Slater, GOP pushback stall Democrats’ attempt to delay special election

With a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives set to open, New York Democratic lawmakers sought to delay the process of filling it—potentially leaving the district without representation for months.

If confirmed as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik will vacate her House seat, triggering a special election for the 21st Congressional District. Current law states Gov. Kathy Hochul must call a special election within 10 days, to be held within 80 to 90 days. However, with Republicans holding a narrow 218-215 majority in the House, the Assembly Majority Conference planned to introduce a bill this week that would delay the election until June primaries.

As the ranking member of the Committee on Election Law, Assemblyman Matt Slater (R,C-Yorktown) sounded the alarm over the weekend, calling out the blatant attempt to manipulate the election process for partisan gain. Following pushback from Slater and fellow lawmakers, Assembly Democrats announced a “pause” on introducing the bill. No updated timeline has been provided.

“The hypocrisy is on full display—two special elections held by Democrats in 2024 took 75 and 88 days. Yet now they’re pushing for a potential 130-day vacancy in hopes of creating chaos in Washington. We’re not out of the woods yet, but thanks to everyone who spoke up about this brazen attempt to manipulate the process, legislators now have the opportunity to slow down and reconsider. Attempting to hijack an election for political gain is not the type of history New York should be known for making,” Slater concluded.

Slater rejected claims that cost concerns justify the delay, pointing out Albany’s record-breaking budget. “New York’s next budget is expected to surpass $250 billion, but a single special election is too expensive? If they’re truly concerned about taxpayers, they should focus on cutting the regulatory burdens that make New York one of the most expensive states to live in.”

“Albany Democrats cannot rewrite the rules to give themselves an advantage at the expense of voters who deserve a voice in Congress,” said Slater. “Changing election laws behind closed doors to serve political interests erodes public trust and denies residents of NY-21 the representation they need to navigate federal issues like Social Security and veterans’ affairs.”

Assemblyman Matt Slater represents the 94th Assembly District, which includes parts of Putnam and Westchester counties, including the towns of Kent, Patterson, Putnam Valley, Carmel, Southeast, Somers and Yorktown, as well as the village of Brewster.