New York Congressman Paul Tonko of the 20th district has won the Democratic primary against Rostislav Rar, according to an Associated Press race call.
Tonko, a longtime Capital Region figure, has been in Congress for seven terms. He advances to face Republican Liz Joy in a rematch from 2020.
Rar was born in Siberia and came to the U.S. by way of Japan and Germany. He spent seven years interning then working as an assistant in the State Assembly, and ran to Tonko’s left.
Tonko says he’s been part of the Biden era’s success, pointing to the American Rescue Plan and the infrastructure bill.
Tonko’s hometown of Amsterdam was removed from the 20th district in the latest round of reapportionment, but an effort by local officials to keep Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Saratoga Springs together in the same district prevailed.