NY-23: Nicholas A. Langworthy (R)

REPLACING:

Joe Sempolinski (R)[i]

WORK HISTORY:

Office of Former US Representative Thomas Reynolds (Field Representative / Campaign Manager / Field Director); Erie County Republican Committee (Executive Director); Presidential Transition Team (Executive Committee Member); Liberty Opinion Research (President); Erie County Republican Committee (Chairman); New York Republican State Committee (Chairman)[ii]

EDUCATION:

BA, Niagara University[iii]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

An Economy That’s Strong; A Nation That’s Safe; A Future That’s Built on Freedom; A Government That’s Accountable[iv]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

The New York resident has pledged to “protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers” and has criticized a New York law that he said allowed “partial birth” abortions in the state.[v] [vi] In a tweet in support of the Dobbs decision, Langworthy said the ruling will “save the lives of millions of innocent babies.”[vii]

ECONOMY, JOBS & TAXES:

According to his campaign website, Langworthy supports cutting “wasteful government spending” that he says is leading to inflation and a larger national debt. He is also in favor of instituting “pro-growth tax and deregulatory policies,” expanding US manufacturing, and moving US supply chains from China.[viii]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

To lower healthcare costs, Langworthy has advocated for “personalized care […] delivered by trusted doctors,” increasing transparency, choice, and competition, and bolstering access to telemedicine. He has said he supports “sav[ing] and strengthen[ing]” Social Security and Medicare.[ix]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

To enhance border security, Langworthy has called for funding for “effective border enforcement strategies, infrastructure, and advanced technology to prevent illegal crossings and trafficking by cartels.” He has also said he supports ending “catch-and-release loopholes,” requiring legal status to qualify for a job, and ending “welfare incentives.”[x]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

An opponent of defunding police departments, Langworthy supports creating “recruiting bonuses” to hire 200,000 more police officers. He has advocated for “crack[ing] down” on prosecutors who “refuse to prosecute crimes” and “permanently criminalizing all forms of illicit fentanyl.”[xi] He has said that he opposes the death penalty [xii]

GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS & ELECTION SECURITY:

According to his campaign website, to provide transparency and strengthen American institutions, Langworthy supports conducting “rigorous oversight to rein in government abuse of power and corruption” and requiring “White House to answer for its incompetence at home and abroad.” He has advocated for repealing congressional proxy voting and bolstering election security by instituting voter ID laws, maintaining “accurate voter rolls,” and providing “observer access.”[xiii]

EDUCATION:

Langworthy says he will improve American education by advancing the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” regaining “lost learning from school closures,” and promoting “parental choice.” Regarding school sports, he has pledged to ensure that “only women can compete in women’s sports.”[xiv] He opposed the recent Biden administration decision to cancel student debt for certain borrowers.[xv]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Langworthy has said that one of his top priorities is lowering energy costs, and he has called for ending New York’s statewide fracking ban to do so.[xvi] He supports transitioning the United States to energy independence and he previously opposed the cancellation of the Keystone pipeline. [xvii] [xviii]

BIG TECH & DATA PRIVACY:

During the campaign, Langworthy called for “confront[ing]” big tech by providing “greater privacy and data security protections,” giving parents “more tools” to help keep their children safe while using the internet, and stopping companies “from putting politics ahead of people.”[xix]

GUN SAFETY:

A supporter of the Second Amendment, Langworthy announced that he planned to sue Governor Kathy Hochul to challenge the constitutionality of recent laws that placed restrictions on where residents can carry and bolstered the state’s permitting process.[xx] [xxi] In comments during the campaign regarding his views on the guns in New York, Langworthy contended that the state has "the most restrictive gun laws in the country" and that mental health and drug abuse issues also add its gun violence.[xxii] He opposes enacting an assault weapons ban and red flag laws.[xxiii] [xxiv] [xxv]

FOREIGN POLICY:

Among several foreign policy ideas to bolster American national security, Langworthy has said he will seek to create a Select Committee on China.[xxvi]  In recent comments suggesting support for the Trump administration's foreign policies, Langworthy argued, “If anyone thinks that Russia would have invaded the Ukraine if this last presidential election went differently, you've got another thing coming.”[xxvii]