Democrats and Republicans are targeting New York in the battle for control of the House

Market Street in Poughkeepsie, New York, along the Hudson River and not far from a train station used by New York City commuters, is home to a 19th-century theater, post office and convention center. It’s a short walk to the forward bastion of Vassar College and a short drive from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt presidential library.

In this extraordinary election yearit is also where the critical congressional race is being played out, the battle for New York’s 18th Congressional District, which is at the epicenter of the battle for control of the DPR.

With a narrow majority, Republicans are struggling to protect some House incumbents from New York and making inroads in Democratic-held seats, including in Poughkeepsie.

A spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of House Republicans, told CBS News “the road to Majority of the houses“Going through New York and California, another state with several closely contested races. “House Republicans have a strong game plan to go on the offense and hold Democrats responsible for the failure of blue states in crime, rising costs and border chaos,” said the spokesman .

In a makeshift office on Market Street, Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat who was first elected in 2022, held meetings and meetings earlier this month with canvassers, who will help voters in New York’s 18th District. Ryan, in a gray polo shirt and jeans on a stiflingly hot day, told CBS News the race will be pivotal in the party’s efforts to win a House majority.

“There is no doubt that the House controls over New York and runs specifically through the Hudson Valley,” said Ryan. “We feel the responsibility and the duty.”

Ryan first won the seat – also previously held by Democrats – in the weeks following the Supreme Court’s abortion rights decision in the summer of 2022, using a message about women’s reproductive rights to narrowly defeat the Republican challenger. Ryan again hit the issue this year.

“This is on the minds of the majority of Americans, who want reproductive freedom,” he said.

Alison Esposito, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2022 and previously worked with the New York City police, is challenging Ryan for the seat. Speaking to CBS News as he went door-to-door to meet voters near the village of Goshen, New York, Esposito said Republicans are optimistic about winning seats, even in a Democratic-led state.

“New Yorkers are fed up,” Esposito said. “I don’t see us losing a seat. And I definitely see us taking this seat.”

Esposito has pushed the message about border securityraise your profile with cable television news guest appearances in the new year.

“New Yorkers are sick of these crimes. They are sick of the migrant crisis,” he told CBS News. “And they are (concerned) about public safety.”

Legal disputes, a change of court order to New York’s congressional map earlier this decade and further adjustments to district lines in the past year have produced at least half a dozen uniquely competitive races for House seats in New York.

New York’s 18th District includes the Hudson Valley counties of Orange, Dutchess and Ulster, and both parties consider it competitive.

Another battleground area on New York’s congressional map includes Long Island, where two new Republicans are trying to hold onto seats. In central New York, Rep. Brandon Williams, a Republican from near Syracuse, also tried to fend off the Democratic challenger.

A CBS News review found both parties have poured money and manpower into winning the New York race. The National Republican Congressional Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have established field offices and placed staff in New York to bolster their efforts.

Democrats have run billboard ads targeting some Republican officials and their votes on government spending. Other ad campaigns have targeted Republicans for voting on abortion, gun rights and border issues.

The Republican campaign team has spent $5 million on advertising for candidates in the New York City, Binghamton and Syracuse areas, as they try to strengthen the first incumbent in the area. At least $2 million has been budgeted for Syracuse alone.

The race at the battleground in New York is also very expensive. Campaign operators from both parties told CBS News that the fundraising needs are greater and greater for New York candidates because of higher advertising rates in the New York City metropolitan area.

That’s especially true in New York’s 18th District race, where Ryan and Esposito are expected to air campaign ads on New York City television stations to reach potential voters.