It’s been a long road for Congressman John Katko (R-24), who gave his farewell address in Washington, D.C. earlier this week.
First elected to the 24th District, which included Wayne and Cayuga counties in 2014, he served the purple district well fighting off challenges over the years from Democrats. He vowed to never get too comfortable in Washington.
He served four terms, all the while sleeping on the couch in his office. “I had a pull-out couch that was quite comfortable so I coudln’t let it go so I drove my pickup down last week and I came home last night with my couch in the back,” he recalled. “I just put it in my garage. I can’t get rid of it.”
Katko was among 10 Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump. That move made him a target moving forward. He said the threats that followed didn’t deter him from holding office or doing his job. In fact, it brought him back to his days as a prosecutor.
After redistricting from the 2020 census there weren’t as many swing seats, which meant a future candidate like Katko, who attempted to blend the line and vote with both sides would be a tough sell.
Most of his district is turning into the new 22nd district, while part of it will remain in the 24th.
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