Democrat Rep. Tim Kennedy Officially Sworn In, Reducing GOP Majority

Rep. Tim Kennedy, D-N.Y., was sworn in on the House floor Monday, succeeding retired Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., which shifted the balance of power with the GOP holding just a one-vote margin on any partisan vote, as reported by The Hill here.

“I stand before you humbled by the opportunity God has given us to be together in this moment,” he said after taking his oath. “This awesome and magnificent responsibility that’s been granted to me by the people of western New York.”

Kennedy, who previously served as a state senator, won the special election for New York’s 26th Congressional District last week against GOP candidate Gary Dickson, as detailed in this report.

With Kennedy’s entry, the House now has 430 members, with 217 seats held by Republicans and 213 by Democrats, narrowing the GOP’s majority. Several Republican members have recently resigned, further decreasing their numbers.

One of the upcoming vacancies is that of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., which will be filled after a special election on May 21 in his Central Valley district.

Higgins retired from Congress in February after almost two decades, citing dysfunction and slow progress in Washington, D.C., as reasons for his departure, as mentioned in this article.

Representing the Buffalo and Niagara Falls area, Kennedy’s district spans the Niagara River.

Following a mass shooting in Buffalo in 2022, Kennedy pushed for gun safety legislation in the New York State Senate, as reported by local news.

“I believe the character traits that define us in the Buffalo-Niagara region are the same ideals held by all Americans,” Kennedy said on the House floor. “I believe the hope we hold as a western New York community in achieving our greatest potential is shared equally by all communities across our country.”

Kennedy will serve out Higgins’s term until January and will run for a full term in the November election.

“I look forward to working with you to change our country for the better,” he stated. “I’m hopeful that we in this chamber can demonstrate leadership on a world stage that our fellow Americans can be proud of.”