U.S. House, New York 6th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated October 9, 2026

Who should I vote for in New York's 6th Congressional District?

Grace Meng has the strongest record in New York's 6th Congressional District. Grace Meng scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Grace Meng's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Joseph Chou (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

Joseph Chou

Not enough public record for a score

Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria

Character: 50
Qualifications: 50
Performance: NR

Campaign site FEC filings

Democratic · incumbent

Strongest record

Grace Meng

66 / 100

Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria

Character: 55
Qualifications: 85
Performance: 56

Campaign site Official office FEC filings

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.

Joseph Chou

No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.

Grace Meng

On the record2026-05-19
Held a telephone rather than in-person town hall on May 19, 2026; her primary challenger's supporters criticized the format and her office said more than 2,500 constituents joined.
Source: QNS, June 3, 2026
On the record2024-02
Voted Yea on the stand-alone Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act in February 2024, when Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar voted Nay; it failed under suspension.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 38, 2024
On the record2023-05
Voted No on the Fiscal Responsibility Act in May 2023, when Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar voted Aye; it passed 314 to 117.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 243, 2023
On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on both Jan. 6, 2021 objections to the certified electoral votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
Credit2018
Sponsored H.R. 423, the Anti-Spoofing Act of 2017, on caller ID spoofing of text messages and foreign calls, which GovTrack counts as enacted.
Source: GovTrack, Grace Meng

Who they are

Character

Integrity

Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.

2 / 4

Joseph Chou. Campaign reports on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00872333

2 / 4

Grace Meng. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed June 22, 2026; campaign reports on file with the FEC. No House Ethics Committee matter naming her as a subject and no FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075835, House Committee on Ethics site search for Meng, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00516666

Courage

Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.

Joseph Chou. No public record found.

3 / 4

Grace Meng. Voted against all three House Democratic leaders on the Fiscal Responsibility Act (2023), the Israel Security Supplemental (February 2024) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026.

Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 38, 2024, House Clerk Roll Call 45, 2026

Accountability

Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.

Joseph Chou. No public record found.

2 / 4

Grace Meng. Held a telephone town hall on May 19, 2026 that her office says drew more than 2,500 callers. No open in-person town hall this term or 2026 general election debate record found.

Source: QNS, June 3, 2026

Temperament and judgment

Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.

Joseph Chou. No public record found.

2 / 4

Grace Meng. In the State Assembly from 2009 and the U.S. House since 2013. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found; she has chaired an Ethics Committee investigative subcommittee.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Grace Meng, House Committee on Ethics site search for Meng

Fidelity to the oath

Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.

Joseph Chou. No public record found.

2 / 4

Grace Meng. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors and was not among the January 2017 objectors. 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.

2 / 4

Joseph Chou. Says he built a small business in Queens; no public office held. Ran for this seat in 2024 and for City Council District 20 in 2025.

Sources: Campaign site, home page, Ballotpedia, Joseph Chou

4 / 4

Grace Meng. In the U.S. House since 2013, seeking an eighth term; State Assembly 2009 to 2012.

Sources: GovTrack, Grace Meng, Ballotpedia, Grace Meng

Command of the job

Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.

2 / 4

Joseph Chou. Publishes four campaign commitments in general terms: affordability and taxes, families, education, and immigration and bail reform.

Source: Campaign site, home page

4 / 4

Grace Meng. Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, and a member of its State and foreign operations subcommittee.

Source: GovTrack, committee membership

Communication

Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.

2 / 4

Joseph Chou. Publishes a plain-language platform on his campaign site; has not completed Ballotpedia's 2024, 2025 or 2026 surveys.

Sources: Campaign site, home page, Ballotpedia, Joseph Chou

3 / 4

Grace Meng. Offers an e-newsletter, issue pages and telephone town halls, and shared a transcript of her May 2026 telephone town hall.

Sources: Office site, home page, QNS, June 3, 2026

Roots in the constituency

Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.

2 / 4

Joseph Chou. Lists a Flushing address, inside the district, and says he built his life in Queens. All $2,500 of itemized individual contributions came from New York.

Sources: Campaign site, home page, FEC contribution totals by state

4 / 4

Grace Meng. Born in Queens in 1975, represented Flushing in the State Assembly, and lists a Fresh Meadows address. FEC by-state totals show about 70 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Grace Meng, FEC contribution totals by state

Management

Can build and run an organization.

2 / 4

Joseph Chou. Campaign reports on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00872333

2 / 4

Grace Meng. Campaign reports on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00516666

What they deliver

Performance

Results

Turns ideas into outcomes.

Joseph Chou. No public record found.

3 / 4

Grace Meng. Legislative Effectiveness Score 2.0 of 0.30 against a benchmark of 0.54 in the 118th Congress, meets expectations. GovTrack lists four enacted bills she sponsored, including the Anti-Spoofing Act of 2017.

Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation

Showing up

Does the basic work of the job.

Joseph Chou. No public record found.

2 / 4

Grace Meng. Missed 309 of 7,603 roll call votes, 4.1 percent, from January 2013 to September 2026.

Source: GovTrack, missed votes

Constituent service

Solves problems for the people they represent.

Joseph Chou. No public record found.

2 / 4

Grace Meng. Runs district offices in Flushing and Forest Hills (by appointment). No published casework totals found.

Source: Office site, Offices

Coalition building

Wins support beyond their own faction.

Joseph Chou. No public record found.

2 / 4

Grace Meng. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.43162 in the latest posted House scores (2023), ranked 208 of 436.

Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores 2023

Stewardship of public money

Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.

Joseph Chou. No public record found.

Grace Meng. 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 6th Congressional District?

Who is running in New York's 6th Congressional District in 2026?

Joseph Chou (Republican), Grace Meng (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.

Is Joseph Chou a good candidate for Congress?

Joseph Chou 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 Grace Meng a good candidate for Congress?

Grace Meng scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 56 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.