The Story:
When the next Congress convenes on January 3, 2021, there will be no member of the House of Representatives with a duty to represent the 22d district in New York, the largely rural constituency that includes Johnson City, Utica, and Rome.
Background:
The incumbent’s term will expire as the 117th Congress is sworn in. That incumbent, Anthony Brindisi (D), ran for re-election against Claudia Tenney (R). No winner in that race has been certified, nor does it seem that any certification will be made in time.
Brindisi has served on the House Agriculture Committee and has staunchly represented the interests of his district’s apple farmers, a major interest group there. For example, he helped secure the apple growers a share of Covid-related aid.
Tenney is considered well to the right of center in her politics. Back in 2012, while she was serving in the New York State Assembly, the state’s Conservative Party gave her an award for being New York’s most conservative legislator.
The Thing to Know:
The balance of power in the 117th Congress will be a tight one. The Democratic majority will have 222 seats, the Republicans, 212 seats. Even were Brindisi to return for another term, the Democrats have will have lost 12 seats since the mid-term elections of two years before.
