CAZENOVIA, N.Y. (AP) — A first-term Republican in Congress whose brash rhetoric has been compared to President Donald Trump is softening her tone as she faces a Democratic challenger in a hotly contested race in upstate New York.
Claudia Tenney was an early Trump supporter who backed his tax overhaul and the bid to repeal the Affordable Care Act. She has claimed, without presenting evidence, many people who commit mass murders are Democrats and once circulated a petition to prosecute and lock up Hillary Clinton.
Now Tenney says she doesn't always agree with the president, but their close relationship allows her to advocate for her district.
She faces Democrat Anthony Brindisi in a close race. The district went big for Trump in 2016 and covers a swath of upstate New York that includes Binghamton and Utica.
