New York's 22nd Congressional District election, 2016

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New York's 22nd Congressional District

General Election Date November 8, 2016

Primary Date June 28, 2016

November 8 Election Winner: Claudia Tenney

Incumbent prior to election: Richard Hanna

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up Rothenberg & Gonzales: Pure Toss-up

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2016 U.S. Senate Elections

The 22nd Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.

New York's 22nd Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Incumbent Richard Hanna (R), who began serving in Congress in 2011, chose not to seek re-election in 2016, leaving the seat open. Claudia Tenney (R) defeated Kim Myers (D) and Martin Babinec (Upstate Jobs Party) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Tenney defeated George Phillips and Steve Wells in the Republican primary, while Myers faced no primary opponent. The primary elections took place on June 28, 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS

New York's 22nd Congressional District was one of two battleground districts in New York in 2016.

The seat was open following incumbent Richard Hanna's retirement.

The race featured a unique three-way race between Claudia Tenney (R), Kim Myers (D), and Martin Babinec (Upstate Jobs Party). Babinec launched the Upstate Jobs party earlier in the year to run in the race.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
April 14, 2016	June 28, 2016	November 8, 2016

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New York utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Richard Hanna (R), who was first elected in 2010. In December 2015, Hanna announced that he would not seek re-election in 2016.

New York's 22nd Congressional District is located in the central portion of the state and includes Chenango, Cortland, Madison and Oneida counties and parts of Broome, Herkimer, Tioga and Oswego counties.

Election results

General election

U.S. House, New York District 22 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Claudia Tenney	46.5%	129,444
	Democratic	Kim Myers	41.1%	114,266
	Upstate Jobs	Martin Babinec	12.4%	34,638
Total Votes				278,348
Source: New York Board of Elections

Primary election

U.S. House, New York, District 22 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Claudia Tenney	41.1%	9,549
Steve Wells	34.3%	7,985
George Phillips	24.6%	5,716
Total Votes		23,250
Source: New York State Board of Elections

Candidates

General election candidates:

Claudia Tenney a
Kim Myers
Martin Babinec

Primary candidates:

Democratic

Kim Myers a

Republican

George Phillips
Claudia Tenney - New York State Assembly member a
Steve Wells - Businessman

Third Party/Other

Martin Babinec (Upstate Jobs Party) a

Not running:

Richard Hanna - Incumbent

Withdrew:
Aaron Price - Filmmaker

Disqualified:

David Gordon - Former Oneida County Legislator

Race background

George Phillips and Steve Wells were members of the NRCC's Young Guns Program in 2016. The Young Guns program "supports and mentors challenger and open-seat candidates in races across the country."

Kim Myers was added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Emerging Races program on April 8, 2016. Emerging Races is the second tier of the Red to Blue program. According to the DCCC, it includes the districts "where campaigns are on track and working hard to put seats in play."

Endorsements

Claudia Tenney

• The National Rifle Association

Steve Wells

• Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente

• Retiring Rep. Richard Hanna

Martin Babinec

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce - "Voters in the 22nd Congressional District have the choice between three candidates, two of which are running on alleged business acumen matched with extreme views. Martin Babinec, on the other hand, offers voters a third option as an independent reformer with a strong background of creating jobs. The U.S. Chamber is proud to stand with the local business community to endorse Martin Babinec."

Polls

New York's 22nd District, Myers vs. Tenney vs. Babinec
Poll	Kim Myers	Claudia Tenney	Martin Babinec (Upstate Jobs Party)	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Siena Research Institute September 21-26, 2016	30%	35%	24%	+/-3.8	649
Public Opinion Strategies August 23-25, 2016	27%	33%	23%	+/-4.9	400
Anzalone Liszt Grove August 14-16, 2016	35%	35%	21%	+/-4.9	400
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]

Media

Martin Babinec

"Humble Beginnings" - Babinec's first ad, released May 2016

"Upstate Jobs Recipie" - Babinec's second ad, released August 2016

Kim Myers

Support

"Fresh Start" - Myers campaign ad, released September 2016

"Story" - Myers campaign ad, released September 2016

"Problem" - Myers campaign ad, released October 2016

"Responsible" - Myers campaign ad, released October 2016

"Twofer" - House Majority PAC ad, released October 2016

Opposition

"Millionaires" - NRCC ad attacking Myers and Babinec, released September 2016

"Love Fest" - NRCC ad attacking Myers and Babinec, released October 2016

"Fighting" - NRCC ad opposing Myers, released October 2016

"Rubber Stamp" - NRCC ad attacking Myers and Babinec, released October 2016

Campaign themes

Claudia Tenney

“	People before Politics: The Washington machine has become bloated and Members of Congress are getting too comfortable in the seats they occupy. We, the people, are tired of the permanent political class corruption in Washington that comes from incumbent politicians, lobbyists, the main stream media, big business, big banks, big unions and big special interests. Economy and Jobs: The need to protect and grow jobs in New York is more important now than ever before. Claudia has worked relentlessly to stop job killing legislation and regulations in our state. In the state legislature she voted against the governor’s Big Government cronyism program, START-UP NY, which has been proven to be ineffective and is only hurting existing New York businesses and driving jobs out of our state by favoring outsiders through massive taxpayer subsidies. Healthcare: Claudia opposes Obamacare and knows how devastating it has been for families and small businesses in New York - it isn't working; premiums, deductibles and co-pays have skyrocketed; New Yorker’s are losing their doctors. In the New York Assembly, Claudia has consistently voted against New York’s efforts to entrench Obamacare. Illegal Immigration (Putting Americans First): We must ensure the security of our nation’s border immediately. Claudia knows we must stop the flow of illegal-immigrants that is putting our nation’s security at risk and placing a financial burden on American citizens. In Washington she will work to protect our sovereignty and our citizens by securing the border and preserving taxpayer resources for Americans and immigrants who respect and follow our laws and choose to come here legally. Taxes (Putting Families First): In the State Assembly, Claudia Tenney has consistently voted against tax increases that further out of control government spending. She has been working relentlessly to provide meaningful solutions to reduce the state income tax, property tax, sales tax, unfunded mandates and to lessen taxes that are crushing individuals, small businesses and family farms.	”
—Claudia Tenney's campaign website, http://claudiaforcongress.com/issues/

