| State: | New York |
| District Number: | 27 |
| Obsolete: | yes |
| Created: | 1820 |
| Eliminated: | 2020 |
| Years: | 1823–2023 |
New York’s 27th congressional district was a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in western New York. It included all of Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, and Livingston counties and parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara, and Ontario counties. The district contained most of the eastern and southern suburbs of Buffalo, most of the southern suburbs of Rochester, as well as large rural areas to the east and south. The seat was last occupied by Republican Chris Jacobs, who won a special election on June 23, 2020.[1] [2] Previously, it had been vacant from October 1, 2019, when Republican incumbent Chris Collins resigned after pleading guilty to charges of insider trading.[3]
It was the most Republican-leaning district in the state, with Donald Trump having won it by 24.5 points in 2016. It was also one of the most conservative districts in the Northeastern United States, leaning more Republican than any district in New England or New Jersey.
The precursor to the district was the central Erie county seat numbered the 30th district in the 1990s. In the 1980s this area was in the 33rd district. In the 1970s it was numbered the 37th district, although certain suburban areas were in the 38th district (later the 31st). None of these districts included the Jamestown area, which had always been in the southern tier district (now the 29th district) in prior maps. The 27th district covered the area now in the 26th district in the 1990s and the Syracuse area (now the 25th district) in the 1980s. It was the Southern Tier seat now numbered the 22nd in the 1970s. In the 1960s this district was in the lower Hudson Valley covering the area now in the 19th district.
The district became obsolete following the 2020 United States census.[4] Following the reapportionment process after the 2020 census, New York came just 89 people short of retaining its 27th congressional district. The 435th seat instead went to Minnesota. The district was eliminated after the 2022 midterm elections.
| Year | Office | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | President | Bush 42–33% | |
| 1996 | President | Clinton 43–43% | |
| 2000 | President | Gore 53–41% | |
| 2004 | President | Kerry 53–45% | |
| 2008 | President | Obama 54–44% | |
| 2012 | President | Romney 55–43% | |
| 2016 | President | Trump 59–35% | |
| 2020 | President | Trump 57–41% |
| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history | District location (counties) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established March 4, 1823 | ||||||||
| align=left rowspan=2 | Moses Hayden | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 | Elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1824. | 1823–1833 | ||
| Anti-Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1827 | ||||||
| align=left | Daniel D. Barnard | Anti-Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1829 | Elected in 1826. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Timothy Childs | Anti-Masonic | nowrap | March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1831 | Elected in 1828. | |||
| align=left | Frederick Whittlesey | Anti-Masonic | nowrap | March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833 | Elected in 1830. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Edward Howell | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835 | Elected in 1832 | 1833–1843 | ||
| align=left | Joshua Lee | Jacksonian | nowrap | March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837 | Elected in 1834. | |||
| align=left | John T. Andrews | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 | Elected in 1836. | |||
| align=left | Meredith Mallory | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841 | Elected in 1838. | |||
| align=left | William M. Oliver | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 | Elected in 1840. | |||
| align=left | Byram Green | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 | Elected in 1842. | 1843–1853 | ||
| align=left | John De Mott | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847 | Elected in 1844. | |||
| align=left | John M. Holley | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1847 – March 8, 1848 | Elected in 1846. Died. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 8, 1848 – November 7, 1848 | ||||||
| align=left | Esbon Blackmar | Whig | nowrap | November 7, 1848 – March 3, 1849 | Elected to finish Holley's term. | |||
| align=left | William A. Sackett | Whig | nowrap | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853 | Elected in 1848. Re-elected in 1850. | |||
| align=left | John J. Taylor | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | Elected in 1852. | 1853–1863 | ||
| align=left rowspan=2 | John Mason Parker | Opposition | nowrap | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 | Elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. | |||
| Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859 | ||||||
| align=left | Alfred Wells | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 | Elected in 1858. | |||
| align=left | Alexander S. Diven | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863 | Elected in 1860. | |||
| align=left | Robert B. Van Valkenburgh | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1862. | 1863–1873 | ||
| align=left | Hamilton Ward | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1871 | Elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. | |||
| align=left | Horace B. Smith | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 | Elected in 1870. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Thomas C. Platt | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 | Elected in 1872. Redistricted to the . | 1873–1883 | ||
| align=left | Elbridge G. Lapham | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1875 – July 29, 1881 | Elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Resigned when elected U.S. Senator. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | July 30, 1881 – November 7, 1881 | ||||||
