The Winner
If you live in New York's 19th U.S. House District, you will continue to be represented in Congress by Josh Riley (D-NY), who was declared the winner of the 2026 congressional race, according to the Associated Press. The AP called the race on Nov. 3, and Riley took about 57.3% of the vote to about 42.6% for Republican Peter Oberacker, a margin of about 15 points or about 42,662 votes, according to unofficial results.
The winner is based on the AP call, and the vote figures are preliminary because the totals are not yet certified.
The Race
Peter Oberacker reached the general election ballot as the Republican nominee after the June 23 Republican primary. Sabato's Crystal Ball rated the seat Likely Democratic before the election, as did Cook Political Report, while Inside Elections rated it Solid Democratic.
The district has about 774,800 residents, according to geographic data. Median household income is about $73,100 and median age is about 42. About 35.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher; the unemployment rate is about 5.9% and about 14.5% of residents live below the poverty line. The population is about 81.7% white, 7.3% Hispanic, 4.4% Black, and 3.7% Asian.
The district includes Binghamton, Ithaca, Kingston and Oneonta, according to the New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment.
What's Next
Riley is set to take office on Jan. 3, 2027. He said he is working to expand telehealth coverage and help keep rural hospitals open through the CONNECT for Health Act and the Rural Hospital Stabilization Act, according to the Office of Congressman Josh Riley, whose website stated these priorities as of Nov. 11.
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