New York's 4th Congressional District election, 2024

	2026 → ← 2022
New York's 4th Congressional District
	General election
Election details
	Filing deadline: April 4, 2024
	Primary: June 25, 2024; General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
	Poll times: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Voting in New York
Ballotpedia analysis
	U.S. Senate battlegrounds; U.S. House battlegrounds; Federal and state primary competitiveness; Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
See also
	New York's 4th Congressional District; U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st • 22nd • 23rd • 24th • 25th • 26th; New York elections, 2024; U.S. Congress elections, 2024; U.S. Senate elections, 2024; U.S. House elections, 2024; Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

New York 2024 elections

U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Congressional special elections • State Senate • State Assembly • Special state legislative • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • How to run for office

Laura Gillen (D) defeated incumbent Anthony D'Esposito (R) in the general election for New York's 4th Congressional District on November 5, 2024. D'Esposito was one of 15 incumbents who lost their re-election campaigns to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024. Additionally, this was one of 19 seats that changed partisan control due to the 2024 U.S. House of Representatives elections.

This race was a rematch of 2022, when D'Esposito defeated Gillen 51.8%-48.2%. D'Esposito was one of 14 Republicans to win in a district that President Joe Biden (D) won in 2020. University of Virginia Center for Politics analyst Kyle Kondik said, "You could argue that just because of the makeup of the district that that’s the best Democratic House target in the whole country."^[1]

D'Esposito was the first Republican to represent the 4th District since 1997.^[2] Before entering Congress, D'Esposito was a member of the Hempstead Town Council from 2016 to 2023. He earned his bachelor's degree in English from Hofstra University in 2004. Previously, D'Esposito was a detective for the New York Police Department.^[3]

Gillen graduated from Georgetown University and later earned a degree from New York University's School of Law. She was the Hempstead Town Supervisor from 2018 to 2020.^[4] She worked as an attorney and as an adjunct law professor at Hofstra University.^[5]

D'Esposito said he was running for re-election "...in order to continue fighting for commonsense Long Island values in Congress and to ensure our district remains represented by someone focused on advancing the interests of Nassau County neighbors, and NOT the regressive policies of Washington progressives."^[6] He said that voters supported him because they saw him as more moderate compared to Democrats. He said, "Many people feel the Democrats in New York have gone too far to the left. They’ve seen the implementation of cashless bail. They’ve seen the state legislature really try to change suburban communities into what we see in the five boroughs... Voters see someone like me as a person with common sense."^[7]

In an interview, Gillen said, "Long island's congressional delegation had a long tradition of bipartisan representation where voices on both sides collectively advocated for residents from Atlantic beach to Montauk. We need to reclaim that tradition to ensure our concerns are addressed no matter the political landscape."^[8] Gillen criticized D'Esposito as more focused on partisan votes, rather than working for the district. In a post on X, Gillen said, "Anthony D'Esposito puts partisan pandering and grandstanding over results. In Congress, I'll spend my time working to solve problems to deliver for NY-04 and the American people."^[9]

Before the election, Hofstra University professor Lawrence Levy said the withdrawal of President Joe Biden (D) and the candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris (D) could have helped Gillen's chances. Levy said, "Harris ascending to the top of the ticket helps the Democrats across the board with younger voters who were looking for an alternative... with Asian voters who have been leaning towards the Republicans... with Black voters in particular. And I think that's the one that gives Democrats on Long Island, particularly in the fourth district now held by Anthony D’Esposito (R), some hope."^[10] To read more about Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race, click here

Republicans pointed to recent wins the party had on Long Island as a sign they could win again in a presidential year. Suffolk GOP chair Jesse Garcia said, "People are responding to the campaign operations, to the candidates, to this committee’s hard work on giving Republicans a chance... They see what’s going on in Albany, in D.C. under one party rule and they are rejecting that, and we’re giving them the tools and candidates to reject those policies."^[11] D'Esposito said, "Not only are we winning, but we’re winning in places that have historically been Democrat. That momentum is continuing. The pendulum is continuing to swing."^[12]

Based on third-quarter reports filed with the Federal Election Commission before the election, D’Esposito raised $4.4 million and spent $3.3 million, and Gillen raised $6.1 million and spent $4.4 million. To review all the campaign finance figures in full detail, click here.

New York conducted redistricting between the 2022 and 2024 elections. As a result, district lines in this state changed. To review how redistricting took place in New York and to see maps of the new districts, click here. For a list of all states that drew new district lines between 2022 and 2024, click here.

New York's 4th Congressional District was one of 34 congressional districts with a Republican incumbent or an open seat that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) targeted in 2024. To read about DCCC targeting initiatives, click here. For a complete list of DCCC targeted districts, click here.

As of October 30, 2024, four major election forecasters differed in their ratings for the general election, with three rating it a toss-up and one rating it Lean Democratic.

The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 119th Congress. All 435 House districts were up for election.

