U.S. House, New York 19th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in New York's 19th Congressional District?
Josh Riley has the strongest record in New York's 19th Congressional District. Josh Riley scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Peter Oberacker at 61, as of October 9, 2026. Josh Riley's highest marks are courage and relevant experience. Peter Oberacker's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Peter Oberacker
On the ballot as Peter K. Oberacker
61 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 50
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Josh Riley
65 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 70
- 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.
Peter Oberacker
- On the record2026-08
A since-deleted Nov. 11, 2015 Facebook post honoring his grandfather, a German soldier in World War II shown wearing a Nazi Party eagle pin, resurfaced in August 2026; he said he has always fought antisemitism.
Source: Daily Gazette, Aug. 2026
- On the record2022-10-11
Debated Democratic state Senate candidate Eric Ball at an Oct. 11, 2022 candidate debate in Sullivan County.
Sources: River Reporter, Oct. 25, 2022, Sullivan County Democrat, Oct. 14, 2022
- Credit2024-08-28
A bill he sponsored allowing electronic court appearances in Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties was signed into law as Chapter 232 of 2024.
Josh Riley
- On the record2026
Voted Yea on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act in 2026 when Leader Jeffries voted Nay.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 154, 2026
- On the record2025
The FEC dismissed a 2024 complaint by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust alleging that a fellowship stipend he received was a prohibited corporate contribution (MUR 8230).
Source: FEC MUR 8230
- On the record2025-01-07
Voted Yea on the Laken Riley Act in January 2025 when House Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 6, 2025
- On the record2024-10
Debated Rep. Marc Molinaro for an hour on NewsChannel 13 in October 2024.
Source: WNYT NewsChannel 13, Oct. 2024
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Peter Oberacker. House candidate financial disclosure filed Jan. 15, 2026, and FEC reports are on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or official ethics finding found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10072975, FEC administrative fines search
Josh Riley. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed Aug. 13, 2026. The FEC dismissed a 2024 complaint naming him over a fellowship stipend (MUR 8230). No ethics finding or FEC fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10074651, FEC MUR 8230, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Peter Oberacker. No public record found.
Josh Riley. Voted Yea on the Laken Riley Act and H.R. 30 in 2025 and on the 2026 farm bill when House Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Nay.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 6, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 17, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 154, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Peter Oberacker. No public record found.
Josh Riley. Debated Rep. Marc Molinaro on NewsChannel 13 in 2024. No 2026 general election debate record found; his campaign said he welcomes local media and civic invitations but did not accept Oberacker's 11-debate schedule.
Source: WNYT NewsChannel 13, Oct. 2024
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Peter Oberacker. Has served as a town board member, town supervisor, Otsego County legislator and state senator since 2021. No censure or conduct finding found.
Source: Wikipedia, Peter Oberacker
Josh Riley. Worked as a Labor Department policy analyst and Senate Judiciary Committee counsel and has served in Congress since 2025. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Source: Wikipedia, Josh Riley
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Peter Oberacker. Has held sworn local office and a state Senate seat since January 2021, with no recorded action against certified results and no misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Wikipedia, Peter Oberacker
Josh Riley. Served in federal civil service at the Labor Department and has held sworn federal office since January 2025, after the 2021 electoral count. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Wikipedia, Josh Riley
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Peter Oberacker. In the New York State Senate since 2021, in his third term; earlier Otsego County legislator and Town of Maryland supervisor, and a food industry business founder.
Sources: Wikipedia, Peter Oberacker, Ballotpedia, Peter Oberacker
Josh Riley. In the U.S. House since January 2025; earlier counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee and a Labor Department policy analyst, and a lawyer in private practice.
Sources: GovTrack, Josh Riley, Wikipedia, Josh Riley
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Peter Oberacker. Ranking member of the state Senate Transportation and Agriculture committees in 2025 to 2026, and sponsors utility ratepayer bills.
Source: Ballotpedia, Peter Oberacker
Josh Riley. Serves on the Agriculture Committee (Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry subcommittee) and the Science Committee, and publishes priority pages on costs, utilities and rural issues. No chair or ranking post.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Office site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Peter Oberacker. Has explained his utility ratepayer legislation publicly. Has not completed a Ballotpedia survey in 2020, 2022, 2024 or 2026, and his campaign site carries no issue pages.
Sources: Wikipedia, Peter Oberacker, Ballotpedia, Peter Oberacker
Josh Riley. Publishes a weekly newsletter and priority pages, held a telephone town hall in March 2025 that over 8,000 constituents joined, and debated in 2024. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, March 28, 2025, WNYT NewsChannel 13, Oct. 2024, Ballotpedia, Josh Riley
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Peter Oberacker. Graduated from Schenevus High School, served Otsego County as a town supervisor and county legislator, and launched his campaign in Schenevus. FEC by-state totals show about 27 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Peter Oberacker, WBNG, Oct. 6, 2025, FEC contribution totals by state
Josh Riley. Born and raised in Endicott in Broome County, in the district, and graduated from Union-Endicott High School. FEC by-state totals show about 47 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Wikipedia, Josh Riley, Office site, About, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Peter Oberacker. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $1.24 million raised. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Josh Riley. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $4.8 million raised. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Peter Oberacker. Sponsored S6798A, allowing electronic court appearances in Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties, signed into law as Chapter 232 of 2024.
Josh Riley. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Peter Oberacker. No public record found.
Josh Riley. Missed 12 of 676 roll call votes, 1.8 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Peter Oberacker. No public record found.
Josh Riley. Runs district offices in Binghamton, Leeds and Delhi and holds regular mobile office hours across the district, six in February 2026 alone. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, Events
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Peter Oberacker. No public record found.
Josh Riley. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Peter Oberacker. No public record found.
Josh Riley. 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 19th Congressional District?
Josh Riley has the strongest record in New York's 19th Congressional District. Josh Riley scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Peter Oberacker at 61, as of October 9, 2026. Josh Riley's highest marks are courage and relevant experience. Peter Oberacker's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in New York's 19th Congressional District in 2026?
Peter Oberacker (Republican), Josh Riley (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Peter Oberacker a good candidate for Congress?
Peter Oberacker scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Josh Riley a good candidate for Congress?
Josh Riley scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 70 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.