Voters in the Capital Region’s 20th Congressional District are choosing between a longtime Democratic incumbent and a Republican who has never held elected office.
Democratic Rep. Paul Tonko is facing Republican challenger Ralph Ambrosio in the Nov. 3 election.
Ambrosio is a Navy veteran who spent 23 years with the State Police and worked as a prosecutor, public defender and assistant attorney general. He has never held elected office and says he supports term limits.
“I am running for Congress in the 20th Congressional District to reduce taxes, get rid of unnecessary regulations, all of the above energy policy,” Ambrosio said. “I want to back the blue. I want to make sure our communities are safe.”
Tonko, an engineer by training, served in county and state government before winning his House seat in 2009. He has held it since and sits on the Energy and Commerce and Budget committees.
Asked about seeking another term, Tonko pointed to unfinished business in Congress.
“It takes, in some cases, several terms to get the sponsors and the support and the recognition of the value of the legislation,” Tonko said.
Ambrosio said that if elected, he would prioritize tracking how federal money is spent. He pointed to the Albany International Airport renovation as an example.
“A major portion of a congressman’s job is to perform oversight,” Ambrosio said. “You just don’t give money away. You have to follow it and see if it’s being spent appropriately.”
Tonko said affordability would be a focus if he is reelected. He said the current approach is costing the country and taking dollars out of taxpayers’ pockets.
On public safety, Ambrosio, who represented the State Police in disciplinary cases, said he would back law enforcement but hold officers accountable.
“In those disciplinary hearings, we fired troopers that violated their oath,” Ambrosio said. “Don’t think for one split second that I’m going to be all fluffy about police officers. If they break their oath, by God, they’re not going to be a police officer.”
Tonko pointed to his legislative record on mental health coverage and addiction treatment as examples of his impact at the federal level.
“I’ve led the fight, a five, six-year fight, to make a difference for those who require services for mental illness or mental health disorders,” Tonko said.