This race ain’t big enough for two Micahs

The Democratic field for New York’s 12th Congressional District may be big, but apparently, it’s not big enough for two Micahs. 

Assembly Member Micah Lasher’s campaign is trying to boot longshot candidate Micah Bergdale from the ballot because they share the same first name.

A dispute to Bergdale’s petitions was filed Thursday, records show, with Suzanne Jacobson, vice president of fundraising for the West Side Democrats, listed as the challenger. Lasher has deep ties to the club, which endorsed him in the June 23 Democratic primary. His mother, Stephanie Lasher, is a member of its board, and his campaign treasurer, Robert Gottheim, is also the club’s treasurer – and chief of staff to outgoing Rep. Jerry Nadler too.

On top of that, an election attorney for a competing campaign told City & State they ran into members of Lasher’s team Tuesday night at the Board of Elections office in lower Manhattan. When the lawyer told them they were there on behalf of another client in another race, Gottheim said they were looking to contest Bergdale’s petitions because of the confusion their shared first names might pose.

Gottheim confirmed the facts to City & State. And a person familiar with the Lasher campaign said the objection was filed because Bergdale’s petitions contained numerous errors, including signatures from people living outside the district, and that Bergdale is registered to vote at a Columbus Circle co-working space, rather than a residential address, which City & State confirmed. 

FEC filings for Bergdale, who founded a rental car company, list his home address as being in the Bronx. His campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment. Jacobson now has another six days to file a more specific objection to Bergdale’s petitions.

Objecting to opponents’ petitions is routine and it’s legal for Lasher’s campaign – or a surrogate – to do so, but Bergdale wouldn’t be the first candidate to depart the race and narrow the field in Lasher’s favor, should the challenge succeed. Lasher’s biggest West Side rival in the primary, Erik Bottcher, abandoned his bid to replace Nadler to instead win a special election to replace Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal in the state Senate. Other West Siders including Cameron Kasky and Jami Floyd have also dropped out. Meanwhile, Assembly Member Alex Bores is looking to run up the numbers on the East Side as the two legislators fend off Jack Schlossberg, George Conway, Nina Schwalbe, Laura Dunn, Patrick Timmins and Chris Diep.