Veteran Alissa Ellman Takes on Trump Ally in New York’s Rural 24th District

Democratic nominee Alissa Ellman is contesting Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney in New York’s 24th congressional district, offering a down-to-earth progressive populist agenda centered on rising costs, health care reform and pragmatic gun policies.

Alissa Ellman, a 42-year-old veteran who contracted a fatal-risk cancer after exposure to toxic burn pits in Afghanistan, recovered through Veterans Administration care and later helped other veterans as a VA employee. In February 2025 she was among the first federal staffers dismissed by Elon Musk’s administration, a move that propelled her onto the national stage when Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer invited her to the State of the Union as a symbolic guest.

Now the Democratic nominee for New York’s 24th congressional district, she faces incumbent Claudia Tenney, noted for her ultra-MAGA stance and a proposal to make President Donald Trump’s birthday a national holiday. Ellman’s campaign focuses on tangible issues such as soaring electricity costs, high food and gas prices, and the burden of maintaining a household vehicle, arguing that voters need step-by-step solutions rather than abstract promises.

She advocates a targeted rollout of Medicare for All, starting with physical-labor workers and extending coverage to those aged 45 and up, and urges gun-law reforms that engage rural gun owners. By emphasizing shared concerns like hunting, fishing and fiscal responsibility, she seeks to bridge the political divide that has fractured families and communities in the district.