At the time of the election, Republicans held a 220-212 majority with three vacancies.^[13] As a result of the election, Republicans retained control of the U.S. House, winning 220 seats to Democrats' 215.^[14] To read more about the 2024 U.S. House elections, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Republican candidate won 51.8%-48.2%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have defeated Donald Trump (R) 56.8%-42.2%.^[15]

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House New York District 4

Laura Gillen defeated incumbent Anthony D'Esposito in the general election for U.S. House New York District 4 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Laura Gillen (D / Common Sense Party)	51.1	191,760
	Anthony D'Esposito (R / Conservative Party)	48.8	183,157
	Other/Write-in votes	0.2	601

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 375,518
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Laura Gillen advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 4.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Anthony D'Esposito advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House New York District 4.

Conservative Party primary election

The Conservative Party primary election was canceled. Incumbent Anthony D'Esposito advanced from the Conservative Party primary for U.S. House New York District 4.

Voting information

See also: Voting in New York

Election information in New York: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

In-person: Oct. 26, 2024
By mail: Received by Oct. 26, 2024
Online: Oct. 26, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

In-person: Nov. 4, 2024
By mail: Received by Oct. 26, 2024
Online: Oct. 26, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
By mail: Postmarked by Nov. 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 26, 2024 to Nov. 3, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

6:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (EST)

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Anthony D'Esposito

Party: Republican Party, Conservative Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography: "Congressman Anthony D'Esposito is a retired NYPD Detective and Ex-Chief of the Island Park Fire Department. Prior to his tenure in Congress, D'Esposito also served as a Hempstead Town Councilman where he was responsible for cutting taxes and streamlining the delivery of municipal services for the 800,000 residents of America's largest township. On Capitol Hill, Congressman D'Esposito has focused on delivering results in a bipartisan fashion via his role in the "Problem Solvers Caucus" and utilizing his first responder experience to help guide policymaking decisions on many important issues. As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, D'Esposito was instrumental in helping pass House Republicans' signature H.R. 2 border security legislation. What's more, D'Esposito has worked vigorously to increase funding for 9/11 survivor healthcare programs, introduced and passed legislation combating antisemitism, fought against unpopular developers seeking to overdevelop Long Island's coasts, introduced bipartisan legislation in opposition to congestion pricing, brought legislation to the House floor designed to deliver SALT cap relief for New Yorkers, and secured over $20 million in federal funding to provide enhanced resources for local first responder agencies, libraries, educational centers, and more across the 4th Congressional District."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

FIGHTING CRIME. Congressman Anthony D'Esposito has spent his career working to keep New Yorkers safe as both an NYPD Detective and fire chief, and he will continue working to curb crime by vigorously opposing progressive criminal justice policies like bail reform/cashless bail.

BORDER SECURITY. Congressman Anthony D'Esposito helped pass a comprehensive border security bill in the House of Representatives, and he will continue working to secure the border and end the migrant crisis in New York.

AFFORDABILITY. Congressman Anthony D'Esposito will continue working to make New York more affordable by rejecting tax hikes and working to stop the implementation of hidden taxes like the progressives' proposed "congestion pricing" plan to toll commuters who drive into lower Manhattan.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New York District 4 in 2024.

Laura Gillen

Party: Democratic Party, Common Sense Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: Hempstead Town Supervisor (2018-2020)

Biography: Gillen graduated from Georgetown University and later earned a degree from New York University's School of Law. She worked as an attorney and as an adjunct law professor at Hofstra University.

Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Gillen said she would fight to ensure abortion was legal nationwide: "As a woman, as a mother of daughters and as someone who doesn’t believe the government should make our medical decisions, ensuring that this fundamental freedom is reinstated for women is personal to me — and I’ll do everything in my power to fight back against extreme attacks on our rights."

Gillen said she would pursue a bipartisan immigration bill:" ... [M]y approach in Congress will be to collaborate with all parties to achieve comprehensive, bipartisan immigration reform. This includes enhancing border security by hiring more border patrol-agents, deploying additional advanced “smart” technology and building strategic physical barriers."

Gillen claimed D'Esposito was more focused on partisan politics than on the district: "Anthony D'Esposito puts partisan pandering and grandstanding over results. In Congress, I'll spend my time working to solve problems to deliver for NY-04 and the American people."

Show sources

Sources: LI Herald, "I’m running to fight for women’s freedoms," June 28, 2024, LI Herald, "We must secure our borders, reform immigration now," May 3, 2024, X, "Laura Gillen on X," accessed June 26, 2024; Newsday, "Voters Guide: Laura A. Gillen," accessed July 31, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House New York District 4 in 2024.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/AnthonyDesposito2024.jpeg

Anthony D'Esposito (Republican, Conservative)

FIGHTING CRIME. Congressman Anthony D'Esposito has spent his career working to keep New Yorkers safe as both an NYPD Detective and fire chief, and he will continue working to curb crime by vigorously opposing progressive criminal justice policies like bail reform/cashless bail.

BORDER SECURITY. Congressman Anthony D'Esposito helped pass a comprehensive border security bill in the House of Representatives, and he will continue working to secure the border and end the migrant crisis in New York.

