Kyle Van De Water Announces Run for 19th District Congressional Seat

MILLBROOK — Republican Kyle Van De Water of Millbrook formally announced his candidacy for New York’s 19th Congressional District on Wednesday.

“With the complete support of my wife and children, our family and friends, and now the majority of the Republican county committees that make up the 19th District, I am excited to announce that I am running for Congress,” Van De Water said.

Van De Water is the fourth Republican to announce a bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado of Rhinebeck in 2020. He joins Ola Hawatmeh of Poughkeepsie and Mike Roth of Ellenville in seeking the Republican nomination. Anthony German of Oneonta announced Jan. 14 he was dropping out of the race.

“Congressman Delgado has held 34 town halls across the district where he has heard from constituents about the need for affordable and accessible health care, investing in our infrastructure, including broadband, supporting our veterans, and empowering our family farmers,” said John Bivona, Delgado’s campaign adviser.

“That’s why he has stayed focused on introducing bills like the Medicare-X Choice Act, the Rebuild Rural America Act, the Military Spouse Hiring Act and the Family Farmer Relief Act, which was signed into law by the President,” Bivona said.

Hawatmeh said she is not dropping out of the race.

“If we need to go to a primary, we’ll go to a primary,” said Hawatmeh, a fashion designer and breast cancer survivor.

Hawatmeh plans to meet with the political director at the White House on Monday.

“It’s a one-on-one meeting to get the President’s endorsement,” she said.

Van de Water is employed by Corbally, Gartland & Rappleyea in Poughkeepsie. According to the law firm’s website, Van de Water focuses on litigation, military law, tax assessments, traffic law and municipal law. He is also a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

Van de Water was appointed a Millbrook Village Trustee by Mayor Rod Brown, the village clerk’s office confirmed. He was sworn in on Dec. 21, 2017 and served through 2018.

Van de Water was born in Rhinebeck and raised in Poughkeepsie. He attended Spackenkill High School, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Albany Law School. He lives in Millbrook with his wife and four children.

An active duty member of the U.S. Army since 2006, Van de Water worked as an attorney at the U.S. Military Academy before being deployed to Afghanistan. He received an honorable discharge in 2014.

New York’s 19th Congressional District includes the counties of Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster and parts of Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery and Rensselaer counties.