NY-24 GOP primary is a battle for conservative credentials

BUFFALO, N.Y. — In 2022, Republican U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney defeated her primary challenger Mario Fratto with 53% of the vote.

However, Fratto, who received 40 percent of the vote in a three-way contest and switched races following a redistricting lawsuit, believes he can do better this year.

“Instead of 90 days, we started in October, so we have nine months. We’ve already gone to the district and got over 40% of voters. We feel like the energy on the ground is really good “We’re doing events every day and it’s getting more and more people,” Fratto said. “They’re excited.”

Fratto, a Geneva lawyer who says he currently runs his father’s granite business, once again finds himself at a financial disadvantage. He raised about $500,000 this cycle, mostly through a personal loan, compared to Tenney’s more than $2 million. The outgoing president has publicly questioned her challenger’s policy positions, motivations, and personal and campaign finances.

“It’s all really sketchy and we’re talking about the national debt and a 14-county district, so complex with all these different issues, dealing with all the taxation that we have, the regulations that we face, the complexities of it. running a business, I just don’t think he’s a serious or credible candidate,” Tenney said.

Fratto is positioning himself as a candidate to Tenney’s political right. He questioned votes she made on immigration, transgender rights and defunding Planned Parenthood, among other things.

“I just think she’s way to my left,” Fratto said. “If it’s considered far-right to not want men’s and women’s toilets and wanting a secure border and supporting traditional values ​​or marriage, if that’s really far-right, then I agree with that.”

Tenney said his conservative bona fides speak for themselves, including being an original founder of the Northern Border Security Caucus and championing a bill to end government-funded sex reassignment surgery. taxpayers and another banning biological males from participating in women’s sports. The attorney and former state Assemblyman, who also ran a family newspaper group and a pharmaceutical printing and packaging company, enjoys the support of Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and founding Freedom Caucus member Jim Jordan, among others.

“I am the only member of Congress, including the Senate, who explains every vote I take in the House. I speak out on every issue. I don’t wait to see which way the wind blows,” said Tenney.

The 24th Congressional District is widely considered a safe Republican district. It spans a large geographic area including Watertown in the North Country and Lockport in Niagara County.