The Winner

Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY) won a second full term in New York’s 26th Congressional District on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Dennis Hannon 65.9% to 34.0%. With more than 99% of votes counted, Kennedy led 164,056 to 84,683, a margin of 79,373 votes, according to Associated Press election results. The AP called the race at 9:53 p.m. Eastern Time on election night. ​

Kennedy returns to a House where his party now holds the majority after Democrats won control of the chamber. He is the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee’s Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee and also serves on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

The Race

Kennedy’s 32-point margin was close to his 2024 result, when he beat Republican Anthony Marecki 65.1% to 34.8%. Kennedy first won the seat in a 2024 special election after former Rep. Brian Higgins (D) resigned. This year, Hannon ran on both the Republican and Conservative Party lines, and all of the district’s June 23 primaries were canceled because the nominees ran unopposed, according to Ballotpedia’s race overview.

Before the election, Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Democratic, and Sabato’s Crystal Ballrated it Safe Democratic.

The district takes in parts of Erie and Niagara counties, including Buffalo and Niagara Falls, according to the state’s 2024 congressional district map. It is home to about 772,900 people, with a median household income of about $65,400. About 35.7% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and about 17.0% of residents live below the poverty line. The population is about 67.4% white, 16.2% Black, 7.6% Hispanic and 6.0% Asian.

What’s Next

Kennedy’s new term begins Sunday, Jan. 3. After his win, he said lawmakers must make life more affordable and restore health care coverage for millions of people, according to Spectrum News’ report on his victory. He also listed bringing more jobs to Western New York among his priorities.

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