# New York's 21st congressional district
New York's 21st congressional district is a [United States House of Representatives](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-house-of-representatives) district covering the North Country and Adirondack region of upstate New York along the Canadian border. It is one of the largest congressional districts geographically in the [Eastern United States](https://www.edgepedia.org/eastern-united-states), spanning mostly rural territory between [Lake Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/lake-ontario), Vermont, and the Adirondack Park, and it has been held by Republican Elise Stefanik since 2015.[1](https://stefanik.house.gov/our-district) • [4](https://legalclarity.org/21st-congressional-district-map-history-and-2026-race/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Geography | More than 15,000 square miles of rural territory along the Canadian border and the Vermont state line, encompassing the Adirondack Park[4](https://legalclarity.org/21st-congressional-district-map-history-and-2026-race/) |
| Counties | Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Lewis, Hamilton, Essex, Warren, Washington, Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, and Schoharie, plus parts of Jefferson, Oneida, and Saratoga[1](https://stefanik.house.gov/our-district) |
| Population | 710,842 (113th Congress census profile); 776,971 for the 119th Congress under the 2020 Decennial Census[2](https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd117/cd_based/ST36/CD117_NY21.pdf) • [3](https://data.census.gov/all?g=500XX00US3621) |
| Density | 47.0 persons per square mile, against 420.1 for New York State and 91.0 for the United States[2](https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd117/cd_based/ST36/CD117_NY21.pdf) |
| Partisan lean | Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+10; Donald Trump won the district by nearly 21 points in the 2024 presidential election[4](https://legalclarity.org/21st-congressional-district-map-history-and-2026-race/) • [6](https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-gets-brutal-reality-check-on-hopes-of-avoiding-wipeout) |
| Representation | Republican Elise Stefanik, reelected in November 2024; in December 2025 she announced she would not seek reelection, leaving the seat open for 2026[5](https://apnews.com/article/faa8152374ab4164868cd983fb949bd1) • [4](https://legalclarity.org/21st-congressional-district-map-history-and-2026-race/) |
## Geography and communities
The district runs from the Lake Ontario and [St. Lawrence River](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-lawrence-river) border with Canada across the [Adirondack Mountains](https://www.edgepedia.org/adirondack-mountains) to the Vermont line, and includes Plattsburgh, Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Lake George, Glens Falls, and the area around [Fort Drum](https://www.edgepedia.org/fort-drum). County seats and population centers are widely scattered across the district's 15,000 square miles, which is reflected in its population density of 47 persons per square mile.[1](https://stefanik.house.gov/our-district) • [2](https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd117/cd_based/ST36/CD117_NY21.pdf) • [4](https://legalclarity.org/21st-congressional-district-map-history-and-2026-race/)
**Notable landmarks and institutions.** The district is home to Fort Drum and the [United States Army](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-army)'s 10th Mountain Division, Lake Placid, site of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, and the birthplace of the women's suffragist [Elizabeth Cady Stanton](https://www.edgepedia.org/elizabeth-cady-stanton). According to the congressional office for the district, the region has the largest population of seniors and one of the largest populations of veterans in New York State.[1](https://stefanik.house.gov/our-district)
## Demographics
The census profile for the 113th Congress recorded a total population of 710,842, a median age of 40.8 years, and 51.4 percent male and 48.6 percent female residents. The 65-and-older share was 16.3 percent, and 56,349 residents aged 18 and older were veterans.[2](https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd117/cd_based/ST36/CD117_NY21.pdf) Housing stock totaled 370,282 units, of which 73.5 percent were occupied and 26.5 percent vacant; among occupied units, 70.1 percent were owner-occupied and 29.9 percent renter-occupied.[2](https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd117/cd_based/ST36/CD117_NY21.pdf) The vacancy rate is high by national standards and corresponds to the district's large inventory of seasonal and second homes in the Adirondacks and the Lake George area.[2](https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd117/cd_based/ST36/CD117_NY21.pdf)
For the 119th Congress, the Census Bureau's 2020 Decennial Census tabulation put the district's total population at 776,971, an increase reflecting the boundary changes made after the 2020 redistricting cycle.[3](https://data.census.gov/all?g=500XX00US3621)
