Democrat Pat Ryan won a special election in New York’s 19th Congressional District in what is considered a bellwether race that could be a preview of how abortion messaging will play in the midterm elections.
Ryan, the executive of Ulster County and a former Army intelligence officer, will represent the district until the end of the congressional term on Jan. 3, 2023, after which the district boundaries will cease to exist due to redistricting. Both Ryan and his GOP opponent Marc Molinaro are also running for full terms in redrawn districts.
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The victory for Ryan, who only slightly trailed Molinaro in the polls, may suggest an advantage for Democrats capitalizing on outrage following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court. His campaign advertising focused on defending access to abortion, while Molinaro made the election a referendum on President Joe Biden’s record on the economy.
While Molinaro is anti-abortion, he said he does not support federal interference in state abortion laws.
“I fall into the belief of most Americans that there ought to be thoughtful limitations [on abortion],” he said.
The 19th District’s seat representing the Hudson Valley has been vacant since May, when New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tapped former Rep. Antonio Delgado to serve as her lieutenant governor after her former deputy, Brian Benjamin, was indicted on bribery charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Ryan is running for a full term in the 18th Congressional District, and Molinaro is running in the redrawn 19th District, both of which contain parts of the old 19th District.
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Though Ryan will only serve four months, both candidates were hoping to capitalize on the advantages of being a seated U.S. legislator in thei other races. The competitive nature of the district attracted close attention for this race, as Republicans only need to net five seats to take back the majority in the House. The National Republican Campaign Committee poured $1.2 million into the race opposing Ryan, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent half a million dollars in his defense. Biden won the district by 2 percentage points in 2020.
