New York
About the state
Governor
D
Hochul
Senators
D
Schumer
D
Gillibrand
U.S. House Delegation
D
19
R
8
State Assembly
D
105
R
42
State Senate
D
43
R
20
Winning key races in New York helped Democrats flip the House in 2018. With newly drawn districts, winning in critical swing districts across New York will be key to ensuring that Democrats keep their majority in the House and can advance progressive policies at the federal level.
Winning New York
Our primary objective in New York is to win competitive congressional races in six districts: NY-01, NY-03, NY-17, NY-18, NY-19, and NY-22.
What's at stake
Infrastructure. New York scored a C- on infrastructure. In New York there are 1,702 bridges (with the 6th most number of structurally deficient bridges nationally) and over 7,292 miles of highway in poor condition and everything from the crumbling BQE, highways that stretch upstate, and rural roads need updating. Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Biden signed into law last year will help repair and rebuild New York’s roads. It will also go toward expanding broadband internet access to the 13% of New York households without an internet subscription and the 4% of New Yorkers who live in areas where there is not yet broadband infrastructure. In October of 2021, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) also allocated $13 million in federal grants to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the state.
Education. State leaders have had to continually adapt health policies to keep students and teachers safe, including in New York City, the largest school district in the nation. At the state level, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has aimed to tackle the ongoing COVID crisis by enforcing the vaccine mandate for health care workers and calling for universal masking in schools. In swing districts outside of New York City, candidates will have to strike the right balance with parents and educators on COVID response in schools.
Economic recovery. The New York economy will take time to rebuild, and economic losses hit the poor and most vulnerable the hardest. During the pandemic, New York farmers have faced financial losses—the New York Farm Bureau found that 65% of New York’s farms and agribusinesses have been negatively impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic and more than a third of farms and agribusinesses are experiencing cash flow issues. In New York City, the state’s economic epicenter which accounts for 60% of the state’s economic output, it’s predicted that the city will not rebuild its labor force to its pre-2020 levels until the end of 2025, and will continue to lag behind the rest of the country. Focus on economic relief and job growth will continue to be a top issue throughout the state.
What's at stake facts updated January, 2024