ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — On Monday, the New York State Democratic Party sent out a campaign email with a map of battleground congressional districts. It identified five races for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives that are vulnerable to flipping from red to blue.
The races in question target incumbent Republican Congressmembers:
"Democrats can reclaim the House majority by winning these seats alone," read the campaign email. "With fewer than 100 days until Election Day, we are confident that this statewide effort will be instrumental in securing victory." The party also highlighted two races for seats currently held by vulnerable incumbent Democrats:
Check out the map below:
Several of those incumbent Republicans spoke out after the Democrats' campaign email, defending their records and roasting opponents. Out on Long Island, Lalota defends District 01 against John Avlon. A campaign spokesperson sent a statement about their campaign against the Democratic nominee:
“The LaLota reelection campaign enters August with a commanding lead, up double digits in the polls and holding a nearly 4-to-1 cash advantage. LaLota also has the upper hand on key issues such as border security and inflation, which resonate deeply in a district that former President Trump won by 1.8% in 2020 and 9.8% in 2016. Congressman LaLota, a Naval Academy graduate and Navy veteran who deployed overseas three times, has dedicated much of his adult life to serving his community and country with honor.
In his first term in Congress, Nick LaLota has consistently put country before party, earning a reputation as one of the most bipartisan members and joining the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. He has secured over $150 million to support Suffolk County and has been a staunch advocate for border security, law enforcement, military and veterans' support, and enhancing the quality of life for families.
LaLota’s opponent, CNN host and Manhattan elitist John Avlon, faces significant challenges. NY-1 voters have a history of rejecting well-funded out-of-town candidates who attempt to parachute onto Long Island to buy a seat in Congress, such as Altschuler in 2010 and 2012, Gershon in 2018, and Bond in 2022. In 2024, campaigning from his Hamptons summer home, Avlon demonstrated how out of touch he is with Suffolk County, its people, and its stories. His hyper-partisan positions on CNN from 2018 until recently, along with his use of 'in' Long Island instead of 'on' Long Island, highlight his lack of understanding of our community. This year is no different from previous failed attempts by out-of-town candidates.”
Will Kiley
The Democratic campaign email described a coordinated effort to recruit and train field volunteers to engage with voters. They reported knocking on the doors of almost 20,000 voters in the battleground districts between July 26 and July 29.
From District 04—still on Long Island but closer to the city—D'Esposito said their efforts when be enough. He's represented the citizens there in Congress since January 2023. “Voters across the 4th district helped flip this seat from Democrat to Republican in 2022 because they believed in my message of safe streets and affordable communities, which stands in stark contrast to the disarray and disorder allowed to fester thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s failing record," read a statement from D'Esposito, who's defending his seat against Lauren Gillen. "This year, Long Islanders will once again reject the progressive soft-on-crime and open border policies advanced by my left-wing opponent, Laura Gillen, and I am confident my neighbors will send me back to Capitol Hill so I can keep fighting for them in a bipartisan fashion.”
Meanwhile, “New York Democrats are connecting with thousands of voters per week to talk about Democrats' vision to lower costs, protect abortion rights, and hold New York House Republicans accountable for embracing MAGA extremism,” according to Lizzy Weiss, who's directing the Democratic Party's coordinated campaign.
It's an over $5 million push to hire 80 staff at 35 statewide field offices in the next couple of weeks. Weiss added, “Our boots-on-the-ground turnout machine is in full swing and the energy and excitement for New York’s battleground Democrats will only continue to grow over the next four months.”
You'll find District 17 downstate, represented by Lawler, a former state Assemblymember, since 2023. He opposes former Rep. Mondaire Jones, one of the first two openly gay Black Congressmembers.
“No matter how much money New York Democrats want to light on fire in pursuit of flipping the 17th District, Mondaire Jones will never represent the Hudson Valley in the 119th Congress. Maybe they can help him find a new district to run for in 2026," said Chris Russell, spokesperson for the Lawler campaign. "We’re confident that Congressman Mike Lawler will continue to serve the Hudson Valley in a bipartisan fashion for years to come.”
The massive District 19, represented by Molinaro since January 2023, runs from the Vermont border to Ithaca. “Josh Riley worked in DC to open the border and silence sexual assault victims for Harvey Weinstein," Molinaro said. "Those are big problems in the minds of voters and it's why he's down nine points in the polls. If the 'battle strategy' doesn't also include swapping out Josh Riley as the candidate, then they're in trouble."
The Democratic strategists behind the campaign email pointed to down-ballot successes in 2023 off-year elections, specifically the special election that saw Suozzi retake a seat in Congress. Technically, District 03 flipped from red to blue when the House expelled notoriously dishonest Republican Rep. George Santos.
Now, Suozzi takes on former Assemblymember Michael LiPetri, Jr. But LiPetri welcomes the challenge. He said, “Democrats know that a new generation of Common Sense New York republicans are leading the way to not only keep but expand the House GOP Majority! New York voters have had enough of the border crisis, are tired of paying more and more each day just to get by, and are fed up with misguided policies that make life harder for law-abiding Americans. We will take back NY03, flip the Senate, and send President Trump back to The White House. The Terrible Trifecta of Kamala Harris, Kathy Hochul, and Tom Suozzi created this mess—we’ll fix it this November!”
LaLota, D’Esposito, Lawler, Molinaro, and Williams all endorsed former Pres. Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
