U.S. House, New York - 20th District
North Hudson Valley -- Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls
Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
2008: Rep.
This race is shaping up to be one of the most expensive House contests in the country. Gillibrand is a first-term congresswoman facing Sandy Treadwell, a former state Secretary of State and former state party chairman who has put $4.4 million of his own money into the contest; together the two candidates have spent $7.5 million through the end of September. Gillibrand and Treadwell have sparred over taxes and energy policy. Republicans have attacked Gillibrand over her ties to tobacco interests during her career as a lawyer, while the freshman congresswoman focused on constituency service and agricultural issues during her first term.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D
- First Elected: 2006 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (53.1%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
Running along the state’s eastern border, the politically competitive 20th starts just outside Poughkeepsie and roughly follows Interstate 87 north into the scenic Adirondack Mountains and the resort areas of Lake George and Essex County. Lake Placid, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, is in Essex County at the district’s northern tip.
The 20th covers much of the primarily residential Hudson River Valley, where apple farms are the core of its agriculture industry. The district’s population hub is in its center, in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area. Although those three cities are all in the 21st, the 20th claims much of their GOP-leaning suburbia, and they have helped fuel a suburban boom in southern Saratoga County. Saratoga Springs attracts tourists during the summer months for its world-class horse racing, and Malta’s Saratoga Technology-Energy Park will add hundreds of technology manufacturing and alternate energy research jobs to the district.
The 20th’s southern end is made up of mainly rural and rugged land, and it extends west from the Hudson River through Greene County to pick up rural territory in Delaware and Otsego counties.
The presence of many unionized state workers outside Albany makes labor an important constituency, but dairy farmers and small-town voters give the GOP a slight edge. The 20th, which has the state’s lowest minority percentage, gave George W. Bush 53 percent of its 2004 presidential vote, but elected a Democrat to its House seat in 2006.
Major Industry
Agriculture, tourism, manufacturing
Cities
Saratoga Springs, 26,186; Glens Falls, 14,354
Notable
The National Bottle Museum in Ballston Spa celebrates the history of glass bottle-making.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 654,360
- Under 18: 24%
- Over 65: 14%
- Married: 57.3%
- Non-Hispanic White: 93%
- Black: 2%
- Hispanic: 2%
- Asian: 1%
- Foreign Born: 3.7%
- Language other than English: 5.9%
- Median Household Income: 44,239
- Owner Occupied Housing: 74%
- Income above $200k: 1.7
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 61.1%
- Blue Collar: 23.6%
- Services: 15.3%
- Bachelor's Degree: 25%
- Graduate Education: 10.5%
- Civilian Veterans: 71,094
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Kirsten Gillibrand (D) | 177,667 | 61.8% |
| Sandy Treadwell (R) | 109,644 | 38.2% | ||
| 2006 | general | Kirsten Gillibrand (D, WFM) | 125,168 | 53.1% |
| John Sweeney (R, INDC, C) | 110,554 | 46.9% | ||
| 2004 | general | John Sweeney (R, INDC, C) | 188,753 | 65.8% |
| Doris Kelly (D) | 96,630 | 33.7% | ||
| Morris Guller (CEN) | 1,353 | 0.5% | ||
| 2002 | general | John Sweeney (R, C) | 140,238 | 73.3% |
| Frank Stoppenbach (D) | 45,878 | 24% | ||
| Margaret Lewis (GREEN) | 5,162 | 2.7% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 45% | George W. Bush: 53% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 45% | George W. Bush: 51% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEINER, PAUL J (D) | September 30, 2008 | $1,520.00 | $211.00 | $39,426.00 | |||
| PELL, EDWIN ALBERT III (D) | March 31, 2007 | $411.00 | |||||
| GILLIBRAND, KIRSTEN ELIZABETH MRS. (D) | November 24, 2008 | $4,648,713.00 | $4,418,482.00 | $167,257.00 | $3,260,213.00 | $272,492.00 | |
| WAGER, RICHARD C (R) | September 30, 2008 | $482,991.00 | $364,448.00 | $283,734.00 | $118,541.00 | ||
| SWEENEY, JOHN E. (R) | November 24, 2008 | $21,882.00 | $44,936.00 | $3,074.00 | $223,587.00 | ||
| SUNDWALL, ERIC (LIBERT) | January 31, 2007 | ||||||
| WALLACE, JOHN WILLIAM (R) | September 30, 2008 | $85,298.00 | $84,629.00 | $4,968.00 | $665.00 | ||
| GOLDUP, TODD FRANCIS (UNKNOWN) | June 30, 2008 | $300.00 | $812.00 | $300.00 | $456.00 | ||
| ROCQUE, MICHAEL R (R) | September 30, 2008 | $250,092.00 | $230,352.00 | $2,000.00 | $238,631.00 | $19,737.00 | $10,000.00 |
| TREADWELL, SANDY (R) | November 24, 2008 | $7,026,869.00 | $7,001,519.00 | $86,000.00 | $823,712.00 | $25,349.00 | |
