Almost Too Comfortable

            Eliot Engel is the incumbent representative for the sixteenth district of New York. He has been a representative for twelve years so far, but has been recently appointed to the sixteenth district due to redistricting. He is currently running unopposed within the district due to the potential competitor being disqualified.

            Representatives in congress get reelected every two years, which makes getting things done within the districts very difficult. Some representatives are so worried about reelection that nothing really gets done within the districts, which can pose an issue. Races such as the race between Israel and Lally in New York could be very competitive and could lead to issues not being addressed within the district because of such a focus on reelection. While catering to the needs of your district is very important, I feel as though that has a tendency to take a back seat during elections. Campaigning starts to become the most important part of a representative’s time in Congress because of the short term.

            However, some might argue the latter. That because Engel is the incumbent and is not seeking reelection that he would be able to focus more on issues within the district and find ways to resolve them. While I agree with that as well, it also makes me wonder how much would actually be getting done, since Engel is not seeking reelection. I believe that everything will turn out the way it should when it comes to reelection, and that things will get done within the districts, however I think that it is important that incumbents also remain focused on the needs of their districts.