OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Republican Marc Molinaro has been declared the winner in New York’s 19th Congressional District after defeating Democrat Josh Riley.
Molinaro defeated Riley 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent with 95 percent of the voting precincts reporting, according to the New York Times.
“Tonight, the voters of upstate sent a message that they demand a government that works for them. They just want to feed their families, heat their homes, and feel safe in their communities. I’m honored to have earned the trust of more than 100,000 voters, and I will work every day to be a worthy member of Congress for both those who did and did not vote for me. We have an opportunity to bring people together, Republicans and Democrats, and send a message to Washington, D.C., that we mean business. We know there are too many families, farmers, and small businesses all across upstate New York struggling too hard, getting too little in return, and paying far too much,” Molinaro said.
“I am incredibly grateful to the people in New York’s 19th Congressional District. I commend my opponent Josh Riley, because running for office is incredibly challenging – and credit belongs to the individual who enters the arena,” Molinaro said in a tweet after the race was called.
I am incredibly grateful to the people in New York’s 19th Congressional District. I commend my opponent Josh Riley, because running for office is incredibly challenging – and credit belongs to the individual who enters the arena. pic.twitter.com/Nqfve1jf4n
— Marc Molinaro #NY19 🇺🇸 (@marcmolinaro) November 9, 2022
Molinaro detailed in his statement that he wanted to heal hard feelings from the campaign.
“I commend my opponent Josh Riley because running for office is incredibly challenging — and credit belongs to the individual who enters the arena. Looking forward, my goal is to listen to, learn from and serve all of this district. Together we will focus on solutions to address inflation, crime, and mental health, along with having the best constituent services for upstate New York,” Molinaro said.
As we wait for the official decision on which party will win control of the U.S. House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has won re-election after defeating her Republican opponent John Dennis in the midterm race.
“Pelosi, a towering figure in Democratic politics, won out against longshot Republican challenger John Dennis in the race for California’s 11th Congressional District. Over the years, Pelosi, 82, has become one of the most prominent faces of the Democratic Party,” CNN reported.
“As speaker, she has earned a reputation as a powerful and formidable leader to House Democrats who exerts significant influence and a tight grip over members of her caucus. Pelosi has also been a fierce adversary to Republicans and has become a highly polarizing figure in Washington as a result. Speculation over Pelosi’s future atop the House Democratic caucus has intensified as the midterms approached and Republicans fought to regain the House majority,” the report added.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat who has long represented San Francisco, has won a 19th term in Congress, defeating Republican John Dennis.
See live results: https://t.co/PkwWyaOpsp pic.twitter.com/YnQDE2S7zv
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) November 9, 2022
Pelosi spoke earlier this week about the possibility of retiring, saying the attack on her husband Paul Pelosi would affect her decision to retire.
In an interview with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, the host said that there has “been a lot of discussion about whether you’d retire if Democrats lose the House.”
The speaker responded by saying that the “decision will be affected about what happened the last week or two,” which got Cooper to ask, “Will your decision be impacted by the attack in any way?”
“Yes,” the Speaker said.
“It will?” the anchor asked.
“Yes,” she said.
It is likely that she will not be Speaker in 2023 as Republicans are predicted to win back the majority in the House and many speculated that she would retire if that were the case.
But now with the attack on her husband that appears to be the reasoning for her decision, if she does retire.
“So I run to the door, and I’m very scared,” she said. “I see the Capitol Police and they say, ‘We have to come in to talk to you.’”
“And I’m thinking my children, my grandchildren. I never thought it would be Paul because, you know, I knew he wouldn’t be out and about, shall we say. And so they came in. At that time, we didn’t even know where he was,” she said.
