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Democrat Riley switches to running in 19th Congressional election
Democrat Josh Riley switched where he is running for Congress on May 15, just after the district maps were announced, Syracuse.com reports. Riley, born and raised in Endicott, just west of Binghamton, was going to run in the 22nd District, but the lines shifted May 15, when the court-appointed special master released new maps for the state's Congressional District. Instead, Riley is going to run in the 19th District, which next year will stretch from Columbia and Greene counties west through Binghamton and Ithaca to Tompkins County. Riley says he has experience as Rep. Maurice Hinchey's staff assistant, and worked on unemployment insurance at the United States Department of Labor before going to law school. He has also been a law clerk for Judge Kim Wardlaw on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California, and as General Counsel to U.S. Senator Al Franken on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Riley, though, will have one of the oddest election season's ever. Delgado is expected to resign soon, as Gov. Kathy Hochul recently picked him to be her lieutenant. Depending on when Delgado resigns, there will be a special election on August 23, or thereabouts, for the seat in the old district between Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, a Democrat, and Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican. Riley could be in a primary election for the new district seat on the same day. Then Ryan will run for the 18th Congressional District seat in November. And if Riley makes it to the general election, he will face a Republican, most likely Molinaro, who could be an incumbent by then.