U.S. House · New York's 26th District

Western New York, including Buffalo and most of Erie County, plus Niagara Falls and part of Niagara County.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

✓ Fact-checked 2026-09-25: 13 claims re-checked against their sources · 2 corrected · 0 removed

A second, independent research pass re-opened every cited source for this race and corrected or removed anything the source didn’t support.

  • Kennedy's record item called H.R. 9382 'the NEXUS for Families Act'; the official bill text (govinfo.gov) and GovTrack page contain no such short title -- removed the fabricated title, kept the accurate description of what the bill does.
  • Hannon's background item 'Works as a technology professional' was cited to the race-overview page (s1), which does not contain that fact; it is actually on his own Ballotpedia Candidate Connection page (s3), so re-cited it there.

On the ballot · 2 candidates

Where they stand — side by side

Only positions documented in a cited source are shown. Where an officeholder’s recorded votes speak to an issue, the votes set the position (marked “votes”). A dash means we found no clear public position — not that the candidate has none.

ISSUETimothy M. Kennedy
D
Dennis Hannon
RC
Expand immigration enforcement and deportationsOpposes[5][6][7][8]votesSupports[3]
Raise taxes on high earners or corporationsSupports[6][7][8]votes—
Expand public health coverageSupports[6][7][8][9]votes—
Faster transition away from fossil fuelsSupports[6][7][8]votes—
Broad tariffs on imported goodsOpposes[10]votes—

The candidates, in full

Timothy M. Kennedy

DINCUMBENTU.S. Representative, NY-26 (since 2024)

Timothy M. Kennedy is the Democratic incumbent, a licensed occupational therapist and former Erie County legislator and NY State Senator who won a 2024 special election to the House. He serves on the Homeland Security and Veterans' Affairs committees and is seeking a first full term.[1][2]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Key votes in Congress

  • YesWar Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · H. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · 2026-06-03 roll call ↗The resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, invoking the War Powers Resolution. It passed the House with support from Democrats and a number of Republicans.
  • YesResolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · H.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · 2026-02-11 roll call ↗The resolution terminates the national emergency the President declared in February 2025 to justify a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, ending that tariff if it becomes law. It passed with a bipartisan majority, including several Republicans who broke with the administration on trade policy.
  • NoConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government funding · H.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · 2026-02-03 roll call ↗The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026.
  • YesBreaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · H.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · 2026-01-08 roll call ↗The bill extends for additional years the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that were expanded in 2021 and had lapsed at the end of 2025, lowering health-insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on ACA marketplaces. It passed with support from nearly all Democrats and a small group of Republicans.
  • YesWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela · H. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · 2025-12-17 roll call ↗The resolution would have directed the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized. It failed after U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela had raised questions in Congress about the administration's legal authority for military action in the region.
  • YesNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passage · S. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · 2025-12-10 roll call ↗The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. It also sets policy on military personnel, procurement, and other Defense Department programs for the year.
  • YesEpstein Files Transparency Act · H.R. 4405 · Passed 427–1 · 2025-11-18 roll call ↗The bill directs the Department of Justice to publicly release its investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, while allowing redactions to protect victim identities, ongoing investigations, and law enforcement techniques. It passed with near-unanimous support.
  • NoContinuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026 — shutdown-ending vote · H.R. 5371 · Passed 222–209 · 2025-11-12 roll call ↗The bill reopened the federal government after a 43-day shutdown by funding most agencies through January 30, 2026, and providing full-year funding for a smaller group of agencies through September 2026. It also reversed shutdown-related federal layoffs and funded SNAP benefits retroactively.
  • NoCLARITY Act — digital asset market structure · H.R. 3633 · Passed 294–134 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The CLARITY Act creates a regulatory framework dividing oversight of digital assets between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It sets registration and disclosure requirements for cryptocurrency exchanges and other digital-asset intermediaries.
  • YesGENIUS Act — stablecoin regulation · S. 1582 · Passed 308–122 · 2025-07-17 roll call ↗The GENIUS Act creates a federal regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, requiring issuers to hold reserves backing their tokens on a one-to-one basis and to comply with new disclosure and licensing rules. It was the first major piece of cryptocurrency legislation enacted into federal law.
  • NoOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 218–214 · 2025-07-03 roll call ↗H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, extends and expands the 2017 tax cuts, adds new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and seniors, and raises the cap on state and local tax deductions. It increases border security and defense spending while cutting projected Medicaid and SNAP spending and adding new work requirements; President Trump signed it into law on July 4, 2025.
  • NoRescissions Act of 2025 · H.R. 4 · Passed 214–212 · 2025-06-12 roll call ↗The Rescissions Act canceled about $9 billion in previously approved federal spending, mostly for foreign aid programs and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was the first rescissions package Congress had approved in decades.
  • NoOne Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · H.R. 1 · Passed 215–214 · 2025-05-22 roll call ↗H.R. 1 extends and modifies the 2017 individual and business tax cuts, creates new deductions for tips and overtime pay, and increases spending on border security and defense. It also reduces projected spending on Medicaid and food-assistance programs and adds new work requirements for some recipients.
  • NoSAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · H.R. 22 · Passed 220–208 · 2025-04-10 roll call ↗The SAVE Act would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person when registering to vote in federal elections. It also directs states to establish procedures to remove noncitizens identified on voter rolls.
  • NoFull-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 · H.R. 1968 · Passed 217–213 · 2025-03-11 roll call ↗The bill funded the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, largely at prior-year spending levels, averting a shutdown ahead of a March 14 deadline. It also extended several expiring health and other program authorizations.
  • NoLaken Riley Act — final passage · S. 5 · Passed 263–156 · 2025-01-22 roll call ↗The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants who are arrested, charged, or convicted for theft, burglary, or certain violent crimes. It also allows state attorneys general to sue the federal government over certain immigration enforcement decisions.

