State GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy emerged victorious over bombastic businessman Carl Paladino after an ugly Republican primary in the redrawn 23rd Congressional Dist𓃲rict covering the Buffalo area.
Paladino easily carried his home base of Erie Coꦏunty but got swamped by Lang♌worthy in rural counties.
With 93% of districts reporting, Langworthy had 51.1% of the vote while Paladino had 46.9%, according to unofficial talli🐟es from the state Board of Elections early Wednesday.
The fury of the contest reduced the onetime conservative allies to bestowing mocking nicknames on each other, with Langworthy branding Paladino “Cowardly Carl” for refusing to debate while Paladino couꦕntered with “Lying Langworthy.”
Upstate Rep. Elise Stefanik, the most influential New York Republican in the House, threw her weight behind Paladino, the party’s 2010 gubernatorial nominee, despite a history of racist and bigoted remarks — which include praising Adolf Hitler, wishing that former President Barack Obama would die of mad cow disease, and hoping that former first lady Michelle Obama live in a ca♉ve with a gorilla.
But much of the GOP establishment rallied around Langworthy, worrying that Paladino’s caustsic brand of politics would hurt the party in blue-leaning New York.
Former President Donald Trump — who knows both men well — stayed neutral.
It was also revealed during the campaign that Paladino had a convicted sex offender on his company payroll who worked as an “assistant treasurer” of his campaign. Paladino’s campaign said ex-con Joel Sartori’s name was listed on campaign records in error — but he was still employed by Paladino’s company, Ellicott Development.
Paladino, 75, fired back by accusing Langworthy, 41, of using state GOP and Erie County Republican staffers to aid his campaign and complained his opponent benefitted from $1.2 million of “dark money” from a DC-based S♊uper PAC “with connections to RINOs [Republicans inꦏ Name Only] Mitch McConnell and Mitt Romney, both Never Trumpers.”
Early polling by Paladino, who bankrolled his own campaign,꧒ showed him with a double-digit ꩵlead.
But insiders said Paladino’s own tracking polls showed the race tightening down the stretch, with his lead shrinking to ten points heading into primary day — too close for comfort given the unpredictability of turnout in an August election.
Sources also said turnout for the primary was♋ higher than expected.
“This is the nastiest Republican primary I’ve seen up close in my 40 years of politics,” said Michael Caputo, who served in the Trump ꦏadm🐼inistration and is friendly with both men.
Caputo added that he ended up backing Paladino because he was stunned by Langworthy’s attacks on his one-time benefactor.
The seat opened up after Rep. Chris Jacobs announced his retirement following blowback ov♕er his support of gun restrictions following the May 14 Buffalo supermarket massacre.