GOP holds in NY-22: Brandon Williams beats Democrat Francis Conole

Republican Brandon Williams defeated Democrat Fra🌟nk Conole in a much-watched upstate race to replace retiring GOP Rep. John Katko (R-Syracuse) in Central New York.

The close contest was called Monday night by NBC as Williams led Conole by just over 4,000 ♑votes with 98% of t𓄧he ballots counted.

Polling had suggested a tight racꦗe between the two Navy vets with Conole in a Nov. 4 survey released by Spectrum News/S🌸iena College.

But Williams was able to overtake his Democratic opponent with the help of national Republicans who battered Conole with ads targeting core issues for voters — rising crime and controversial limits on cash bail.

Conole had tried to distance himself from his ꩵparty amid polling showing the race against Williams within single digit🎀s.

Such efforts included skipping a recent visit by President Biden to the Syracuse area where he to🐻uted a deal to boost microchip manufacturing with $100 billion in future investments.

That approach fell short for Conole amid political headwinds working against Democrats nationally as t🎀hey pushed to hold the narrow House majority they w🐓on two years ago.

L🌱ines approved by Albany Democrats at the beginning of the year would have given Democrats a big edge in what had historically been an electoral battleground between the two parties.

But an April decision by the state’s highest court u𒅌ltimately led to a new House map more favorable to th🌊e GOP.

RealClearPolitics had ranked the race as “lean Republican” before voting ended on Nov. 8.

Biden won the district ultimately drawn by a cꦓourt-appointed special master with 53.8% of the vote compared to 46.2% for ex-President Donald Trump,