NY Congressional Candidates Declined Debate Invitations
Multiple House candidates in New York opted out of media-sponsored debates scheduled for October.
Updated on Sept. 20, 2026 in Elections
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As of August 28, 2026, campaigns in the 19th and 21st Congressional Districts declined or failed to confirm participation in proposed debates. These rejections leave voters without traditional televised forums in those races.
Why it matters
Campaigns increasingly avoid debates to eliminate the risk of creating viral video moments that could be used against them. Instead, candidates are prioritizing controlled candidate forums over these moderated media events.
The 19th and 21st districts both saw debate proposals fall through, while the 20th District candidates confirmed a debate for October 15. The 19th District encompasses 11 counties within New York.
The players
Josh Riley
He is a candidate for the 19th Congressional District who declined the media consortium's debate proposals.
Peter Oberacker
He is a candidate for the 19th Congressional District who initially agreed to the proposed debate dates.
Anthony Constantino
He is a candidate for the 21st Congressional District who conditioned his participation on the refunding of campaign donors.
Blake Gendebien
He is a candidate for the 21st Congressional District who did not respond to the debate invitation by the deadline.
Paul Tonko
He is a candidate for the 20th Congressional District who is set to participate in a debate on October 15.
The details
Josh Riley declined the proposals for the 19th District, while Blake Gendebien failed to respond to the 21st District invitation by the August deadline. Anthony Constantino conditioned his potential participation on WNYT issuing refunds to donors, leaving future debates unlikely in these contests.
Timeline
August 28, 2026 was the deadline for candidates to respond to the debate invitations.
October 8, 2026 was the proposed date for the 21st District debate.
October 15, 2026 is the scheduled date for the 20th District debate at 7 p.m.
October 22, 2026 was the proposed date for the 19th District debate.
Political Context
The decline of these debates follows the 2024 general election cycle's trend of avoiding traditional media-hosted debates. This creates significant partisan friction as opponents often accuse those who refuse debates of hiding from public accountability.
Voters in the 19th and 21st districts will not have the opportunity to see their candidates face off in a moderated media environment. This forces residents to rely on individual campaign materials and forums rather than direct side-by-side comparisons.
The takeaway
Voters should look for local candidate forums as an alternative way to evaluate the platforms of those running for office. These events often provide the direct access that media-sponsored debates typically offer.
Further reading
For more information on the current landscape of state races, visit New York Elections.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Times Union.
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