U.S. House, New York 20th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in New York's 20th Congressional District?
Paul Tonko has the strongest record in New York's 20th Congressional District. Paul Tonko scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Ralph Ambrosio at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Paul Tonko's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Ralph Ambrosio's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican
Ralph Ambrosio
On the ballot as Ralph F. Ambrosio
53 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Paul Tonko
On the ballot as Paul D. Tonko
73 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 85
- 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.
Ralph Ambrosio
- On the record2026-01-20
Announced on Jan. 20, 2026 a Republican challenge to Rep. Paul Tonko, describing himself as a Navy veteran, former trooper and former assistant attorney general, per Spectrum News.
Source: Spectrum News, Jan. 20, 2026
Paul Tonko
- On the record2025
Voted Nay on the GENIUS Act in 2025 when House Democratic Leader Jeffries voted Yea.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 200, 2025
- On the record2025-04-23
Held an in-person town hall at Saratoga Springs High School in April 2025 that drew more than 1,000 people, per WNYT.
- On the record2025-06-16
Held an in-person town hall at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy on June 16, 2025, per CBS6.
Source: CBS6 WRGB, June 16, 2025
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on the January 2021 objections to the certified electors of Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
- On the record2017-04-20
Held an in-person town hall at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs in April 2017.
Source: WAMC, April 21, 2017
- Credit2024
Sponsored the NAPA Reauthorization Act, enacted in the 118th Congress; GovTrack credits him with 11 enacted bills as primary sponsor.
Source: GovTrack, enacted legislation
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Ralph Ambrosio. House candidate financial disclosure filed May 24, 2026, and FEC reports are on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or official finding found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077865, FEC administrative fines search
Paul Tonko. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed May 27, 2026. The Clerk index lists no periodic transaction reports for him; no House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10077091, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Ralph Ambrosio. No public record found.
Paul Tonko. Voted Yea on the Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act in 2024, and Nay on the GENIUS Act in 2025 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, opposite House Democratic Leader Jeffries each time.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 137, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 200, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Ralph Ambrosio. No public record found.
Paul Tonko. Held open in-person town halls in Saratoga Springs in April 2025, drawing more than 1,000 people, and at Hudson Valley Community College in June 2025; debated his challenger in 2022.
Sources: WNYT NewsChannel 13, April 24, 2025, CBS6 WRGB, June 16, 2025, WAMC, NY-20 coverage
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Ralph Ambrosio. Served as a state trooper, assistant district attorney in Greene and Columbia counties, assistant attorney general and State Police assistant counsel. No conduct finding found.
Source: Spectrum News, Oct. 24, 2024
Paul Tonko. Has held office continuously since 1983, in the Assembly and in Congress since 2009, and led NYSERDA in 2007 to 2008. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Source: Wikipedia, Paul Tonko
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Ralph Ambrosio. Served in the Navy and as a sworn state trooper and prosecutor, with no misuse-of-office finding found. Has not held elected office.
Sources: Spectrum News, Jan. 20, 2026, Spectrum News, Oct. 24, 2024
Paul Tonko. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors and did not object in January 2017. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Ralph Ambrosio. Spent about four decades in law enforcement and law: state trooper from 1977 to 1989, county prosecutor, assistant attorney general and State Police assistant counsel to 2010. Has not held elected office.
Sources: Campaign site, Spectrum News, Oct. 24, 2024
Paul Tonko. In the U.S. House since 2009; served 24 years in the New York Assembly, 15 as Energy Committee chair, and led the state energy research authority.
Sources: GovTrack, Paul Tonko, Office site, home page
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Ralph Ambrosio. Publishes five priorities in general terms and a longer health care plan built on market-based reforms.
Sources: Campaign site, Core Priorities, Campaign site, Healthcare Plan
Paul Tonko. Ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Environment Subcommittee, also on the Energy and Oversight subcommittees and the Budget Committee; a former engineer for the state Public Service Commission.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Office site, home page
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Ralph Ambrosio. Publishes plain-language priority pages and a health care plan, and lists two scheduled debates. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Core Priorities, Ambrosio campaign, Events, Ballotpedia, Ralph Ambrosio
Paul Tonko. Publishes newsletters, key issue pages and op-eds, and has debated in each recent cycle. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, WAMC, NY-20 coverage, Ballotpedia, Paul Tonko
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Ralph Ambrosio. Says he has lived in Delmar, in Albany County in the district, since 1985; he was born in Hudson and raised in Chatham. FEC by-state totals show about 95 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Campaign site, Spectrum News, Jan. 20, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Paul Tonko. Born in Amsterdam, which he still calls home and which lies in the district's Montgomery County portion, and has represented the area since 1983. FEC by-state totals show about 79 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Wikipedia, Paul Tonko, Wikipedia, NY-20, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Ralph Ambrosio. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, with $29,026 raised. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Paul Tonko. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Ralph Ambrosio. No public record found.
Paul Tonko. Rated meets expectations by the Center for Effective Lawmaking for the 118th Congress (LES 2.0 of 0.39 against a 0.55 benchmark). Has sponsored 11 enacted bills, most recently the NAPA Reauthorization Act in the 118th.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Ralph Ambrosio. No public record found.
Paul Tonko. Missed 73 of 10,864 roll call votes, 0.7 percent, from January 2009 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Ralph Ambrosio. No public record found.
Paul Tonko. Reports 25,859 constituents helped and 3,324 local events attended, with district offices in Albany and Saratoga Springs.
Source: Office site, home page
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Ralph Ambrosio. No public record found.
Paul Tonko. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.01233 for the 118th Congress (2023), ranked 134 of 436, a negative score outside 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.
Ralph Ambrosio. No public record found.
Paul Tonko. 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 20th Congressional District?
Paul Tonko has the strongest record in New York's 20th Congressional District. Paul Tonko scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Ralph Ambrosio at 53, as of October 9, 2026. Paul Tonko's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Ralph Ambrosio's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in New York's 20th Congressional District in 2026?
Ralph Ambrosio (Republican), Paul Tonko (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Ralph Ambrosio a good candidate for Congress?
Ralph Ambrosio scores 53 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Paul Tonko a good candidate for Congress?
Paul Tonko scores 73 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 85 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.