FILE - The Capitol in Washington, is seen at sunrise, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. On one side of the U.S. Capitol, two senators have steered the debate over government funding mostly clear of partisan fights, clearing a path for bills to pass with bipartisan momentum. Steps away, on the House side of the building, things couldn’t be more different. House Republicans, trying to win support from the far-right wing of the party, have loaded up their government funding packages with funding cuts and conservative policy priorities. Democrats have responded with ire, branding their GOP counterparts as extreme and bigoted and withdrawing support for the legislation.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
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The Big Story
New York House special election: What you need to know
Western New Yorkers are heading to the polls to decide who will replace longtime Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins, who retired earlier this year, citing the “slow and frustrating” pace of Congress.
Democrats have a shot to narrow – at least briefly – the already razor-thin GOP House majority, as New York’s 26th Congressional District decides the racebetween Buffalo state Sen. Tim Kennedy (D) and West Seneca Town Supervisor Gary Dickson (R), on Tuesday.
Longtime Rep. Brian Higgins (D) retired from Congress in February citing the “slow and frustrating” pace. The chamber has been frequently preoccupied by Republican in-fighting over leadership, messy impeachment efforts targeting Biden administration officials and other feuds.
“I’ve always been a little impatient, and that trait has helped us deliver remarkable progress for this community,” Higgins, 64, said in a statement announcing his early retirement. “But the pace in Washington, D.C. can be slow and frustrating, especially this year.”
He is now the president of Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo.
Kennedy is favored to win the special election to fill the rest of Higgins’ term. But candidates won’t get a long break from the campaign trail after Tuesday. A primary election for the seat will take place in June, followed by a general election in November to serve a full two-year term in the next Congress.
President Biden won the district by double digits in the 2020 presidential election.
Extras:
Polls close at 9 p.m., and any voter registered in New York’s 26th Congressional District can cast a ballot in the special election.
Kennedy and Dickson took part in a live, televised debate last week. Catch the replay here.
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