Here's why a felon could still win a New York congressional race

(Image credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

published 25 June 2018

Michael Grimm is getting close to becoming Staten Island's congressional representative.

It's not as though Grimm hasn't been elected before; he represented the very same district until 2015. So his momentum shouldn't be that surprising — if Grimm didn't resign from the same job in January 2015, and go to jail for felony tax evasion in the meantime.

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CNN's Harry Enten suggests several reasons for why voters seem to be ignoring Grimm's criminal past. For one, supporters were thrilled with how Grimm secured $51 billion in aid after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the district. New York's 11th District also went for President Trump in 2016, and although Donovan has Trump's endorsement, the incumbent doesn't side with the president very often. Overall, 46 percent of those surveyed by Siena say Grimm represented their district better, while 34 percent opted for Donovan.

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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.

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