TheHubNNY what to do and where to do it in NNY
ALBANY — Which party will have control of the U.S. House of Representatives — and whether New York will play a role in flipping it blue — remained undecided early Wednesday morning.
Two key congressional districts in Long Island and the Hudson Valley remained split by razor-thin margins, as embattled Republican incumbents fought to keep their Democratic challengers at bay. U.S. Reps. Marc Molinaro in New York’s 19th Congressional District and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito had not conceded as of 1 a.m. Wednesday morning.
But the Democrats seeking to unseat them projected confidence: Laura Gillen, the first Democrat elected Hempstead town supervisor in over a century, thanked supporters at her watch party just after midnight and declared a premature victory. At the Nassau Republican Party headquarters, the house lights were turned on by midnight. No remarks were planned from D’Esposito, whose staff declined to comment on the state of the race.
Elsewhere across the state, races played out largely as pollsters had predicted in the weeks just before the election.
The implications of the final outcomes, based on race outcomes called by the Associated Press, will likely reverberate across the country. If Democrats are able to flip just two seats in New York, they could take back the U.S. House of Representatives and grant current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies the coveted highest position in that chamber.
But that potential outcome was tempered for Democrats who lost control of the U.S. Senate and saw former President Donald J. Trump on a path to victory overnight as he won key swing states, including Georgia and North Carolina.
In New York’s congressional races, Democrats maintained one battleground district in the Hudson Valley and flipped a crucial seat in central New York.
Control of the House would be a useful foil for Democrats seeking to hold in check a Republican-controlled White House and U.S. Senate. State officials, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, had campaigned hard for congressional candidates, even as she and other party officials have been derided for allowing Democrats’ one-time solidly blue showing to narrow in the past few years.
Here’s how New York candidates performed in the most watched congressional races this year.
NY-22
Democrats cheered an upstate win for state Sen. John Mannion over U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams, a conservative-leaning Republican who was in his first term.
Williams and Mannion had run one of the more competitive races in New York.
Mannion may have been aided by comments made by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson earlier this week as he stumped for Williams. Johnson kindled some political flames after he implied the GOP would attempt to repeal the CHIPS Act, a popular manufacturing investment bill that has powered job creation in that area of New York.
Mannion had garnered support from the influential teachers’ unions, even as his campaign was previously beleaguered by accusations of toxic management and harassment. Williams, a businessman, has been an ardent Trump supporter.
NY-19
Democrat challenger Josh Riley, viewed as a brash but moderate Democrat, appeared neck-and-neck with U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro as of early Wednesday morning.
Initial results showed that both Riley, an attorney, and Molinaro, a former Dutchess County executive, state assemblyman and gubernatorial candidate, had garnered votes in various parts of the massive district, which stretches from Ithaca to Rensselaer.
The two have run an intense and often bitter campaign. It was one of the most expensive races in the country, as Republicans sought to maintain control of the seat and Democrats viewed it as one of their best pickup opportunities in the country.
NY-18
Democrat Pat Ryan defeated Republican challenger Alison Esposito to secure a second term in Congress.
New York’s 18th Congressional District, which includes Orange and parts of Dutchess and Ulster Counties, has been represented by a Democrat in Congress since 1983. The AP called the race for Ryan, who campaigned on reproductive rights and gun control, around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. With 520 of 586 election districts reporting, Ryan lead by about 39,383 votes, earning 53.89% of the vote.
Ryan served two tours in Iraq and spent three years as Ulster County executive. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in June 2022, defeating Molinaro in a special election to replace now-Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado. That race was seen as a referendum on abortion — an issue that remained central to Ryan’s political identity as he defeated conservative state Assemblyman Colin Schmitt for a full term in Congress later that year.
A 25-year veteran of the New York Police Department, Esposito left the force to run for lieutenant governor alongside Lee Zeldin in 2022. She branded herself a law-and-order candidate — advocating against New York’s retooled bail statutes and calling for tighter security at the Southern border. Had she been elected, Esposito would have been the first openly gay Republican woman to serve in Congress.
NY-17
U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, the Republican incumbent, declared victory Tuesday as polls had yet to close. He has long been projected to win, with a once-close matchup between him and opponent Mondaire Jones, a former congressman, narrowing in recent days.
Lawler is a moderate Republican who has been an outspoken critic of Democrats but toed a cautious line on certain issues popular in his Hudson Valley district, such as abortion and reproductive rights. He represents a large Jewish community.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the results, Lawler acknowledged Democrats’ hopes they would flip his seat blue but said the job required “serious, sober-minded” politicians and said he remained the best person for the job.
He said voters are mainly concerned with affordability, the migrant crisis, public safety and the war between Israel and Hamas.
“This seat will help determine control of Congress,” Lawler told a reporter on Spectrum’s New York 1. He also brought up the frenzied rush of political advertising that has swamped viewers in recent weeks. “I’m sure viewers are tired of seeing my mug on TV.”
NY-3
Democrat Laura Gillen narrowly beat incumbent Anthony D’Esposito, holding the Republican to a single term in Congress. Her rematch victory comes after losing to D’Esposito by 10,000 votes in 2022. With all 583 districts reporting, Gillen leads D’Esposito by about 6,000 votes.
When D’Esposito was elected in 2022, he notched a crucial victory in Republicans’ effort to reclaim the House of Representatives. But he struggled to defend his seat from Gillen in the left-leaning Long Island district — especially among recent allegations that he hired a woman he was having an affair with.
D’Esposito was elected to the House in 2022. He serves on the Homeland Security, Transportation and Infrastructure and House Administration committees. D’Esposito retired as a New York Police Department detective and previously served on the Hempstead Town Board.