On the record — official actions

  • actionServes on the House Committee on Homeland Security (Emergency Management and Technology; Transportation and Maritime Security subcommittees) and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Economic Opportunity; Oversight and Investigations subcommittees) in the 119th Congress.[2]
  • bill2026-06-22 · Introduced H.R. 9382, requiring U.S. Customs and Border Protection to link together family members' applications throughout the NEXUS trusted-traveler application process; the bill passed the House on September 16, 2026 and was sent to the Senate.[4]

Positions on the issues

  • OpposesExpand immigration enforcement and deportationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations.[5][6][7][8]

  • SupportsExpand public health coverageFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted yes on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08).[6][7][8][9]

  • SupportsFaster transition away from fossil fuelsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits.[6][7][8]

  • SupportsRaise taxes on high earners or corporationsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent.[6][7][8]

  • OpposesBroad tariffs on imported goodsFrom recorded votes

    Voted yes on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11).[10]

Background

  • Born in Buffalo, New York in 1976; earned bachelor's and master's degrees in occupational therapy from D'Youville College in 1999.[2]
  • Worked as a licensed occupational therapist before entering public office.[2]
  • Served on the Erie County legislature from 2004 to 2010 and in the New York State Senate from 2011 to 2024.[2]

Campaign money

Raised $2.3M · spent $1.4M · $1.2M cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Dennis Hannon

RCTechnology professional

Dennis Hannon is a technology professional and first-time candidate running as the Republican and Conservative nominee, with a campaign centered on public safety, lowering costs and child-protection policy.[3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Positions on the issues

  • SupportsExpand immigration enforcement and deportations

    Supports enforcing immigration and worksite laws, focused on serious public safety threats, and cracking down on fentanyl trafficking.[3]

In their words — priorities

  • Public safety, including strengthening cooperation between local and federal agencies, enforcing immigration and worksite laws, and cracking down on fentanyl trafficking.[3]
  • Lowering costs, including tax relief for working-class families and lower prescription drug and healthcare costs, especially for seniors.[3]
  • Child-protection policy, including online privacy protections for minors and opposing gender-affirming medical care for minors.[3]

Background

  • Works as a technology professional.[3]
  • Grew up working in his father's construction business.[3]

Research notes & limits

No campaign website was identified for Dennis Hannon; his priorities and positions come from his 2026 Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. Kennedy has not completed a recent Candidate Connection survey. Federal key votes and FEC totals for incumbent Timothy Kennedy are added separately by script.

Sources · 10

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  2. 2.Tim Kennedy (New York) · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  3. 3.Dennis Hannon · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026 Candidate's own words
  4. 4.H.R. 9382: NEXUS for Families Act · GovTrack.us Official record
  5. 5.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  6. 6.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  7. 7.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  8. 8.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  9. 9.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  10. 10.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record