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Dem Rep. Josh Riley cruises to 2nd term in upstate NY swing seat after GOP abandons challenger
Democratic Representative Josh Riley won a second term in New York’s competitive upstate district, defeating Republican state Senator Peter Oberacker. Riley’s victory is notable because he first won the seat in 2024 by about 8,400 votes, but held a 46-point lead when the Associated Press called this race.
Republican House allies cancelled nearly $5 million in television advertising for Oberacker after a 2015 post about his grandfather, who fought for Nazi Germany, resurfaced. Riley raised about $6 million, compared with Oberacker’s $1.4 million, according to federal campaign finance records through mid-October. Both candidates campaigned on affordability: Riley focused on utility bills, while Oberacker advocated lower taxes and fewer regulations.
In short
- Josh Riley won a second term in a competitive New York district.
- He held a 46-point lead when the race was called.
- Republicans withdrew nearly $5 million in advertising for Oberacker.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Riley’s decisive win can be seen as a strong endorsement from voters of his focus on household costs, including utility bills, and of his work to represent a competitive district. His fundraising advantage and the controversy surrounding Oberacker’s resurfaced post may also have shaped the race, but voters still chose between candidates offering different approaches to affordability.
The case against
Oberacker’s case centred on lowering taxes and reducing regulation, which supporters could see as a better way to ease costs and encourage economic growth. The cancellation of major Republican advertising and Riley’s much larger campaign funds may have limited Oberacker’s ability to make that case, so the scale of the result may not show how voters would have responded under more even campaign conditions.