new title: Special Election in New York to Fill Congressional Vacancy Left by Democrat Higgins’ Resignation
In an upstate New York congressional district, voters will have to choose between a Democrat seen as the successor to the former congressman who vacated the seat and a Republican with broad appeal in a special election on Tuesday.
Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., who entered Congress in 2005, resigned in February to take on the role of president at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. With a slim majority in the House held by Republicans, even a race for a seat expected to stay with Democrats has attracted attention.
The race in the 26th District features state Sen. Timothy Kennedy, a Democrat who considers Higgins a mentor, and Gary Dickson, the first Republican town supervisor elected in the Buffalo suburb of West Seneca in half a century.
Spanning Erie and Niagara counties, including Buffalo and Niagara Falls, the district is considered a safe seat for Democrats, with registered Democrats outnumbering Republicans by more than 2-to-1.
Kennedy, a state lawmaker since 2011, shares a strong South Buffalo base with Higgins. He plans to focus on reproductive rights, immigration, and gun laws in Congress, drawing attention to New York’s legislation following a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022.
Kennedy, who has a significant financial advantage in the race, has raised $1.7 million compared to Dickson’s $35,430 as of April 10, according to campaign finance reports.
Dickson, a retired FBI special agent, acknowledged the tough campaign ahead, positioning himself as a choice for voters. While supporting Trump as the Republican nominee, Dickson describes his politics as centrist.
The winner of Tuesday’s special election will serve for the remainder of the year.
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