NY-19 is one of those swing districts that Democrats must win to have any chance of recapturing the House majority. NY-19 is a Hudson Valley/Catskills district that includes all of Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties, and part of Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery and Rensselaer counties. In the only presidential election since this district was redrawn, Obama won it by 6.2 percent.
The candidates this year are Democrat Zephyr Teachout and Republican John Faso. Teachout is a law professor specializing in political corruption who has run once for public office, garnering an impressive 34 percent in the Democratic gubernatorial primary against incumbent Andrew Cuomo. Faso was an assemblyman for eight two-year terms (minority leader for his last two terms), representing a district within the current NY-19, and lost two statewide races, for comptroller in 2002 and governor in 2006 (since the Assembly, he has become a wealthy lobbyist).
The most recent poll by Siena College, like all previous polls, has this race very close, Faso holding the narrowest lead, 43-42.
Friday, the New York Times endorsed Teachout, full text below.