Republicans in New York picked up two more House seats in the midterm elections with victories in the 4th and 19th congressional districts.
In the Empire State’s 4th district, located on Long Island, Anthony D’Esposito defeated Democrat Laura Gillen. In the 19th district, which includes parts of the Hudson Valley and the Catskills, GOP candidate Marcus Molinaro defeated Josh Riley.
Riley had former President Bill Clinton join him on the campaign trail in a final push days before Election Day, but ultimately it was not enough.
These are two of several districts in the typically blue New York that elected Republicans. Eight other Republicans won as well, including incumbent Reps. Elise Stefanik, Nicole Malliotakis, Claudia Tenney.
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Newcomers include George Santos, who defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in the 3rd district, Michael Lawler, who shocked Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney in the 17th district.
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D’Esposito and Santos’s races came after Republicans had an unexpectedly strong showing in local elections on Long Island last year that emboldened candidates to reach for possible upsets those districts.
This was Santos’ second run for Congress. Two years ago, he lost by a sizeable margin to Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat who gave up a chance at re-election in an unsuccessful run for governor.