Antonio Delgado’s elevation to the lieutenant governorship has set the stage for the highest profile special election in the country since the overturning of abortion protections in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case. Democrat Pat Ryan, the Ulster County executive, is trying to hold New York's 19th congressional seat as Republicans eye the seat as the first building block of a potential GOP majority. Ryan said he’s running in the special election despite the short tenure — four months to fill the remainder of Delgado's term — because “we are at a moment in our country, where I feel that the foundation and fabric of our democracy is at risk.”
The 19th Congressional District surrounds the Capital Region and stretches into the Hudson Valley. The current configuration of the district has been represented by Republicans Chris Gibson and John Faso until Delgado defeated Faso in 2018. The district leans Republican, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index and narrowly voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
When voters go to the polls on Aug. 23, they’ll see Ryan’s name up against Molinaro for the special election in the 19th, but may not see him on the primary ballot for November. Ryan will be running in the new 18th Congressional District for the November election because of the changing redistricting lines. Ryan said this has been an “unusual year in New York politics” but he will run in the 19th special and 18th general to represent his hometown.
Ryan said his priorities, if he is successful in the special election, will be to fight back against abortion restrictions and to help ease the economic stress that Americans are feeling due to rising inflation. Molinaro said that he is “pro-life” but will vote against banning abortion.
Ryan, who is in his first term as Ulster County executive, points to the county’s COVID-19 response and redevelopment of an IBM plant as successes in his term.