Republican Ralph Ambrosio of Delmar, who ran against Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon in 2024, announced he will challenge Rep. Paul Tonko, who is up for reelection this year, according to a statement released Tuesday.
Ambrosio, a Navy veteran and attorney who worked for the State Police and as assistant attorney general under former state AG Dennis Vacco, said he plans to formally announce his candidacy in New York’s 20th Congressional District on Friday in the Green House Social Club of La Serre in Albany.
He outlined what he said were his five main priorities: lowering the cost of living; restoring public safety and securing borders; protecting quality of life and natural resources; increasing government accountability; and challenging the establishment.
He said his campaign is founded on the principle that the federal government must return to prioritizing statutory obligations over political agendas.
“The time for status quo and decline in upstate is over,” Ambrosio states. “As an outsider, I will bring a clean broom to Washington to root out corruption and ensure the 20th district gets the resources and attention it deserves.”
Ambrosio was born in Hudson and raised in Chatham.