What happened in NY-25?

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Seriously. This was a race that everyone had at Safe D, where there was not even real talk of an "embarrassing margin of victory", and yet Slaughter almost lost. Anyone have any knowledge as to why, besides the national climate?

[JerryArkansas]

Most likely has to do with Cuomo, lack of Dem turnout upstate, and national climate.  Also, she still might lose. 

[cinyc]

This is in the wrong forum, by the way.  You may get more responses in the Congressional Elections forum.

Republicans did well upstate.  It caught the wave.   NY-24, which Maffei lost big, is D+5.  NY-25 is D+7.  So, logically, it would be the next to fall in a wave.

[solarstorm]

The correct answer to the question why Slaughter almost got slaughtered is the same answer that applies to all the other Democrats who (nearly) lost.

[Smash255]

Turnout was horrific

[Landslide Lyndon]

A more pertinent question is what happened with Maffei. It's one thing for a scandal-free incumbent losing a D+5 seat (we all knew he was a mediocre candidate at best) and another to get stomped by 20 points.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In addition to what has already been pointed out, Louise Slaughter is eighty five years old and hadn't had a competitive race for decades.

[PAK Man]

A more pertinent question is what happened with Maffei. It's one thing for a scandal-free incumbent losing a D+5 seat (we all knew he was a mediocre candidate at best) and another to get stomped by 20 points.

This isn't relevant to Slaughter, but in reference to Maffei, here's your answer:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/11/how_first-time_candidate_john_katko_upset_two-term_rep_dan_maffei.html

Katko didn't go negative until the very end of the campaign after Maffei launched a really negative ad.

[MarkUterus]

The real question is whether this is a seat the GOP should go after in 2018. It's never going to be winnable in a presidential year, but a midterm during a Democratic presidency may always be a different story.

[adma]

And given Slaughter's age, it could well be an open seat, too.

[Mr.Phips]

Most likely has to do with Cuomo, lack of Dem turnout upstate, and national climate.  Also, she still might lose. 

No way she loses it this point.  She's up nearly 700 votes and there are only 2,000 absentees outstanding.  She's have to lose them better than two to one at this point to fall behind. 

[Vega]

Turnout was horrific

This pretty much applies to all of these "Why did Democrats do so bad in _____?" questions.