Pat Ryan tonight won the special election for the U.S. House seat in New York's 19th district after it was vacated by fellow Democrat Antonio Delgado, according to AP
Democrat Pat Ryan
The race was seen as a key test for the two parties' messaging strategies, with Ryan focused on abortion and Republican Marc Molinaro hammering on inflation and crime, asThe Hudson Valley-based 19th district has been a critical building block in Democrats' recent majorities. Delgado, who stepped down in May to serve as New York lieutenant governor, won it by 11 points in 2020, while Biden won it by 2 points., hoping a win there would provide a burst of enthusiasm heading into November.
Ryan and Molinaro, both electorally proven county executives with cross-party appeal, were roughly evenly matched in terms of fundraising.Ryan, an Iraq veteran and former business owner, previously ran for the seat in 2018, narrowly losing to Delgado in the primary. "I characterize myself as someone who's trying to level some of the foundational inequities we've allowed to be built in our country," he said. "Whatever label we want to apply to that, I think it's more about actually delivering on those results."