## Politics and representation
The district has been a Republican stronghold for generations, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+10, meaning its presidential voting ran about ten points more Republican than the nation as a whole in recent elections.[4](https://legalclarity.org/21st-congressional-district-map-history-and-2026-race/) Donald Trump won the district by nearly 21 points in the 2024 presidential election.[6](https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-gets-brutal-reality-check-on-hopes-of-avoiding-wipeout) [Elise Stefanik](https://www.edgepedia.org/elise-stefanik), a Republican first elected in 2014, won reelection in November 2024.[5](https://apnews.com/article/faa8152374ab4164868cd983fb949bd1) In December 2025 she announced that she would not seek reelection, making the 2026 race the district's first open-seat contest in years.[4](https://legalclarity.org/21st-congressional-district-map-history-and-2026-race/)
## Redistricting history
New York's congressional maps have changed repeatedly since 2020. The lines used for the 2022 elections were drawn by a court-appointed special master after the state's earlier map was struck down.[4](https://legalclarity.org/21st-congressional-district-map-history-and-2026-race/) In February 2024, the state's bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission approved a new congressional plan, submitted to the [Legislature](https://www.edgepedia.org/legislature) on February 15, 2024,[10](https://www.nyirc.gov/congressional-plan-2024) and Governor Kathy Hochul signed a Democrat-drawn map on February 28, 2024. Reporting on the 2024 map noted that it made modest changes concentrated in a handful of suburban districts while leaving most districts, including NY-21, largely in place.[9](https://apnews.com/article/5a9f38b0a9058d4a2038d1008514c8e8)
## The 2026 open seat
With Stefanik not running, the November 3, 2026 general election pits Republican Anthony Constantino, a political newcomer, against Democrat Blake Gendebien for the open seat.[7](https://chamberlight.com/elections/2026/ny/house/21) Campaign finance filings through June 30, 2026 recorded about $9.5 million raised by Constantino and $5.5 million by Gendebien.[8](https://knowyourreps.io/races/2026/new-york/district-21) The race has drawn national attention because Democrats see the open seat as one of their few opportunities in a heavily Republican district. A Siena College poll reported in late 2026 showed Gendebien leading Constantino 46 percent to 42 percent, and the Cook Political Report shifted the race from "solid" to "likely" Republican; its analysis described Constantino as a "uniquely polarizing figure" and noted that the trade war with Canada had hurt President Trump's image in the border district.[11](https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/54021/20260930/election-forecaster-shifts-ny-21-race-from-solid-to-likely-republican) • [12](https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-hit-with-brutal-blow-in-struggle-to-keep-power)
## References
1. [Our District, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik](https://stefanik.house.gov/our-district)
2. [Congressional District 21 Profile (113th Congress), U.S. Census Bureau](https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd117/cd_based/ST36/CD117_NY21.pdf)
3. [Total Population in Congressional District 21 (119th Congress), New York, U.S. Census Bureau](https://data.census.gov/all?g=500XX00US3621)
4. [21st Congressional District: Map, History, and 2026 Race, LegalClarity](https://legalclarity.org/21st-congressional-district-map-history-and-2026-race/)
5. [AP Race Call: Republican Elise Stefanik wins reelection in New York's 21st Congressional District](https://apnews.com/article/faa8152374ab4164868cd983fb949bd1)
6. [Trump Gets Brutal Reality Check on Hopes of Avoiding Wipeout, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-gets-brutal-reality-check-on-hopes-of-avoiding-wipeout)
7. [New York's 21st Congressional District 2026: Gendebien vs. Constantino, ChamberLight](https://chamberlight.com/elections/2026/ny/house/21)
8. [New York's 21st District Candidates 2026 (NY-21), KnowYourReps](https://knowyourreps.io/races/2026/new-york/district-21)
9. [New York redistricting panel approves new congressional map, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/5a9f38b0a9058d4a2038d1008514c8e8)
10. [Congressional Plan 2024, New York State Independent Redistricting Commission](https://www.nyirc.gov/congressional-plan-2024)
11. [Election forecaster shifts NY-21 race from 'solid' to 'likely' Republican, NCPR News](https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/54021/20260930/election-forecaster-shifts-ny-21-race-from-solid-to-likely-republican)
12. [Republicans Hit With Brutal Blow in Struggle to Keep Power, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-hit-with-brutal-blow-in-struggle-to-keep-power)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Elections and representation › Constituencies and electoral divisions › Other countries' constituencies and electoral districts*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license