Dems’ delay of Stefanik special election a hypocritical threat to democracy

Democrats are quick to label President Trump and other Republicans as “threats to democracy,” but their latest proposal in New York poses a far more concrete threat to the democratic process.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, prodded behind the scenes by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, is weighing a measure that would extend the timeline for special elections - just days before New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik vacates her seat to become ambassador to the United Nations.

The idea is to give a Democrat a better shot at replacing her while stymieing House Republicans - and it’s wrong.

A century-old law directs the governor of New York to call a special election within 10 days of any congressional vacancy, with the vote to be held 70 to 80 days later.

But the state Legislature’s sudden proposed change would stretch both the time to call the special election and the voting window, potentially delaying the vote until June or even November - and leaving Stefanik’s North Country district without representation for months.