2020 New York's 27th congressional district special election
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A special election was held to fill the remainder of the term in the United States House of Representatives for New York's 27th congressional district in the 116th United States Congress. Incumbent Republican Representative Chris Collins resigned from the House effective October 1, 2019, following his guilty plea to federal insider trading charges.[1] The election was originally scheduled for April 28, 2020, but was postponed until June 23, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
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June 23, 2020
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New York's 27th congressional district | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Jacobs: 50–60% 60–70% McMurray: 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Candidates
Former Grand Island town supervisor and 2018 Democratic congressional nominee Nathan D. McMurray was expected to be the nominee after being endorsed by the Erie County Democratic Committee.[3] Fellow Democrat Melodie Baker announced her interest in seeking the nomination, but quickly withdrew when her campaign failed to gain interest.[4] McMurray was formally nominated on February 13, 2020.[5]
On January 25, 2020, the Republican chairs of the eight counties that make up the 27th congressional district met in Wyoming County and voted to endorse state senator Chris Jacobs for the special election.[6]
On February 1, 2020, the Conservative Party of New York State announced that it would not endorse a candidate in the anticipated special election and would instead leave its party line blank. The Party's preferred candidate was Beth Parlato.[7]
Accountant Duane Whitmer was endorsed by the Libertarian Party.[8][9]
Republican Party
Endorsee
Withdrawn
- Rob Ortt, state senator for New York's 62nd State Senate district[11]
- Frank C. Smierciak II, health care firm employee[12] (running for New York State Assembly instead)
Declined to run
- David Bellavia, U.S. Army veteran and Medal of Honor recipient[13]
- Steve Hawley, state assemblyman for New York's 139th State Assembly district[14]
Endorsements
Executive officials
Democratic Party
Endorsee
- Nate McMurray, former Grand Island supervisor and nominee for New York's 27th congressional district in 2018[16][5]
Withdrawn
- Melodie Baker, former director of education for the United Way of Buffalo and small business owner[17]
Declined to run
- Kathy Hochul, Lieutenant Governor of New York and former U.S. Representative for New York's 26th congressional district (2011–2013)[18]
Libertarian Party
Endorsee
- Duane Whitmer, Erie County Libertarian Party chairman[19][9]
Green Party
Endorsee
General election
Debate
McMurray and Jacobs participated in a debate on June 9, in which McMurray criticized Jacobs for not standing up to Trump's actions, in particular, Trump's claim that a 75-year-old man injured by police in Buffalo could be an "ANTIFA provocateur". McMurray also accused Jacobs of trying to buy the position, lying, and not supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. He emphasized his continued positive impact on communities in the area, positioning himself as an alternative to former Republican representatives Chris Collins and Chris Lee, both of whom resigned due to scandals. Jacobs criticized McMurray for supporting big government and abortion, which he saw as a poor fit for the conservative values of the district.[23]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[24] | Safe R | April 24, 2020 |
| Inside Elections[25] | Safe R | April 23, 2020 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[26] | Likely R | April 23, 2020 |
| Politico[27] | Likely R | April 19, 2020 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chris Jacobs | 74,944 | 47.85% | +7.65% | |
| Independence | Chris Jacobs | 6,141 | 3.92% | +3.22% | |
| Total | Chris Jacobs | 81,085 | 51.77% | +2.67% | |
| Democratic | Nathan McMurray | 68,684 | 43.85% | −1.15% | |
| Working Families | Nathan McMurray | 4,314 | 2.75% | −0.05% | |
| Total | Nathan McMurray | 72,998 | 46.60% | −2.20% | |
| Libertarian | Duane Whitmer | 1,500 | 0.96% | N/A | |
| Green | Michael Gammariello | 1,045 | 0.67% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 156,628 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
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