BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Democrats signaled confidence in the final days of the campaign in New York’s 19th Congressional District, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., seeking to assuage worries about former President’s Donald Trump’s “little secret” with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. because he expects New York to deliver the Democrats a House majority.

Voters lined up down the block in anticipation of Josh Riley's Binghamton event with Jeffries. Riley had run against Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-NY., in 2022 and lost by just about 4,500 votes in the final tally. This year, the race is just as close and, on November 1, was considered the closest House race in the country in FiveThirtyEight’s forecast.

The race's importance was demonstrated on Friday, as Jeffries and Johnson held dueling events in the district. Johnson was in the district for Molinaro’s “Pasta and Politics” dinner, where tickets ranged from $25 to $3,3000, while Jeffries was there for two get-out-the-vote rallies for Riley, one in Binghamton and one in Ithaca.

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While The Daily Gazette reports that about 400 people attended Molinaro’s dinner with Johnson, hundreds of Democrats showed up to the packed event at Binghamton’s American Legion hall on Main Street, with volunteers needing to bring in extra seating to accommodate the crowd.

Outside the event, attendees discussed the closeness of both the district's congressional race and presidential race. Some self-described “dyed in........

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