NEW YORK: Democrats were celebrating victory in a U.S. special election seen as the latest indicator of the public mood on abortion ahead of November’s midterms as the party seeks to make rights reproduction a key campaign issue.
Tuesday’s vote in an upstate New York swing district was to choose a candidate to serve the final months of Democrat Antonio Delgado’s term in the House of Representatives, after he resigned to become lieutenant governor of the Empire State.
The battle for New York’s 19th congressional district comes two months after the Supreme Court sparked nationwide protests by ending federally guaranteed abortion rights.
pat democrat Ryanwho sought to turn the vote into a referendum on abortion access, is expected to win, according to US media including NBC, ABC and Fox News.
“Choice was on the ballot. Freedom was on the ballot, and tonight choice and freedom won,” Ryan tweeted after he was expected to triumph.
“We voted as if our democracy was on the line because it is. We upended everything we thought we knew about politics and we did it together.”
He accused his Republican rival Marc Molinaro and his party, who oppose such access, of being “too extreme on women’s rights”.
There was no immediate response to his victory from Molinaro, who had followed his party’s main political talking points, including on inflation and the spiraling cost of living in a campaign that saw millions dollars channeled into advertising.
– ‘Right to choose on the ballot’ – President Joe Biden won the district by less than two points in 2020, after Donald Trump took it by about seven points in 2016. Barack Obama won there by 2012.
The two candidates will be back at the polls in November, but in different constituencies newly drawn during the last round of redistricting.
The somewhat anachronistic system means Ryan — who has yet to be nominated to fight for a midterm seat — was on the ballot Tuesday in two districts for two separate seats for two different Congresses.
New York also held several nominating contests — known as primaries — including a vote pitting Democratic committee chairs Jerry nadler and Carolyn Maloney against each other.
Nadler easily won, taking 55.4% to Maloney’s 24.4% with over 95% of the votes counted.
Maloney said she congratulated Nadler on her victory.
“I share his progressive values. I wish him every success,” she tweeted.
“We need to maintain a Democratic House and increase the margins in the Senate to stop the extremists who are working to end our democracy,” she added.
In Florida, Democrats have chosen Congressman Charlie Crist as their candidate to challenge the governor Ron DeSantis in November.
“Our basic freedoms are literally on the ballot, my friends,” Crist said in his victory speech, vowing to end the White House hopes of DeSantis, who is considered a likely Republican hopeful in 2024.
“A woman’s right to choose on the ballot. Democracy on the ballot. Your rights as minorities are on that ballot,” Crist said.
“That’s what this election is about, make no mistake, because this guy wants to be President of the United States of America and everyone knows it.
“However, when we defeat him on November 8, that show is over.”
US voters will decide control of Congress in the midterm elections, with all 435 House seats up for grabs, along with 35 of the 100 Senate seats and the governor’s mansion in 36 of the 50 states.
Tuesday’s vote in an upstate New York swing district was to choose a candidate to serve the final months of Democrat Antonio Delgado’s term in the House of Representatives, after he resigned to become lieutenant governor of the Empire State.
The battle for New York’s 19th congressional district comes two months after the Supreme Court sparked nationwide protests by ending federally guaranteed abortion rights.
pat democrat Ryanwho sought to turn the vote into a referendum on abortion access, is expected to win, according to US media including NBC, ABC and Fox News.
“Choice was on the ballot. Freedom was on the ballot, and tonight choice and freedom won,” Ryan tweeted after he was expected to triumph.
“We voted as if our democracy was on the line because it is. We upended everything we thought we knew about politics and we did it together.”
He accused his Republican rival Marc Molinaro and his party, who oppose such access, of being “too extreme on women’s rights”.
There was no immediate response to his victory from Molinaro, who had followed his party’s main political talking points, including on inflation and the spiraling cost of living in a campaign that saw millions dollars channeled into advertising.
– ‘Right to choose on the ballot’ – President Joe Biden won the district by less than two points in 2020, after Donald Trump took it by about seven points in 2016. Barack Obama won there by 2012.
The two candidates will be back at the polls in November, but in different constituencies newly drawn during the last round of redistricting.
The somewhat anachronistic system means Ryan — who has yet to be nominated to fight for a midterm seat — was on the ballot Tuesday in two districts for two separate seats for two different Congresses.
New York also held several nominating contests — known as primaries — including a vote pitting Democratic committee chairs Jerry nadler and Carolyn Maloney against each other.
Nadler easily won, taking 55.4% to Maloney’s 24.4% with over 95% of the votes counted.
Maloney said she congratulated Nadler on her victory.
“I share his progressive values. I wish him every success,” she tweeted.
“We need to maintain a Democratic House and increase the margins in the Senate to stop the extremists who are working to end our democracy,” she added.
In Florida, Democrats have chosen Congressman Charlie Crist as their candidate to challenge the governor Ron DeSantis in November.
“Our basic freedoms are literally on the ballot, my friends,” Crist said in his victory speech, vowing to end the White House hopes of DeSantis, who is considered a likely Republican hopeful in 2024.
“A woman’s right to choose on the ballot. Democracy on the ballot. Your rights as minorities are on that ballot,” Crist said.
“That’s what this election is about, make no mistake, because this guy wants to be President of the United States of America and everyone knows it.
“However, when we defeat him on November 8, that show is over.”
US voters will decide control of Congress in the midterm elections, with all 435 House seats up for grabs, along with 35 of the 100 Senate seats and the governor’s mansion in 36 of the 50 states.
