Meet Jackie Auringer, the 29-year-old GOP challenger taking on Rep. Pat Ryan for NY-18
News 12's senior reporter Tara Rosenblum sat down one-on-one with Jackie Auringer to break down where she stands on issues.
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With less than a month to Election Day, the race for New York's 18th congressional district is heating up.
News 12's senior reporter Tara Rosenblum sat down one-on-one with both candidates to break down where they stand.
Tonight, News 12 is featuring Republican Jackie Auringer, who is trying to unseat incumbent Democrat Rep. Pat Ryan.
Auringer is a new name to politics, and the sit-down with Rosenblum was her first television interview.
The Kingston native has never held elected office and works for her family's crane and construction company.
"I think that I am someone who understands what's going on here, despite my age. I think that actually gives me an edge," she says.
Like the Democratic incumbent Ryan, Auringer says affordability is the No. 1 issue she's hearing about - and at 29 years old, she says she's living it herself.
"It's impossible to pay rent. I can't build a house," she says.
Politically, Auringer describes herself as fiscally conservative and socially moderate. She opposes building AI data centers near Hudson Valley communities and says she would not support a federal ban on abortion.
"I completely respect the Supreme Court's decision that it should be left up to the states," she says.
Auringer was less definitive on Israel and whether she believes Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide.
"As a candidate, I'm not sure what I believe. I know that there's a lot of propaganda that goes around, and I think that I would have to do a lot more research to give a better answer for that," she says.
Auringer is running as the clear underdog, out-fundraised by Ryan and trailing him by double digits in one recent poll - but she says voters shouldn't count her out.
And whatever happens next month, Auringer says this won't be her last campaign.
"Regardless of the outcome in November, I will be running again in 2028," she says.
