After her bid for lieutenant governor fell short last year, Republican Alison Esposito is launching a bid for Congress in New York’s Hudson Valley. Esposito, a former member of the New York Police Department, is running in the 18th district, currently represented by Democrat Pat Ryan. Esposito kicked off her campaign with a video Tuesday.
Esposito made history as an openly gay candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022, joining the gubernatorial ticket of then-Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin. Zeldin and Esposito lost their bid to win Republicans’ first statewide victory in 20 years as Governor Kathy Hochul secured a full term.
Esposito’s campaign says she lives in Goshen, in Orange County, and grew up in nearby Highland Mills. Already in Congress after last summer’s special election in the 19th district, Ryan won a close race against Assemblyman Colin Schmitt in November to represent the new 18th district.
In a statement to WAMC from his campaign, Ryan said:
“We’ve got enough MAGA extremists in Congress; what we need are more Patriots who will rise above the partisanship to deliver for Hudson Valley families. Esposito has called gun violence ‘a distraction,’ she wants a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, she’s sold out to big corporations who are ripping off hard-working families, and she stands with insurrectionist traitors who want to overthrow our democracy.”