Democrat Tim Kennedy Wins New York Special Election for Brian Higgins’ House Seat

The U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 26, 2024. Jemal Countess/Getty Images

State Sen. Timothy Kennedy on Wednesday won New York’s special election to fill the congressional seat left vacant by fellow Democrat Rep. Brian Higgins.

“We did it. We did it as a COMMUNITY,” Mr. Kennedy stated on social media platform X following his victory in the special election.

“Because that’s what this was all about since Day One. And that’s what it will always be about. I’m honored. I’m humbled. I’m ready to get to Washington and get to work,” he added.

Mr. Kennedy defeated Republican Gary Dickson for the upstate New York seat, helped by a 2-to-1 Democrat registration advantage in the district, which includes Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and several suburbs.

He will serve in Congress for the rest of the year. Mr. Kennedy has said that he would in Congress focus on reproductive rights, immigration, and stronger gun laws like those passed in New York after a 2022 mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket.

Former Grand Island town supervisor Nate McMurray, who planned to challenge Mr. Kennedy in a Democrat primary, announced Tuesday that he had been removed from the ballot due to insufficient signatures.

“What can I say, we tried. Thanks for trying too,” he stated on X. “It feels like even if we collected 100,000 signatures it would not have made a difference. They would have found something to throw me off.”

Mr. Kennedy announced his candidacy in November 2023, two days after Mr. Higgins submitted his resignation from the seat. Several state and county leaders, including Sen. Sean Ryan, formally endorsed him.

Mr. Higgins left Congress in February. The Democrat first announced his resignation from Congress in November last year, citing his growing frustration with the dysfunction in Washington.

“I’ve always been a little impatient, and that trait has helped us deliver remarkable progress for this community. But the pace in Washington, D.C., can be slow and frustrating, especially this year,” Mr. Higgins said.

“Therefore, after thoughtful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to leave Congress and explore other ways I can build up and serve Buffalo and Western New York,” he added.

While in Congress, Mr. Higgins has been credited with leading efforts to revitalize Buffalo’s waterfront, starting in 2005 when he negotiated funding from the New York Power Authority, which sells hydropower produced with water diverted from Niagara Falls. He is co-chair of the Northern Border Caucus and Bipartisan Cancer Caucus and a member of the Great Lakes Task Force.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.