In the fight to control Congress, New York is already shaping up to be a 2024 battleground.

Republicans are eying one district as a key pickup opportunity, while a Democrat-aligned super PAC has announced plans for a “war room” in New York.

Republicans flipped four districts in New York in 2022 — two in the Hudson Valley and two on Long Island. Now they are gunning to pick up at least one more next year.


What You Need To Know

  • Earlier this week, the House GOP’s campaign arm named the Hudson Valley seat currently held by Democrat Pat Ryan a “prime pick-up” opportunity in 2024

  • On Tuesday, a super PAC aligned with Democrats announced they will be establishing a “war room” in New York focused on flipping seats on Long Island, in the Hudson Valley, and in the Syracuse area

  • Republicans flipped four districts in New York in 2022, boosting a slim House majority of only five votes

Earlier this week, the House GOP’s campaign arm — the National Republican Congressional Committee — named the Hudson Valley seat currently held by Democrat Pat Ryan a “prime pick-up” opportunity, alongside 36 other seats nationwide.

“These House Democrats should be shaking in their boots,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson said in a statement.

Ryan, on Twitter, fundraised off the news. And in a statement, he noted he won two “tough races” last year.

“Every pollster, pundit, and political operative said I had no chance. We proved them wrong, and we’ll do it again,” he said.

House Democrats, meanwhile, want to regain ground they lost.

On Tuesday, a super PAC aligned with Democrats — the House Majority PAC — announced they will be establishing a “war room” in New York focused on flipping seats. They are targeting districts in the Hudson Valley, on Long Island, and in the Syracuse area that Biden would have won in 2020.

“A warning to the Republican members of Congress in New York, the spotlight is going to be on you. Our team is going to hold you accountable for every single vote you take, every single committee hearing you skip,” said CJ Warnke, communications director for House Majority PAC.

This is the first time the super PAC has set up such a war room in any state. They have already announced a $45 million fund to help New York candidates next year, with plans to spend money on ads, voter registration, and other initiatives.

Warnke said the goal is, in part, to define the GOP lawmakers in these races before they have a chance to define themselves.

“We just need five more seats to flip the House back blue. And New York presents a perfect opportunity for that,” Warnke said.

Spectrum News NY1 reached out to a few of the candidates expected to be targeted by the war room, including Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, who represents a district in Nassau County that Biden would have carried by nearly 15 points in 2020.

In a statement, D’Esposito said, “No amount of campaign spending can hide New York Democrats’ disastrous record, and I am confident voters will once again reject their radical pro-criminal and high tax agenda in favor of my commonsense, bipartisan approach to legislating.”