Townsend wins GOP Senate primary in long-shot bid against NY Sen. Charles Schumer

Townsend wins NY GOP primary for Schumer seat

NEW YORK — Communications consultant Jay Townsend has won the Republican primary for a Senate seat in New York in an underdog bid to unseat Sen. Charles Schumer.

Townsend defeated former CIA officer Gary Berntsen in Tuesday’s election. Townsend is a longtime communications consultant from Cornwall-on-Hudson in Orange County.

He faces a tough campaign against Schumer. The two-term Democrat has polled far ahead of Townsend and recently reported $23.2 million in campaign funds, compared with less than $11,000 for Townsend.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has easily won a Democratic primary challenge in New York from Gail Goode, a little-known lawyer for New York City.

Goode had little money, no big-name party support and was not considered a threat to Gillibrand, who was appointed last year to fill the unexpired term of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Goode said she ran to give New York voters a choice.

Three Republicans ran in a primary to take on Gillibrand: Joe DioGuardi, a former congressman from Westchester County, former Long Island local lawmaker Bruce Blakeman, and David Malpass, a former Bear Stearns chief economist.