With 97.6% of the vote in, Democrat Josh Riley is expected to beat incumbent Rep. Marc Molinaro, a freshman congressman, in the race for the 19th Congressional District. The Associated Press declared Riley the winner in the contest at 1:24 a.m. Wednesday.

Molinaro has not conceded the election due to his campaign trailing Riley by roughly 3,500 votes, and due to outstanding absentee ballots that have not been counted, he said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

Molinaro said in a statement Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, there were over 12,000 absentee and affidavit ballots that have not been tallied.

"These ballots will decide the race, and we have to be sure every legal vote is counted," he said. "Whatever the results end up being, I will accept it, and am beyond grateful to my family, friends, and supporters."

The 19th Congressional District stretches from the Massachusetts border to the Finger Lakes region.

Riley's lead Wednesday afternoon was less than 4,000 votes, equaling 1%, on his way to grabbing 48.99% of the vote versus Molinaro at 47.99%. Riley's vote total shortly Wednesday stood at 180,528 votes while Molinaro totaled 176,850 votes, according the state Board of Elections.

The two candidates in the closely watched congressional contest had been in a virtual dead heat at midnight Wednesday with 93% of votes counted. Riley had 179,760 votes, or 48.98%, leading by 3,618 votes over Molinaro, who had 176,142 while pulling in 47.99% of the vote.

Riley previously ran against Molinaro in 2022, but lost the election by less than 5,000 votes while grabbing about 49% of the vote.

"Around here, we give each other the benefit of the doubt. When we face adversity, we pull together and push through," Riley said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday night. "We fight for the underdog, the overlooked and the left behind. Those are upstate New York's values, and I am going to take them with me to Congress."

Riley made gains in votes Tuesday over his 2022 number in Columbia, Ulster and Tompkins counties, as well as part of Rensselaer County, which replaced Tioga County in the 19th District this year through redistricting. Molinaro improved his turnout in Cortland and Otsego counties.

Riley, an lawyer from Ithaca, campaigned on his support for abortion rights as well as calling for stronger border controls to counter Republican criticisms of federal immigration policy. Before he ran for office, Riley had once been a policy analyst at U.S. Department of Labor and previously served as general counsel to former U.S. Sen. Al Franken.

Molinaro, who lives in Catskill with his wife and four children, sought his second term in Congress.

He previously served as the mayor of Tivoli, in Dutchess County, in 1995, becoming one of the youngest mayors in the country at that time. Molinaro also previously held a seat in the 103rd District in the state Assembly, and was previously elected to serve as a Dutchess County legislator and Dutchess County executive.

The 2024 19th Congressional District election was one of the closest and most expensive races in New York history, according to the state Board of Elections.

Riley raised more money than his opponent, and he spent more than Molinaro raised. As of Oct. 16, Riley raised $8,639,504 and spent $7,548,756 while Molinaro raised $5,095,761 and spent $4,477,503, according to opensecrets.org , a research group that tracks money in U.S. politics.

Molinaro, who claimed to be the most bipartisan member of Congress, said securing the border was one of the most important issues facing Americans and he opposed a national abortion ban.

The results of Tuesday's race for the 19th Congressional District were disappointing, Greene County Republican Committee Chairperson Brent Bogardus said Wednesday.

"I think Marc [Molinaro] is a terrific congressman, and being the second-most bipartisan member of Congress is exactly what we need,” he said.

Tuesday's congressional election was decided by people who do not live in the 19th Congressional District, Bogardus said.

"It was decided by second homeowners, and I think its tragic that a race like this is decided by people who primary residence is not here," he said. "That was disappointing to see, but that's the harsh reality of politics in New York state.”

Bogardus said it was unfair for people who do not live in the district full time to decide the outcome of the election.

“In my mind, that's not right that the people who live here full time have had their congressional representative decided by people who don’t live here full time,” he said.

Columbia County's efforts in the election made a difference in the results, Columbia County Democratic Committee Chairperson Sam Hodge said in a statement Wednesday.

"We’re a small county that consistently punches above its weight. Last night was no different," he said.

In Columbia County, 19,084 people, or 55.76%, voted for Riley, while 15,105, 44.14%, voted for Molinaro, a difference of 3,979 voters, according to the Columbia County Board of Elections.

"Columbia County’s efforts were the difference," Hodge said. "Our work may dictate whether they have complete control of the government or whether there is a vigorous check on their power. This bright spot in an otherwise bleak evening must be celebrated. It’s proof that what we’re doing is meaningful; what we’re doing is consequential."

Mark D. Taylor, vice chairperson of the Columbia County Republican Committee, said Wednesday the committee was working closely with Molinaro's staff while waiting for the final ballots in the election to be tallied.

"Everyone is eagerly awaiting final ballots to be counted across NY19," he said. "There are still 12,000 votes to be counted. The race is too close to call, and we remain optimistic. This race is a prime example that every vote counts."