Kim Myers

“	Jobs and the Economy: I grew up working with my dad and my siblings in my family’s business, Dick’s Clothing and Sporting Goods, running the cash register, filing gun records and stocking shelves. That is where I learned the values of hard work, integrity, determination and giving back to my community. Family Farms and Rural Communities: To strengthen Upstate New York‘s role as a leader in business and education, we need to connect our rural communities and businesses with the rest of the region. In Congress, I will develop a comprehensive plan that will expand access to broadband internet and fund rail and highway projects that will connect Upstate New York with the rest of the state and make our region a hub of economic activity. Women’s Health and Economics: For far too long, politicians in Washington have tried to insert themselves into the personal healthcare decisions of women. As the mother of three daughters, I know how critically important access to quality healthcare is for women in Upstate New York and across our country. Fighting the Heroin and Opioid Addiction Crisis: The heroin and opioid addiction crisis devastates families and strains our communities in every state and municipality. As the minority leader on the Broome County Legislature, I know we need to bring city, county, state and federal leaders together to work on a comprehensive plan to address this crisis in Upstate New York. Constituent Services: In a region as diverse as Upstate New York, we need a representative who will spend the time to understand the issues that affect each and every one of us on a day-to-day basis. As your representative, the most important job I will have is making sure the needs of my constituents and their communities are heard and met.	”
—Kim Myers' campaign website, https://myersforcongress.com/issues

Martin Babinec

“	Use the power of Congress to bring together the right people to have the right conversation about jobs: Identify paths for collaborating across institutional and geographic boundaries to leverage common assets in helping grow new industry jobs. Foster an environment that leverages private sector investment and faster growth by creating new companies and jobs in innovation industries: Catalyze economic growth by raising awareness of regional assets that can help to grow more companies in the innovation industries where our best and brightest talent want to work. Develop and support those in our local workforce so they can pursue new industry careers here in Upstate New York: Help our primary and secondary schools adopt more effective and efficient use of digital tools, increasing student engagement and better preparing graduates for the rapidly evolving workplace. Adopt a common-sense immigration policy that increases our nation’s security and economic vitality: Secure our borders Identify job-killing policies and mobilize support for common sense solutions that preserve the intent of helping those with needs: Inform voters and legislators about the unintended consequences of regulations that inhibit hiring and wage growth.	”
—Martin Babinec's campaign website, http://babinecforcongress.com/the-babinec-jobs-effect/

Campaign contributions

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Kim Myers

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Claudia Tenney

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Martin Babinec

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Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

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The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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District history

2014

See also: New York's 22nd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 22nd Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Richard Hanna (R) won an unopposed general election.

U.S. House, New York District 22 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Richard Hanna Incumbent	98.4%	129,851
	N/A	Write-in votes	1.6%	2,081
Total Votes				131,932
Source: New York State Board of Elections, NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns November 4, 2014," accessed August 30, 2021

2012

See also: New York's 22nd Congressional District elections, 2012

The 22nd Congressional District of New York held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent from the 24th District, Richard Hanna (R), defeated Dan Lamb (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, New York District 22 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Richard Hanna Incumbent	60.5%	157,941
	Democratic	Dan Lamb	39.1%	102,080
	N/A	Write-in votes	0.3%	842
Total Votes				260,863
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns Nov. 6, 2012," accessed September 1, 2021

Important dates and deadlines

See also: New York elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in New York in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline	Event type	Event description
April 14, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing federal designating petitions
April 21, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing federal opportunity to ballot petitions
June 28, 2016	Election date	Federal primary election
July 14, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing state/local designating petitions
July 21, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for filing state/local opportunity to ballot petitions
August 2, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for independent candidates for federal office
August 23, 2016	Ballot access	Filing deadline for independent candidates for state/local office
September 13, 2016	Election date	State/local primary election
November 8, 2016	Election date	General election
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "Draft 2016 Political Calendar," accessed April 15, 2016

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2016
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2016

Footnotes

For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!

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New York's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

Chuck Schumer (D)

Representatives

District 1

Nicholas LaLota (R)

District 2

Andrew Garbarino (R)

District 3

Tom Suozzi (D)

District 4

Anthony D'Esposito (R)

District 5

Gregory Meeks (D)

District 6

Grace Meng (D)

District 7

Nydia Velazquez (D)

District 8

Hakeem Jeffries (D)

District 9

Yvette Clarke (D)

District 10

Daniel Goldman (D)

District 11

Nicole Malliotakis (R)

District 12

Jerrold Nadler (D)

District 13

Adriano Espaillat (D)

District 14

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)

District 15

Ritchie Torres (D)

District 16

Jamaal Bowman (D)

District 17

Michael Lawler (R)

District 18

Pat Ryan (D)

District 19

Marcus Molinaro (R)

District 20

Paul Tonko (D)

District 21

Elise Stefanik (R)

District 22

Brandon Williams (R)

District 23

Nick Langworthy (R)

District 24

Claudia Tenney (R)

District 25

Joseph Morelle (D)

District 26

Tim Kennedy (D)

Democratic Party (18)

Republican Party (10)