STATEN ISLAND — Assemblyman Ron Castorina Jr. will face off against South Shore Civic Association president Janine Materna in Tuesday's primary for the Republican nomination for the 62nd Assembly District.
Castorina, who ran unopposed for the seat in a special election in April, was challenged by Materna for their party's nomination. Since no Democrat has filed to run, the winner will likely claim the seat in November.
Despite both being Republicans, the primary race has been anything but friendly.
In debates, Materna claimed Castorina had been arrested in Rhode Island — even though his only infraction was a speeding ticket 15 years ago — while Castorina said the previously Democrat Materna switched parties to have a chance to win a seat in the Republican leaning district.
"This is a campaign of deceit and treachery," Castorina previously told DNAinfo New York.
"She'll say and do anything to try and get elected, even if it means compromising morals and integrity and assassinating other people's characters."
Materna called Castorina a carpetbagger who only moved into the district to get the seat and called him out for falsely claiming a $303 tax exemption on one of his homes.
"I didn't just move into the district less than 30 months ago, friends with the right people, get the tap on the shoulder, kiss the ring you're the next person in line. I have lived here my entire life," Materna said in a NY1 debate.
Materna, an attorney who ran unsuccessfully for City Council as a Democrat in 2009, is a lifelong South Shore resident who vowed to tackle the heroin crisis, domestic violence, mass transit issues, potholes and other borough-specific problems if elected, the Staten Island Advance reported.
Since he took office, Castorina has called abortion "African-American genocide," introduced the "Blue Lives Matters" bill to make assaulting a police officer a hate crime and supported legislation to make all yellow traffic lights last four seconds across New York.
