New York Democrats are looking beyond the battleground districts

Source: Politico

04/19/2026 12:00 PM EDT


Amid a hot streak of overperformances across the country and President Donald Trump’s slipping approval rating, New York Democrats are wondering: Why not try to flip a seat that Trump won by 20 points?

Unpopular moves from the Trump administration now have Democrats in the Empire State putting their political capital into a race in deep-red terrain — the latest indicator of how bullish they feel heading into the midterms, which will determine control of the House.

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently touted how “optimistic” she is about flipping outgoing Rep. Elise Stefanik’s seat in the North Country, where dairy farmer Blake Gendebien has emerged as the top contender for the Democratic nod. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who campaigned with Gendebien, transferred $9,000 to him last month through his joint fundraising committee. And the two Republicans vying for the GOP nomination to replace Stefanik — sticker company executive Anthony Constantino and state Assemblymember Robert Smullen — are locked in what’s promising to be a bloody primary.

The legal threats and personal barbs coloring the GOP primary aren’t the only reasons the seat is intriguing for Democrats. Hochul pointed to conversations she had with conservative farmers in the district who expressed frustration about tariffs and immigration raids.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/19/new-york-democrats-looking-beyond-the-battleground-00877853