U.S. House, New York 18th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in New York's 18th Congressional District?
Pat Ryan has the strongest record in New York's 18th Congressional District. Pat Ryan scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Pat Ryan's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Jackie Auringer (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Jackie Auringer
On the ballot as Jackie Mary Auringer
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Pat Ryan
66 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 75
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Jackie Auringer
- On the record2026-04-13
Entered the NY-18 race on April 13, 2026 as the Republican and Conservative nominee after Sharanjit Thind withdrew and endorsed her, per Spectrum News.
Source: Spectrum News, April 13, 2026
Pat Ryan
- Mark against2025-10-10
Reported a July 31, 2024 sale of $15,001 to $50,000 in OnSolve LLC shares on Oct. 10, 2025, past the STOCK Act deadline; his office said he would pay the $200 fine.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20030800, NOTUS, Oct. 2025
- Mark against2023-06-02
The FEC closed administrative fine case AF 4642 with a $3,736 fine against Pat Ryan for Congress for missing 48-hour contribution notices in 2022.
Source: FEC administrative fines search
- On the record2024-07-10
Called on July 10, 2024 for President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Source: Ballotpedia, Pat Ryan
- On the record2023-08
Ulster County agreed to pay $75,000 plus insurance costs to settle a defamation suit by former public defender Andrew Kossover over a 2020 press release issued under County Executive Ryan, per WGXC.
Source: WGXC 90.7 FM, Aug. 2023
- On the record2023-11
Voted Yea on the November 2023 censure of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, when House Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 622, 2023
- Credit2024
Ranked 74th of 436 House members on the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index for 2023, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Jackie Auringer. House candidate financial disclosure filed June 30, 2026, and an FEC report is on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or official finding found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081154, FEC administrative fines search
Pat Ryan. Disclosed on Oct. 10, 2025 a July 31, 2024 sale of OnSolve LLC shares, more than a year past the STOCK Act deadline; his office acknowledged it and said he would pay the $200 late fee. Annual 2025 disclosure filed Aug. 13, 2026.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20030800, NOTUS, Oct. 2025, House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10074808
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Jackie Auringer. No public record found.
Pat Ryan. Voted Yea on censuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib in 2023 and on the HALT Fentanyl Act and H.R. 30 in 2025 when House Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay; in July 2024 called on President Biden to withdraw.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 622, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 33, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 17, 2025, Ballotpedia, Pat Ryan
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Jackie Auringer. No public record found.
Pat Ryan. Debated his 2024 Republican opponent, and his office holds telephone town halls. No 2026 general election debate or forum record found.
Source: WAMC, 2024
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Jackie Auringer. No public record found.
Pat Ryan. Served as an Army officer from 2004 to 2009, as Ulster County executive and in Congress since 2022. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Pat Ryan
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Jackie Auringer. No public record found.
Pat Ryan. Served in the Army from 2004 to 2009 and has held sworn county and federal office since 2019. Entered Congress in 2022, after the 2021 electoral count; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Pat Ryan
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Jackie Auringer. Helps lead her family's construction business, Urban Precast, which builds housing, schools and infrastructure projects. Has not held public office.
Source: Spectrum News, April 13, 2026
Pat Ryan. In the U.S. House since September 2022, now seeking a third full term; earlier Ulster County executive and an Army intelligence officer.
Sources: GovTrack, Patrick Ryan, Ballotpedia, Pat Ryan
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Jackie Auringer. Publishes an agenda on affordability, local jobs and government accountability in general terms.
Source: Campaign site
Pat Ryan. Serves on the Armed Services Committee (Cyber and Intelligence subcommittees) and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and publishes priority pages. Holds no chair or ranking post.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Jackie Auringer. Publishes plain-language issue pages on her campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Ballotpedia, Jackie Auringer
Pat Ryan. Offers a weekly e-mail newsletter and telephone town halls, publishes priority pages and debated in 2024. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, WAMC, 2024, Ballotpedia, Pat Ryan
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Jackie Auringer. A Kingston native who says she still lives there. FEC by-state totals show about 63 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Spectrum News, April 13, 2026, Campaign site, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Pat Ryan. Born in Ulster County, a Kingston High School graduate and former county executive who lives in Gardiner. FEC by-state totals show about 66 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Pat Ryan, Office site, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Jackie Auringer. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $89,698 raised. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Pat Ryan. The FEC fined his 2022 committee $3,736 for missing 48-hour notices of contributions, a case closed June 2, 2023. Reports are otherwise on file through June 30, 2026.
Sources: FEC administrative fines search, FEC candidate page
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Jackie Auringer. No public record found.
Pat Ryan. Rated below expectations by the Center for Effective Lawmaking for the 118th Congress (LES 2.0 of 0.20 against a 0.53 benchmark). GovTrack lists no sponsored bill enacted.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Jackie Auringer. No public record found.
Pat Ryan. Missed 11 of 2,046 roll call votes, 0.5 percent, from September 2022 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Jackie Auringer. No public record found.
Pat Ryan. Reports 5,676 cases closed and $43.5 million returned to constituents, runs a mobile office van and district offices in Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Kingston.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, district offices release
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Jackie Auringer. No public record found.
Pat Ryan. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 0.32648 for the 118th Congress (2023), ranked 74 of 436, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Jackie Auringer. No public record found.
Pat Ryan. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in New York's 18th Congressional District?
Pat Ryan has the strongest record in New York's 18th Congressional District. Pat Ryan scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Pat Ryan's highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Jackie Auringer (6 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in New York's 18th Congressional District in 2026?
Jackie Auringer (Republican), Pat Ryan (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Jackie Auringer a good candidate for Congress?
Jackie Auringer has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Pat Ryan a good candidate for Congress?
Pat Ryan scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every New York race scored, and the New York 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.