New York's 26th Congressional District special election, 2024

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A special election to fill the seat representing New York's 26th Congressional District in the U.S. House was held in 2024. The general election was held April 30, 2024. The filing deadline for partisan candidates was February 22, 2024, and the filing deadline for independent candidates was February 26, 2024.^[1]

The special election filled the vacancy left by Brian Higgins (D), who resigned on February 2, 2024, to become the president of Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York.^[2][3]

As of May 17, 2024, 12 special elections have been called for the 118th Congress. From the 113th Congress to the 117th Congress, 67 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

• Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
• Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

This list will be updated after the candidate filing deadline has passed and the official list of candidates becomes available. Please contact us if you notice an official candidate missing from the list or the inclusion of a candidate who withdrew.

General election

Special general election for U.S. House New York District 26

Timothy M. Kennedy defeated Gary Dickson in the special general election for U.S. House New York District 26 on April 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Timothy M. Kennedy (D / Working Families Party)	67.8	41,908
		Gary Dickson (R / Conservative Party)	32.0	19,810
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	138

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	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 61,856
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Gary Dickson

Party: Republican Party, Conservative Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a U.S. Army veteran, retired federal law enforcement officer, and current Supervisor (similar to a mayor) of the Town of West Seneca. Democrats enjoy a substantial registration advantage in town, but in 2019 I overcame that and became the first Republican Supervisor in fifty years. I successfully campaigned on a promise of fiscal responsibility, respect for residents, and an end to favoritism. I was overwhelmingly re-elected in2023. Redistricting and the retirement of the Democratic incumbent earlier this year opened up this seat and I decided to go for it. I am married and have two sons and two grandchildren."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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One-party rule in New York has resulted in out-of-control budgets at the local and state level. Federal spending is also out of control. The government tells us things are good, but our day-to-day experience tells us otherwise. Inflation is crazy and our kids can't afford to buy houses. My opponent is a career politician who thinks nothing of throwing money at any and all problems, regardless of outcome or effectiveness. This must stop. I will bring a voice for fiscal sanity to Congress.

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Despite what the government tells them, citizens are feeling more and more vulnerable to crime. I will advocate for police and for prioritizing the interests of victims over those of criminals.

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We must get immigration under control. We are a nation of immigrants, but most of us or our ancestors followed the rules and came here legally. In 2009 Democrats recognized that 500,000 people a year was too much, and walls were a good thing. Now they say that 2 million is OK and walls are bad. I disagree.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New York District 26 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in New York

What was the voter registration deadline?

• April 20, 2024.^[1]

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: April 29, 2024.
• By mail: Received by April 20, 2024.
• Online: April 20, 2024.^[1]

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: April 30, 2024.
• By mail: Received by May 7, 2024.^[1]

Was early voting available to all voters? Yes.

What were the early voting start and end dates? April 20, 2024—April 28, 2024.^[1]

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required? Voters were not required to show identification at the polls unless they were voting for the first time and did not show identification when registering to vote. In that case, acceptable forms of identification included both photo and non-photo IDs.

When were polls open on Election Day? Polls opened at 6:00 a.m. and closed at 9:00 p.m.

See also

• Special elections to the 118th United States Congress (2023-2024)
• New York's 26th Congressional District election, 2024

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes