Who's running in New York's 18th congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
2 candidates · ballot order · Pat Ryan currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Levelling the playing field for working families and small businesses; taking on what he calls greedy corporations, cutting taxes and bringing jobs to New York.
Defending democracy and women's health care rights.
Community safety through both immediate and longer-term measures.
The West Point principles of duty, honour and country, which he uses to frame his campaign.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for the 18th District since 2022.
Ulster County executive, 2019 to 2022; led the county's pandemic response, redeveloped the former IBM site, and expanded affordable housing and mental health services without raising taxes.
West Point graduate and decorated combat veteran; two Iraq deployments as an Army intelligence officer.
Founded a technology company that grew to more than 150 employees, managing $25 million annual budgets, with paid family leave and veteran job training programmes.
Also carries the Working Families Party line on the November ballot.
Arguments in favor
He ran the county before he ran for Congress: as Ulster County Executive he revitalised the dormant IBM site, put direct relief into small businesses and households, expanded affordable housing and strengthened mental health services without raising taxes. "Whether you are leading troops in combat, leading a small business, or leading a county, you must deliver — there is no excuse for failure."
— Pat Ryan's campaign
He has taken on Optum Health directly rather than leaving it to regulators, and frames the seat around "fighting greedy corporations" and levelling the playing field for working families and small businesses.
— Pat Ryan's campaign, and his Optum campaign as reported by Mid Hudson News
Arguments against
His campaign against Optum Health is a "political crusade" with a conflict behind it: his wife is a senior federal policy official for a hospital association whose members compete directly with Optum's provider model.
— Jackie Auringer, reported by Mid Hudson News
"Pat Ryan offered a pledge about positivity and then used it to launch a negative political attack. That is Washington politics as usual." He also declined a stronger accountability pledge that would have barred taxpayer-funded franked mail after July 15, barred frivolous lawsuits to remove candidates from the ballot, and required four debates including one televised district-wide.
— Jackie Auringer
What we couldn’t verify
Ryan's response to the Optum conflict-of-interest accusation was not established from the sources found.
Whether he has accepted or rejected the counter-pledge was not established from the sources found.
No National Republican Congressional Committee page about him by name was found; the case above comes from his opponent.
Affordability: reducing taxes, energy costs, everyday expenses and health care costs.
Opportunity: well-paying jobs, small business growth, skilled trades and career-focused education.
Accountability: congressional ethics, government transparency, and protecting residents' rights and public safety.
Support for local law enforcement; she criticises state policies she says undermine sheriffs and shift costs to county taxpayers.
Opposition to what she describes as socialist-leaning policies.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Hudson Valley native.
Endorsed by Rep. Mike Lawler and Rep. Claudia Tenney.
Also carries the Conservative Party line on the November ballot.
Won the June 23, 2026 Republican primary.
Has not held federal office.
Arguments in favor
She has put the region's cost of living at the centre of the race: nearly 400,000 Hudson Valley households, 42.8% of the region, are struggling to afford basic necessities, and she argues the incumbent and the governor should answer for the policy choices behind it.
— Jackie Auringer
Her Hudson Valley Accountability Pledge binds both candidates rather than protecting the incumbent: no taxpayer-funded franked mail after July 15, no frivolous lawsuits to remove candidates from ballots, four debates including one televised district-wide, plus commitments on organising rights, refusing corporate PAC money and avoiding deceptive AI-generated content.
— Jackie Auringer's campaign
Arguments against
Her place on the ballot was improper: she was substituted onto the Republican and Conservative lines after the petition deadline had passed and had to rely on petitions gathered by a candidate who then refused the nomination. Local Democrats asked a court to invalidate them; the court dismissed the case and she stayed on the ballot.
— Taylor Bruck, Ulster County Clerk, and Amee Peterson, deputy chair of the Kingston Democratic Committee, in their April 2026 petition challenge
She refused to sign his Positive Campaign Pledge — a charge she rejects, saying she never refused and answered with a stronger pledge instead.
— Pat Ryan, reported by Mid Hudson News
What we couldn’t verify
She has held no elected office, so there is no voting record to set against her campaign's positions.
The court dismissed the challenge to her petitions on May 1, 2026; no appeal was reported in material available.
Her fundraising totals were not reported in material available.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
New York held its primary on June 23, 2026. Democratic incumbent Pat Ryan, who also carries the Working Families line, faces Republican Jackie Auringer, who also carries the Conservative Party line, in this Hudson Valley district. New York allows fusion voting. The 2026 elections use the congressional map enacted on February 28, 2024. Roster from the New York qualifying lists as reported by Politics1 and Wikipedia. Neither candidate is listed with arguments for or against here: Auringer's campaign raises questions about Ryan's finances, but no published criticism of Auringer by name could be found, and setting out a case against one candidate and not the other would tilt the page.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A New York ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at New York State Board of Elections.