Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan defeated his Dutchess County counterpart Marc Molinaro in the special election to fill the vacancy in New York”™s 19th Congressional District while incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman secured his party”™s nomination in the Democratic primary for the 16th Congressional District.
With 95% of the votes counted, the Democrat Ryan secured 52% of the vote while his Republican rival Molinaro won 48%. The 19th District race gained national attention as many observers insisted it could be a bellwether on November”™s election issues and trends ”“ Ryan”™s campaign focused heavily on abortion rights while Molinaro sought to make the race into a referendum on President Joe Biden”™s handling of the economy.
Ryan will serve out the remainder of the term of Antonio Delgado, who won the district in 2018 but left earlier this year to become New York”™s lieutenant governor. However, as a result of redistricting New York”™s congressional map, Ryan will seek to retain his place in Congress in November”™s election as the representative of the 18th District while Molinaro will be on the ballot as the Republican candidate within the 19th District.
In the 16th District with 95% of the votes counted, Bowman scored 57.1% of the votes from Democratic primary voters. Vedat Gashi, a Westchester County legislator who was endorsed by former Rep. Eliot Engel, who was unseated by Bowman two years ago, won 23.1% of the votes. Two other candidates, Catherine Parker and Mark Jaffee, trailed with 18% and 1.8% of the vote, respectively.
Bowman will face Republican Dr. Miriam Levitt Flisser, a pediatrician and former Scarsdale mayor, in November”™s election.
