Democrat Laura Gillen started her congressional career off with a win Thursday morning. 

The incoming Nassau County congresswoman nabbed first dibs on vacant office space, in the lottery for incoming House members. 

Gillen was one of three Democrats who unseated Republicans in New York congressional races earlier this month. Now, that trio — Gillen, John Mannion and Josh Riley — is preparing to settle into a Washington ruled by Republicans. 

All three were in Washington over the past week, learning the ropes ahead of their January swearing in. 

What You Need To Know

  • The three Democrats who unseated Republicans in New York congressional races this month were in Washington this week, learning the ropes ahead of their January swearing in

  • Laura Gillen, Josh Riley and John Mannion indicated they are happy to forge a bipartisan record when possible, working with Donald Trump’s White House on things like raising the cap on the state and local tax deduction (SALT) or immigration reform

  • But the trio is also declaring red lines, where they will do their best to be a check on the president’s power 

In interviews with Spectrum News, all three indicated they are happy to forge a bipartisan record when possible, working with Donald Trump’s White House — if it helps constituents back home. 

“Trump’s in. He says he wants to secure our border. Let’s start hammering out a deal on that,” Gillen said.

“When Trump was on the campaign trail talking about no tax on tips, talking about getting rid of the SALT cap, talking about ending the tax on social security benefits — if he was serious about those things, those are things that I could support,” Riley, who won a district stretching from Ithaca to the Hudson Valley, said. 

But the trio is also declaring red lines, where they will do their best to be a check on the president’s power. 

Riley said he would not support “more tax cuts for billionaires like Elon Musk, more tax cuts for corporations that are shipping jobs overseas.” 

Mannion, a former teacher, said, “When we talk about dismantling the Department of Education — that’s a problem.”

Mannion will represent the Syracuse region, the future home of a major semiconductor plant made possible, in part, by one of President Joe Biden’s cornerstone accomplishments: the CHIPS and Science Act, passed in 2022. 

In October, Trump said the “chips deal” is “so bad.” And in the days before the election, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said his party could try to repeal the law, before backtracking and seeking to clarify his comments.

Mannion, speaking with Spectrum News, pledged to preserve the law.

“It’s already been negotiated. We shouldn't change it. The investments are already happening, hiring is already happening, permitting is already happening, and we’re moving forward. Let’s continue that,” he said.

One of the next big steps for these new members will be committee assignments. 

Riley said he is going to ask to be on the Agriculture Committee, to work on issues for his rural district. Mannion pointed to committees focused on transportation and infrastructure or education issues as his preference.