Mr. Delgado’s departure in Congressional District 19 is another unforeseen gift to Republicans. While the exact shape of the new district will be important, Molinaro’s prospects will be enhanced by not having to contend with an incumbent known for winning tough races.
The county, which includes all or part of 11 counties, is one of the most competitive in the state, with tight races in 2016 (a Republican) victory for John Faso), and in 2018, when Mr. Delgado won his first term. Mr. Delgado won by more favorable odds in 2020 against Kyle Van De Water, a Republican and former officer in the United States Army.
How the US regional redistricting works
What is redistricting? That is redraw the boundary of congressional and state legislatures. It takes place every 10 years, after the census, to reflect changes in the population.
The Democratic front-runner is Pat Ryan, the chief executive of Ulster County, across the Hudson River from Mr. Molinaro. Mr Ryan has not officially announced his candidacy but said he was “aware of the urgency” following news of Mr Delgado’s appointment and expected to make a decision within the next few days.
At the same time, he seems somewhat surprised by the various movements of this election cycle, including the shifting congressional lines.
“In an ideal world, I would certainly know in which district I would run,” said Ryan, adding, “I study political science, but this is not in any textbooks. .”
The situation in Mr. Reed’s former seat, the 23rd Congressional District, is unlikely to affect the partisan structure of the House, but it has made Republicans an odd tie.
Democrats have largely preserved their existing right-of-way as planned, which was canceled in court, even as they reshuffled other Republican seats such as those held by Representative Claudia Tenney Hold. The changes have prompted Ms. Tenney, who represents Utica, to announce her candidacy for the Southern Tier seat this spring and she seems destined to run for re-election in her new district.
