The House of Representatives

New York’s 19th District, the Hudson Valley and the Catskills: Antonio Delgado

Image Credit... Illustrations by Rebecca Clarke

Mr. Delgado, a lawyer and Rhodes scholar, made health care the central theme of his campaign to unseat Representative John Faso, a Republican. He backs a public option to allow people underage 65 to opt into Medicare, and legislation to lower premiums and deductibles. His opponent has largely supported the Trump agenda, including voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Just as troubling, Mr. Faso benefited from race-baiting attack ads against Mr. Delgado, funded by the Republican congressional leadership, highlighting Mr. Delgado’s brief career as a rapper. Read more.

Image

Ms. Grechen Shirley, a Democratic activist challenging a longtime Republican incumbent, Representative Peter King, is among the wave of women inspired to run by the election of President Trump. She previously helped galvanize Democrats and women in the district by starting an organization to oppose the Republicans’ attempted repeal of the Affordable Care Act. A mother of two young children, she persuaded the Federal Election Commission to let her spend campaign funds on child care, making her the first woman to do so. Mr. King has stirred anti-immigrant sentiment. Asked about the separation of children from parents at the border, he told one news outlet, “Americans care more about Americans.” Read more.

New York’s First District, Long Island: Perry Gershon

Image

Mr. Gershon, a Democrat, supports Medicare for All and has backed the Affordable Care Act, which the Republican incumbent, Representative Lee Zeldin, voted to gut. Mr. Gershon, who favors sensible restrictions on immigration as part of comprehensive reforms, has backed protection for Dreamers without other stipulations, unlike Mr. Zeldin. Mr. Zeldin, who has enthusiastically backed Mr. Trump, kicked off his re-election campaign at an event with Sebastian Gorka, a far-right former Trump aide who has worn a pin from a Hungarian group founded by Nazis. That group has claimed Mr. Gorka as a member, although he denies it. Mr. Zeldin has also had a fund-raiser with Steve Bannon, another former Trump aide, who has been connected with some of the most extreme right-wing groups in Europe and the United States. Read more.

New York’s 22nd District, central New York: Anthony Brindisi

Image

Mr. Brindisi, a Democratic state assemblyman hoping to oust Representative Claudia Tenney, a Republican, is refreshingly earnest and moderate. He supports abortion rights but voted against Mr. Cuomo’s gun control legislation. But he also supports expanded background checks and other gun safety legislation. Ms. Tenney has wrapped herself in Trump-style politics. In the wake of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting this year, she said that “so many of these people that commit the mass murders end up being Democrats.” Read more.