NEW YORK – Alison Esposito, who ran for lieutenant governor with unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin last year, Tuesday announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for Congress in New York’s 18th District, currently held by Democrat Pat Ryan.
Esposito, who until recently listed her address as New York City, now says she is a resident of Goshen. She was born and raised in Highland Mills and said she has a house in Goshen and an apartment in New York so she could be closer to her former job.
She was a 25-year-veteran of the New York Police Department before resigning to run for the state’s number two spot on the ballot that saw Kathy Hochul and Antonio Delgado retain their positions.
If Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president, despite all of his legal troubles, she would vote for him.
“I am going to let the Republican people choose and whoever is at the top of the ticket for the Republican Party has my support,” she told Mid-Hudson News.
Ryan reacted to Esposito’s candidacy. “We’ve got enough MAGA extremists in Congress; what we need are more Patriots who will rise above the partisanship to deliver for Hudson Valley families. Esposito has called gun violence ‘a distraction,’ she wants a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest, she’s sold out to big corporations who are ripping off hard-working families, and she stands with insurrectionist traitors who want to overthrow our democracy.”
“President Biden and his allies in Congress have left our nation a shell of its former self,” Esposito said in a news release announcing her congressional campaign. “Our southern border is non-existent, inflation has left families choosing between gas and groceries, and we have relinquished our standing on the world stage. Right now, the Hudson Valley is represented by a defender of President Biden’s failed policies. Instead of fighting for everyday hardworking families, our representative is fighting for his own self-interest.”
Zeldin, Esposito’s former running-mate, was among the Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted not to certify the last presidential election, despite no evidence that proved it was rigged in President Biden’s favor.
Esposito has been registered in NY-12 in New York City, currently held by Democrat Jerry Nadler. Records from the Orange County Board of Elections show she changed her registration to Goshen on October 4, 2023.
“A New York City resident who has been district shopping for a congressional run for months, Alison Esposito is launching a MAGA campaign aligned with the extremist fringes of the Republican Party,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokeswoman Ellie Dougherty. “Esposito’s staunch anti-abortion and anti-gun safety record would make life more dangerous for Hudson Valley families. Meanwhile, Congressman Pat Ryan has relentlessly fought for New Yorkers by lowering costs, looking out for their safety, and protecting a woman’s right to choose. We look forward to re-electing Representative Ryan next fall.”
