(NewsNation) — With 50.9% of the vote, NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the race for New York’s District 4 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in favor of Democrat Laura Gillen. See results of U.S. House and U.S. Senate races across the country here.
After Republicans managed to flip four New York U.S. House seats in 2022, District 4 incumbent Rep. Anthony D’Esposito was among those attempting to hold onto his office. D’Esposito was challenged by Democrat Laura Gillen, who lost the 2022 race by 3 percentage points.
Gillen, who is part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program, was hoping to flip the seat back to the Democrats in a race that was considered a toss-up by The Cook Political Report.
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The Red to Blue program provided the challenger with strategic guidance as well as fundraising and organizational assistance, according to City&State New York.
Both candidates began their respective political careers locally. D’Esposito was a former councilman for the Town of Hempstead while Gillen is a former Hempstead Town Supervisor.
D’Esposito came under fire during his re-election bid after The New York Times reported that he hired a purported mistress to work in his district office in 2023.
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Gillen, an attorney and mother of four, was hoping to gain control of the swing district, which encompasses Long Island and several beach communities.
With Republicans holding a small majority in the U.S. House, the race – along with several other New York Congressional contests – took on national prominence.
Heading into Tuesday’s election, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. Republicans control the chamber with a narrow majority of 220 seats while the Democrats occupy 212 and three vacancies.
