2024 New York's 26th congressional district special election explained

Election Name:	2024 New York's 26th congressional district special election
Country:	New York
Type:	by-election
Previous Election:	2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New York#District 26
Previous Year:	2022
Next Election:	2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New York#District 26
Next Year:	November 2024
Election Date:	April 30, 2024
Image1:	Rep. Tim Kennedy's Official Portrait (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:	Tim Kennedy
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Alliance1:	Working Families Party
Popular Vote1:	48,050
Percentage1:	68.5%
Nominee2:	Gary Dickson
Party2:	Republican Party (United States)
Alliance2:	Conservative Party of New York State
Popular Vote2:	21,982
Percentage2:	31.3%
U.S. Representative
Before Election:	Brian Higgins
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	Tim Kennedy
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 2024 New York's 26th congressional district special election was held on April 30, 2024, to fill the vacant seat in New York's 26th congressional district.^[1] The seat became vacant after Democratic incumbent Brian Higgins resigned on February 2, 2024, to become president of Shea's Performing Arts Center.^{[2] [3]} The early voting period ran from April 20 to April 28, 2024.^[4]

The Associated Press declared Tim Kennedy the winner within an hour of the polls closing.^[5] He will serve in the United States House of Representatives for the remainder of the 118th United States Congress.

Nominees

New York does not use primary elections when filling vacancies. Instead, party officials in the affected counties are responsible for choosing nominees.

Democratic Party

The Erie County Democratic Committee chose their nominee on February 21, 2024.^[6]

Candidates

Nominated

• Tim Kennedy, state senator from the 63rd district (2011–present)^[7]

Lost nomination

• Nate McMurray, former town supervisor of Grand Island and nominee for the 27th district in 2018 and 2020 (ran as an independent)^[6]
• Jeanne Vinal, Erie County legislator (2020–present)^[7]

Declined

• Byron Brown, mayor of Buffalo (2006–present), former chair of the New York Democratic Party (2016–2019), and former state senator from the 60th district (2001–2005)^[8]
• Mark Poloncarz, Erie County executive (2012–present)^[9]

Republican Party

The Erie County Republican Committee chose their nominee on February 21, 2024.

Candidates

Nominated

• Gary Dickson, town supervisor of West Seneca (2019–present)^[10]

Independents

Withdrawn

• Nate McMurray, former town supervisor of Grand Island and nominee for the 27th district in 2018 and 2020^[11]

General election

Results

County	Tim Kennedy Democratic		Gary Dickson Republican		Write-in		Margin		Total votes
	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%		data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%	data-sort-type="number"		data-sort-type="number"	%
	Erie		41,206		71.19		16,530		28.56	146	0.25		24,676		42.63	57,882
	Niagara		6,844		55.60		5,452		44.29	13	0.11		1,392		11.31	12,309
Total		48,050		68.46		21,982		31.32	159	0.23		26,068		37.14	70,191

See also

• 2024 United States House of Representatives elections
  • 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New York
• List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
• List of United States representatives from New York
• 118th United States Congress

External links

Official campaign websites

• Gary Dickson (R) for Congress
• Tim Kennedy (D) for Congress

Notes and References

1. Web site: McMullen . Justin . Date set for NY-26 special election to fill Higgins' seat in Congress . . February 14, 2024 . February 12, 2024.
2. Web site: Congressman Brian Higgins Announces Plans to Leave Congress . Buffalo, New York . higgins.house.gov . November 12, 2023 . November 23, 2023.
3. Web site: Brian Higgins announces plans to resign from Congress, set to take top Shea's job . Joly . Aidan . November 12, 2023 . November 12, 2023 . WIVB-TV.
4. Web site: Official Special Election Political Calendar. April 26, 2024. New York State Board of Elections.
5. Web site: AP: Tim Kennedy declared winner in NY-26 special election . Joly . Aidan . April 30, 2024 . April 30, 2024 . WIVB-TV.
6. Web site: Specht . Charlie . Nate McMurray announces candidacy for Brian Higgins' 26th District seat in Congress . . January 10, 2024 . January 10, 2024.
7. Web site: Faery . Max . Tim Kennedy gets Democratic Committee's nomination for NY-26 special election . . January 11, 2024.
8. Web site: Parsnow . Luke . Whalen . Ryan . Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown won't run for Higgins' congressional seat . . January 5, 2024.
9. Web site: Specht . Charlie . Poloncarz will not run for 26th Congressional District seat being vacated by Higgins . . December 11, 2023 . https://archive.today/20231211192232/https://buffalonews.com/news/local/poloncarz-will-not-run-for-26th-congressional-district-seat-being-vacated-by-higgins/article_599983d8-9774-11ee-81a4-1f00c7fc47de.html . December 11, 2023 . December 10, 2023 . live . subscription.
10. News: Specht . Charlie . West Seneca Supervisor Gary Dickson gets GOP nod to face Kennedy for Congress . February 21, 2024 . . February 21, 2024 . en.
11. News: Joly, Aidan . Greber, Dave . February 27, 2024 . Nate McMurray will not be on NY-26 special election ballot. February 27, 2024 . .
12. Web site: Joly . Aidan . Full replay: Kennedy, Dickson face off in NY-26 Debate . WIVB.com . April 23, 2024.