New York lawmaker wins primary days after death

A Republican lawmaker in New York won his primary under unusual circumstances — his victory came four days after his death.

Lawyer and conservative radio talk show host Bill Nojay, 59, was first elected to the Assembly in 2012, representing parts of Rochester and the Finger Lakes region. He was an opponent of stricter gun control, a Donald Trump supporter, and twice rated the state's most conservative legislator. On Friday, Nojay shot and killed himself near his brother's grave in Rochester; local media reports he was facing a fraud trial in Cambodia after he allegedly swindled $1 million from an investor in a proposed rice exporting business, allegations he denied, and he was also reportedly facing federal fraud charges. After his death, Republican leaders urged voters to still cast their ballots for him, because under state election law, they could handpick his replacement to challenge Democrat Barbara Baer in November.

Nojay won on Tuesday, and his challenger, Richard Milne, told The Associated Press it was "an unusual situation." Nojay's not the first deceased individual to win an election — perhaps most notably, Missouri Democratic Gov. Mel Carnahan beat Republican incumbent and later U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft in a 2000 Senate race. Carnahan died in a plane crash less than a month before the election, and beat Ashcroft by 2 percentage points. His widow, Jean Carnahan, was appointed to the seat.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up