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Pundits begin ranking local elections

Aug 22, 2019 11:55 pm
The 2020 Congressional elections are still 15 months off, but political analysts are beginning to rate the chances of local incumbents keeping their seats. In general, Democrat Paul Tonko's 20th Congressional District is considered a safe for his re-election. But Antonio Delgado, the first term Democrat from Rhinebeck, faces a less clear picture, with prognosticators rating the 19th Congressional District a toss-up, or that Delgado has a slight incumbent advantage. Fivethirtyeight.com has not released its 2020 House election ratings yet, but notes that Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the district by 6.8 percent. Delgado beat Republican John Faso by 2.8 percent two years later. By contrast, in Tonko's district, which includes Albany County, Clinton beat Trump by 13.5 percentage points. The Cook Political Report ranks Delgado's re-election in the "toss-up" category, noting a slight Republican advantage inherent in the district. Inside Elections rates Delgado's district "tilt Democrat," while Tonko is in a "safe" seat. So far three Republicans have lined up for a primary election to take on Delgado: Retired National Guard general Anthony German, who is from Oneonta; Michael Roth, a Brooklyn College graduate and an Ellenville resident; and Ola Hawatmeh, a fashion designer and two-time breast cancer survivor from Poughkeepsie. Republican Schenectady resident Liz Joy has announced a campaign to challenge Tonko in the 20th Congressional District.