 51% to 35% as of Wednesday morning, with 68%of the primary votes counted. The Associated Press called the race for Ivey, although most mail-in ballots had not yet been counted. Israel advocacy groups were the largest spenders in the race. Ivey was backed by AIPAC and its super PAC, the United Democracy Project, Democratic Majority for Israel and Pro-Israel America, while Edwards was backed by J Street.
Hogan’s zeroes: In the Republican gubernatorial primary, far-right legislator Dan Cox, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and attended Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 rally, defeated Kelly Schulz, outgoing moderate Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s hand-picked successor. Democrats ran $1 million in ads that appeared to boost Cox. Nonprofit executive Wes Moore is leading the Democratic field with 36% of the vote, while his closest competitor, former DNC Chair Tom Perez, has 27% of the vote as of Wednesday morning. In the 6th Congressional District, former Washington Free Beacon reporter Matthew Foldi — backed by many establishment GOP figures — lost by a wide margin to state legislator Neil Parrott.