James W. Wadsworth | Republican | November 8, 1881 – March 3, 1885 | Elected to finish Lapham's term. Re-elected in 1882. | |||||
| 1883–1893 | ||||||||
| align=left | Sereno E. Payne | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1887 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1884. | |||
| align=left | Newton W. Nutting | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1887 – October 15, 1889 | Elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888 Died. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | October 16, 1889 – December 2, 1889 | ||||||
| align=left | Sereno E. Payne | Republican | nowrap | December 2, 1889 – March 3, 1893 | Elected to finish Nutting's term. Re-elected in 1890. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | James J. Belden | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1892. | 1893–1903 | ||
| align=left | Theodore L. Poole | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897 | Elected in 1894. | |||
| align=left | James J. Belden | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899 | Elected in 1896. | |||
| align=left | Michael E. Driscoll | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903 | Elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | James S. Sherman | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1909 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. | 1903–1913 | ||
| align=left | Charles S. Millington | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1911 | Elected in 1908. | |||
| align=left | Charles A. Talcott | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913 | Elected in 1910. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | George McClellan | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915 | Elected in 1912. Lost re-election. | 1913–1945 All of Columbia, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster | ||
| align=left | Charles B. Ward | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1925 | Elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Harcourt J. Pratt | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1933 | Elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Philip A. Goodwin | Republican | nowrap | March 4, 1933 – June 6, 1937 | Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Died. | |||
| Vacant | nowrap | June 7, 1937 – November 1, 1937 | ||||||
| align=left | Lewis K. Rockefeller | Republican | nowrap | November 2, 1937 – January 3, 1943 | Elected to finish Goodwin's term. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Retired. | |||
| align=left | Jay LeFevre | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945 | Elected in 1942. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Ralph W. Gwinn | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1959 | Elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Retired. | 1945–1963 All of Putnam, parts of Westchester | ||
| align=left | Robert R. Barry | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1963 | Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Katharine St. George | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1962. Lost re-election. | 1963–1971 All of Delaware, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan | ||
| align=left | John G. Dow | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1969 | Elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | Martin B. McKneally | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1971 | Elected in 1968. Lost re-election. | |||
| align=left | John G. Dow | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1973 | Elected in 1970. Redistricted to the and lost re-election. | 1971–1973 All of Orange, Putnam, parts of Dutchess, Rockland, Sullivan | ||
| align=left | Howard W. Robison | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1972. Retired. | 1973–1983 All of Broome, Sullivan, Tioga, parts of Chemung, Delaware, Tompkins, Ulster | ||
| align=left | Matthew F. McHugh | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1983 | Elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | George C. Wortley | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1989 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Retired. | 1983–1993 All of Onondaga, parts of Madison | ||
| align=left | James T. Walsh | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1993 | Elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Bill Paxon | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1999 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Retired. | 1993–2003 All of Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming, parts of Cayuga, Erie, Monroe, Seneca | ||
| align=left | Thomas M. Reynolds | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2003 | Elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Jack Quinn | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2002. Retired. | 2003–2013 All of Chautauqua, part of Erie | ||
| align=left | Brian Higgins | Democratic | nowrap | January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2013 | Elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Redistricted to the . | |||
| align=left | Chris Collins | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 2013 – October 1, 2019 | Elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Resigned. | 2013–2023 All of Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, parts of Erie, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario | ||
| Vacant | nowrap | October 1, 2019 – July 21, 2020 | ||||||
| align=left | Chris Jacobs | Republican | nowrap | July 21, 2020 – January 3, 2023 | Elected to finish Collins's term. Re-elected in 2020. Redistricted to the and then retired. | |||
| District dissolved January 3, 2023 | ||||||||
In New York State electoral politics there are numerous minor parties at various points on the political spectrum. Certain parties would invariably endorse either the Republican or Democratic candidate for every office, hence the state electoral results contain both the party votes, and the final candidate votes (listed as "Recap").