AFFORDABILITY. Congressman Anthony D'Esposito will continue working to make New York more affordable by rejecting tax hikes and working to stop the implementation of hidden taxes like the progressives' proposed "congestion pricing" plan to toll commuters who drive into lower Manhattan.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Anthony D'Esposito (Republican, Conservative)

Combating crime, increasing affordability, and fighting to end antisemitism. I want to make sure New York is a safe and affordable place for ALL New Yorkers. For that to happen, we need to reverse New York progressives' soft-on-crime policies like cashless bail, reject attempts to nickel and dime taxpayers like the Democrats' congestion pricing plan, and vigorously push back against the rise of antisemitic hate we have witnessed in the aftermath of the October 7th attack.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Anthony D'Esposito (Republican, Conservative)

Remaining connected to the community. Since my first week in Congress, I have worked to keep my boots firmly planted back in the district in order to stay in touch with the residents I serve. After legislative business is completed in Washington each week, I am on the first flight back to Long Island so I can be out in the community with neighbors - hearing directly from them.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Anthony D'Esposito (Republican, Conservative)

From the NYPD to Capitol Hill, my entire professional life has been focused on serving the public. I believe my experience as a first responder provides a perspective that is unique in Washington. My time in law enforcement shaped the way I approach problem solving and serves as a reminder of the real-world impacts of policymaking - which is why I fight so hard to implement legislation that supports police and keeps our streets safe.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Anthony D'Esposito (Republican, Conservative)

I support the implementation of term limits for members of Congress and proudly signed the "term limit pledge."

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Anthony D'Esposito (Republican, Conservative)

Compromise is absolutely necessary and desirable for legislators. I have been proud to forge strong working relationships with members of Congress from both major parties, and I constantly work with colleagues in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus to find common ground and make sure the business of the people always comes before partisan politics.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Anthony D'Esposito (Republican, Conservative)

Many police unions, including the Nassau County PBA and the NYC PBA. The members of CSEA, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the National Federation of Independent Business and many other union organizations. Check out my website for the full list.

What committees interest you?

Anthony D'Esposito (Republican, Conservative)

I serve on the Homeland Security, Transportation & Infrastructure, and House Administration committees. I also serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology (EMT). On the Homeland Security Committee and EMT Subcommittee, I am able to utilize my years of law enforcement/first responder experience to help shape the discussion in Washington on important topics like strengthening national counterterrorism plans and enhancing federal disaster preparedness strategies. On the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, I work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to implement the next generation of American infrastructure. On the House Administration Committee, I work to ensure the United States Capitol remains an accessible place for Americans to come and see their government at work.

Campaign ads

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Anthony D'Esposito

July 30, 2024

July 30, 2024

View more ads here:

Laura Gillen

Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Laura Gillen while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals.^[16] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."^[17] For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.

The links below show polls for this race aggregated by FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, where available. Click here to read about FiveThirtyEight's criteria for including polls in its aggregation.

FiveThirtyEight

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.^[18]
Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.^[19]^[20]^[21]

Race ratings: New York's 4th Congressional District election, 2024
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2024	October 29, 2024	October 22, 2024	October 15, 2024
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Lean Democratic	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Lean Democratic	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Tilt Democratic	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

Laura Gillen

Election Spending

Campaign finance

Name

Party

Receipts*

Disbursements**

Cash on hand

Date

Anthony D'Esposito

Republican Party, Conservative Party

$4,644,841

$4,462,229

$205,079

As of December 31, 2024

Laura Gillen

Common Sense Party, Democratic Party

$6,826,397

$6,803,193

$23,203

As of December 31, 2024

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.^[22]^[23]^[24]

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

By candidate	By election
Anthony D'Esposito Laura Gillen	OpenSecrets Federal Election Commission

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

District map - A map of the district before and after redistricting ahead of the 2024 election.
Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 U.S. House elections in the state.
Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

District map

Competitiveness
Presidential elections

State party control

Below is the district map used in the 2022 election next to the map in place for the 2024 election. Click on a map below to enlarge it.

2022

2024

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in New York.

New York U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024
Office	Districts/ offices	Seats	Open seats	Candidates	Possible primaries	Contested Democratic primaries	Contested Republican primaries	% of contested primaries	Incumbents in contested primaries	% of incumbents in contested primaries
2024	26	26	0	59	52	5	1	11.5%	4	15.4%
2022	26	26	7	107	52	16	8	46.2%	13	68.4%
2020	27	27	4	108	54	16	7	42.6%	11	47.8%
2018	27	27	1	85	54	13	1	25.9%	6	23.1%
2016	27	27	4	77	54	10	3	24.1%	5	21.7%
2014	27	27	2	55	54	5	5	18.5%	5	20.0%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in New York in 2024. Information below was calculated on June 16, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Fifty-nine candidates ran for New York’s 26 U.S. House districts, including 32 Democrats and 27 Republicans. That’s an average of 2.27 candidates per district. There were 4.12 candidates per district in 2022, 4.00 candidates per district in 2020, and 3.15 candidates per district in 2018.

The 59 candidates who ran in New York in 2024 was the fewest number of candidates since 2014, when 55 candidates ran.