hundreds of miles separate new york<u+2019>s hudson valley from gop presidential nominee donald trump, who is campaigning in florida and ohio this week. but for john faso, a republican congressional candidate, that might not be far enough. <u+201c>i don<u+2019>t think i<u+2019>m any more responsible for what donald trump says than my opponent is responsible for [hillary] clinton<u+2019>s email server,<u+201d> said mr. faso, referring to the democratic presidential nominee<u+2019>s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. like many republicans across the country, mr. faso, who is locked in a hotly contested race with democrat zephyr teachout in new york<u+2019>s 19th congressional district, has sought to distance himself from mr. trump. he said voters in the district are smart enough to see the difference between mr. trump and candidates, like himself, further down the ballot. <u+201c>it<u+2019>s like a restaurant,<u+201d> mr. faso said, speaking of the election ballot. <u+201c>there are different choices for the entree, and the appetizer, and the dessert.<u+201d> the district, which stretches across new york<u+2019>s picturesque hudson valley and catskill region, is a key race for democrats hoping to recapture the u.s. house of representatives and the republicans looking to stop them. incumbent rep. chris gibson , a republican, said earlier this year he wouldn<u+2019>t run for re-election. the nov. 8 race, considered a tossup, is one of the highest profile congressional contests in new york this year. ms. teachout, 45 years old, is a liberal democrat and a law professor who was endorsed by mrs. clinton<u+2019>s primary challenger, u.s. sen. bernie sanders of vermont, and moved to the district from brooklyn last year. in 2014, she waged a much-talked about primary challenge to new york gov. andrew cuomo , winning more than a third of the primary vote . she has said she plans to vote for mrs. clinton. mr. faso, 64, who served as the minority leader of the state assembly in the late 1990s and early 2000s, describes himself as a <u+201c>center-right conservative<u+201d> who favors overhauling the affordable care act, commonly known as obamacare. he opposes use of government tax dollars for abortions. mr. faso also ran for governor, mounting an unsuccessful campaign against democrat eliot spitzer in 2006. both candidates have said they are opposed to the trans-pacific partnership, a trade agreement. as of sept. 30, mr. faso raised more than $1.8 million, compared with ms. teachout, who raised $1.3 million, according to campaign filings. both candidates have had help from their national parties, which have deluged the district<u+2019>s airwaves with ads, many of them negative. the most recent poll, released on sept. 27 by time warner cable news/siena college, showed 43% of likely voters backing mr. faso and 42% choosing ms. teachout. the poll was taken before mr. trump<u+2019>s standing in the polls fell in recent weeks following allegations he touched and kissed multiple women without their consent. mr. trump has denied the allegations. mr. faso hasn<u+2019>t endorsed mr. trump. he said this week he wasn<u+2019>t sure who would get his vote in the presidential race, but he said it wouldn<u+2019>t be mrs. clinton. <u+201c>i have said that in a country of 320 million people it<u+2019>s pretty amazing that this is what our choice is,<u+201d> mr. faso said. ms. teachout said voters have a right to know who mr. faso supports for president. <u+201c>he<u+2019>s talking out of both sides of his mouth,<u+201d> she said. operatives on both sides of the contest said mr. trump<u+2019>s unpopularity could give ms. teachout an advantage. the district voted for barack obama in 2008 and 2012. mr. trump won the district in the gop primary earlier this year, with about 60% of the vote. bryan lesswing, a spokesman for the democratic congressional campaign committee, which helps elect democrats, said mr. faso was <u+201c>stuck between a rock and a hard place,<u+201d> and had the difficult task of trying to win over women and moderates without alienating mr. trump<u+2019>s supporters. chris pack, mr. lesswing<u+2019>s counterpart at the national republican congressional committee, said voters will see ms. teachout as <u+201c>a carpetbagger trying to buy a seat.<u+201d> in response, ms. teachout said voters in the district want someone who is a straight shooter and isn<u+2019>t beholden to special interests. <u+201c>people are looking for someone who<u+2019>s independent and going to tell you where they stand,<u+201d> she said. have something to say about an article in greater new york? email us, along with your contact information, at gnyltrs@wsj.com . letters will be edited for brevity and clarity. please include your city and state. james battista, an associate political science professor at the state university of new york at buffalo, said the race would have been competitive even without a divisive presidential race. but in such a close race, presidential politics could make the difference, he said. <u+201c>the thing that will get faso will be if republican voters in the district just don<u+2019>t show up,<u+201d> mr. battista said. it is a scenario mr. faso is quick to dismiss, saying he believes voters will distinguish him from mr. trump. <u+201c>i feel confident but not overconfident,<u+201d> he said. <u+201c>it<u+2019>s a very volatile political situation out there.<u+201d> write to mara gay at mara.gay@wsj.com
presidential politics dominate race for new york<u+2019>s 19th congressional district - wsj
mara gay