*By Christian Smith*
Former Obama campaign staffer Suraj Patel is hoping to use some unusual campaign tactics to boost voter turnout in New York's 12th congressional district to oust 25-year incumbent Rep. Carolyn Maloney in next week's Democratic primary.
"One candidate in this race is just going to send mail over and over and over like a Bed, Bath & Beyond mailer to the twenty to thirty thousand people that consistently may vote," Patel said in an interview on Cheddar Monday. "We, on the other hand, are out there every single day talking to voters."
Patel isn't just talking to people. The NYU professor's campaign has teamed up with 50 coffee carts across New York City to hand out 200,000 coffee cups with Patel's name on it. Six of those coffee carts are also actively registering voters.
It's part of an effort to bring in those residents who haven't been active at the ballot box for primaries before. In the 2016 primary, only 8 percent of the district's eligible voters participated in the primary. Maloney beat challenger Peter Lindner by an 80-point margin, but only about 15,000 voters cast a ballot. That compares to the nearly 250,000 people who voted for her in the general election.
Patel also has to contend with the fact that Maloney has the support of the Democratic Party and its large pool of donors. While going against the party's coffers is difficult, Patel says he is pleased with his campaign's fundraising efforts so far.
The primary is one of eight Congressional primary races in New York next week. Voting for the New York primaries gets underway Tuesday, June 26.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/former-obama-staffer-takes-on-25-year-incumbent-democratic-congresswoman-in-new-york-primary).
The Biden administration has stopped taking mobile app appointments to admit asylum-seekers at a Texas border crossing that connects to a notoriously dangerous Mexican city after advocates warned U.S. authorities that migrants were being targeted there for extortion.
Donald Trump arrived in Florida on Monday ahead of a history-making federal court appearance on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents and thwarting the Justice Department's efforts to get them back.
The Supreme Court said Monday it won't review North Carolina's decision to stop issuing specialty license plates with the Confederate flag.
The Human Rights Campaign has declared a state of emergency for the lgbtq+ community. The unprecedented move comes after the passage of more than 75 anti-gay bills this year alone. Here with more is Cheddar News senior reporter Chloe Aiello.
President Joe Biden welcomed hundreds to the White House on Saturday for a delayed Pride Month celebration aimed at showing LGBTQ+ people that his administration has their back at a time when advocates are warning of a spike in discriminatory legislation, particularly aimed at the transgender community, sweeping through statehouses.
Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving premier despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption, died Monday. He was 86.
“Any consumer can tell you that online airline bookings are confusing enough," said William McGee, an aviation expert at the American Economic Liberties Project. "The last thing we need is to roll back an existing protection that provides effective transparency.”
Cheddar News checks in to see what to look out for Next Week on the Street as former president Donald Trump makes an appearance in federal court after being indicted. Investors will also keep an eye on the Federal Reserve meeting to see what comes out of that while earnings continue to pour in.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced Thursday that the U.S. is investing more than $100 million in the Caribbean region to crack down on weapons trafficking, help alleviate Haiti’s humanitarian crisis and support climate change initiatives.
It is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.
