What's next for the new NY-19 after Democrat Josh Riley cruises to primary win

It has been nearly 70 years since a Broome County native was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Josh Riley is trying to change that.

The Union-Endicott graduate cleared one major hurdle Tuesday, cruising to victory in the NY-19 Democratic primary with more than 61% of the vote in the unofficial tally. Riley bested Jamie Cheney and now sets his sights on the November general election.

Riley said he has heard from voters who are well aware that a Broome County native hasn’t represented the area since the early 50s. For many, that fact is more than a bit of trivia.

“We see the consequences of that. A lot of communities across Broome County have been sold out and overlooked by the political establishment and by special interests,” said Riley, who now resides in Ithaca. “I’ve had a lot of Republicans and independents excited about sending somebody homegrown to Congress who understands the issues.

“People might not agree with me on everything, but we agree on a lot of the basic upstate New York values you learn when you grow up in Broome County and come from our public schools.”

Riley’s primary victory set up a November showdown with Republican Marc Molinaro, who did not face a primary challenge. Molinaro ran Tuesday in a special election in the current 19th District to fill the vacancy created by Antonio Delgado’s appointment as lieutenant governor. Molinaro was narrowly defeated by Democrat Pat Ryan in a race many had projected to land in the Republican camp.

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Molinaro is the Dutchess County Executive and a former state Assemblyman who is a lifelong resident of the Hudson Valley. He was the GOP’s 2018 gubernatorial candidate. Dutchess County is not included in the new 19th District created as a result of redistricting. The district’s new borders include all of Broome, Tioga, Tompkins, Cortland, Chenango, Delaware, Sullivan, Greene and Columbia counties, as well as portions of Otsego and Ulster counties.

“In November, help is on the way as I’ll be running in a new district, with a new opponent — and we will continue to offer solutions for all families in Upstate New York,” said Molinaro.

The 19th is among just four New York districts classified as a tossup by the Cook Political Report. The district has received an even rating in the latest Partisan Voter Index.

Broome County voters may play big role in November

Broome County voters figure to have a significant influence on the race in November. About a quarter of the district’s population resides in Broome County. Riley won Broome County in the Democratic primary by about around 38 points.

“This is a campaign by working families for working families, and my top priority is to strengthen the middle class,” he said. “For me, what that means is creating lots of good high tech advanced manufacturing jobs across upstate New York and creating economic opportunities that really lift people into the middle class. That’s not a partisan issue. Republicans, independents and Democrats are all getting behind that vision for revitalizing the economy here.”

Riley practices law and his career has also included stints as a staffer in former Congressman Maurice Hinchey’s office and as a policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Labor. Riley’s campaign was endorsed by various organized labor groups, while the endorsement of the Broome County Democratic Executive Committee overturned its precedent of remaining neutral in primary campaigns.

“We were very confident that he was the right person for the area, and the results certainly show he has a lot of support,” said committee chair Barbara Fiala. “He has a lot of grassroots support and that goes beyond the Southern Tier. We’re very excited to work very hard for him over the next few months and make sure he gets to Washington.”

Fiala said Democratic voters have been energized by protecting abortion rights, safeguarding democratic institutions and economic concerns.

Noting Broome County’s long history of manufacturing, Riley said his main focus in Congress would be creating new jobs across the district.

“I’m not talking about bringing back the shoe factory or IBM, I’m talking about creating the jobs of the future here with good wages, good benefits and a clear path to the middle class,” said Riley. “That’s my vision for Broome County and upstate New York."

Chris Potter can be reached at cpotter@gannett.com or on Twitter @ChrisPotter413. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: NY-19 election: Democrat Josh Riley wins House primary