Roger Hannigan Gilson reports for the Times Union that Osun (pronounced "ocean") Zotique ended their campaign to represent the 19th District in Congress on June 27. Zotique, the director of Columbia County-based LGBTQ nonprofit OutHudson, had previously mounted a write-in campaign for the Hudson School Board earlier this year, finishing out of the running in sixth place. Now Democrats Josh Riley, from Ithaca, and Jamie Cheney from Dutchess County, are the only candidates in the Aug. 23 primary election for the new 19th Congressional District in Congress. There is also a special election that same day between Democrat Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan and Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro to complete Antonio Delgado's term in Congress in the current 19th Congressional District. Zotique released a statement saying they “do not have the necessary means to win an election against Republican Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro” in the November midterms. “It has been an utter privilege to make United States history as our first transgender non-binary individual to run for federal elected office. Over the course of about a month, I announced, opened myself up to the broader community, received support, collected designating petition signatures, and began making my way onto the Democratic Primary Ballot,” the statement continued. Read more about this story in the Times Union.