Rep. John Katko will stay in the House after a tough Democratic challenge against Syracuse University professor Dana Balter.
After a close race that had been pending since Election Day, Balter conceded to the Republican incumbent on Friday evening.
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“The current absentee ballot count makes it clear that our campaign does not have a path forward,” Balter said in a statement. “Today, I congratulate Congressman Katko on his victory and hope that in his next term, he will advocate for policies that will help working families in this district.”
Katko, 57, was first elected to the House in 2014 and had beat Balter in 2018, when she first challenged him for his seat. Katko is viewed as a centrist Republican representing a district won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The race was viewed by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report as being competitive but slightly in favor of Katko.
Katko has at times strayed from President Trump, but he openly endorsed the president in this election, a change from 2016, when he did not back the unconventional GOP presidential nominee.
Political analysts expected Katko’s newfound support for Trump to hurt his reelection chances and turn some independent and centrist Democrats away from the GOP lawmaker.
Katko’s win can put Republicans at ease to hold on to another House seat, in another outcome that has defied pollsters predictions of a dwindling congressional presence for the GOP. Republicans have flipped several House seats in the general election, surprising analysts who expected Democrats to net between 10 to 15 seats.
