Aside from picking a favorite (Rick Lazio) in the GOP gubernatorial primary, the Times weighed in on several other primary battles taking place in the five boroughs this month. It’s choices were singularly unsurprising, considering its editorial track record to date.

In the bitter 14th CD fight, the paper praised newcomer Reshma Saujani as ” impressive and energetic”, but said it saw no reason to abandon the incumbent, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who has been a “stalwart in fighting for women’s rights, financial reform, health care for workers at ground zero and better protections for credit card users.”

To the north in the 15th CD, the Times chose Joyce Johnson over Rep. Charlie Rangel, who it clearly could not support, given its role in the reporting on the embattled Harlem congressman’s multiple ethics scandals.

The paper noted Johnson has been “a strong advocate for women’s rights and civil rights for many years” and said she’s the best choice of the field of Democrats trying to unseat Rangel, even though her campaign hasn’t received nearly as much attention as Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV’s bid to win back the seat Rangel took from his father in 1970.

(Interestingly, the same day the Times is endorsing someone against Rangel, it’s also running a story about a poll it commissioned on the congressman’s future that found an “overwhelming majority” of Manhattan voters think he should either resign of end his re-election bid to clear his name).

The paper also backed Gustavo Rivera against Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr., Lynn Nunes against Queens Sen. Shirley Huntley and Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat for the seat Sen. Eric Schneiderman (its preferred AG candidate) is vacating to seek statewide office.

The Times has yet to weigh in on another heated Senate primary fight between Sen. Bill Perkins and Basil Smikle.

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