To support student journalism and the content you love, become a member of The Daily Orange today.

Republican Brandon Williams defeated Democratic opponent Francis Conole for New York’s 22nd District, NBC News called late Monday night.

Steve Kornacki, a national political correspondent for the network, announced the call on Twitter. A little under a week since Election Day, Democrats control 206 seats in the House of Representatives while Republicans now hold 214.

According to The New York Times, Williams has a lead of just over 4,000 votes with over 95% of the vote counted as Nov. 14 at 11:00 p.m.

Williams declared victory on Wednesday, telling his election night crowd “we’re going to Washington, D.C.,” CNY Central reported. Later that morning, he changed his Twitter account’s biography to read “Congressman-elect for NY-22.”

While Conole won the district’s largest county, Onondaga County, Williams carried Oneida, Madison and Oswego Counties by double digit margins.

Shortly after NBC News called the election, the Associated Press declared Williams the winner.

Williams, who campaigned around being “a patriot, not a politician,” said he supports stricter mandatory sentences for violent crime and Democratic initiatives for mandating background checks for gun purchases and opposes cashless bail.

In the general election’s first debate, Williams called himself a pro-life candidate, only allowing for exceptions regarding rape, incest and the mother’s life. During the debate, he also criticized recently passed Democratic legislation, including President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

“We keep coming back to issues way down on the priority list,” said Williams. “The truth is, when you go to the grocery store, decide who you want to vote for. When you fill up the car, decide who you’re going to vote for. We can’t afford to feed our homes.”

Published on November 14, 2022 at 11:24 pm