Nicholas Langworthy and the Curse of Western New York's Congressional Delegation

Seven Western New York congressmen saw their careers end unexpectedly. Langworthy worked for two, dealt with another's scandal, and won his seat after a fourth stepped aside. Now he's won a third term.

8-minute read | Western New York political history

Over the past three decades, Western New York has watched an unusual number of congressmen leave office under a cloud. Some resigned in disgrace. Others saw promising careers collapse because of scandal, political miscalculation, or a break with their own party.

Call it the curse of Western New York's congressional delegation. The seven cases have different explanations, but each involves a congressional career that ended unexpectedly. Together, they offer a revealing history of political ambition, scandal, and survival.

Rep. Nicholas Langworthy, reelected November 3, 2026, to a third term, has followed a different path. He worked for Tom Reynolds and Chris Lee, participated in efforts to replace Chris Collins on the ballot, and won his congressional seat after Chris Jacobs abandoned his reelection campaign. For Langworthy, the political troubles of other Western New York congressmen have sometimes created opportunities rather than obstacles.

Bill Paxon and the Failed Coup

Bill Paxon represented Western New York in Congress from 1989 to 1999. He rose quickly through Republican leadership, becoming chairman of the House Republican Conference. Many considered him a possible future Speaker of the House.

In 1997, Paxon became associated with an unsuccessful effort to remove Speaker Newt Gingrich. Gingrich had been reprimanded and fined $300,000 over ethics violations involving tax-exempt funds used for political purposes. He had also taken much of the blame for the 1995–96 government shutdowns.

Some Republican leaders believed Gingrich had become a political liability. Their attempted leadership change collapsed when they failed to secure enough support. Gingrich survived, but Paxon's position within Republican leadership deteriorated.

Paxon resigned his leadership position in July 1997, although he denied participating in the effort to remove Gingrich. In February 1998, he announced that he would retire from Congress rather than challenge Majority Leader Dick Armey. Paxon cited the demands of congressional leadership on family life, although his decision also followed months of Republican infighting.

A congressional career that once appeared headed toward the Speaker's chair ended amid Republican infighting. Paxon was only 43 when he announced his retirement. His departure became an early example of the political instability that would mark Western New York's congressional delegation.

Tom Reynolds and the Congressional Page Scandal

From 1999 to 2009, Thomas M. Reynolds represented a district stretching from the Buffalo suburbs toward Rochester. He became chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, one of the party's most influential positions. His responsibilities included helping Republicans win and retain congressional seats nationwide.

Then came the Mark Foley scandal. In 2006, Foley, a Florida Republican, resigned after sexually explicit messages he had sent to teenage male congressional pages became public. The revelations raised questions about what Republican leaders knew and why they had not acted sooner.

Reynolds had learned about earlier, troubling emails from Foley and said he reported the matter to Speaker Dennis Hastert in 2005. Hastert later said he did not recall the conversation. A House Ethics Committee investigation criticized failures in handling warnings about Foley but did not establish a specific House rule violation by Reynolds.

The political damage was substantial. Democrats accused Reynolds of failing to act forcefully enough to protect the pages. His previously comfortable district became one of the nation's most competitive congressional races.

Reynolds narrowly won reelection in 2006 but announced his retirement in 2008. His political influence had diminished, and his congressional career ended after ten years. A politician who had helped direct Republican congressional campaigns nationwide was leaving Washington.

One of the young political operatives who worked for Reynolds was Nicholas Langworthy. He joined Reynolds' district staff while finishing college and later managed his 2006 reelection campaign. The experience gave Langworthy firsthand knowledge of congressional operations and difficult campaigns.

Reynolds' congressional career ended, but Langworthy's political career was beginning. Langworthy had learned how to organize a congressional campaign and work with constituents. He soon put that experience to work for Reynolds' successor.

Chris Lee's Selfie

Republican Chris Lee succeeded Reynolds in Congress in 2009. A businessman from Clarence, Lee had worked in his family's manufacturing business before entering politics. He won his first congressional election in 2008 and secured a second term by a wide margin in 2010.

His congressional career appeared secure. Lee was a married father who cultivated a conventional Republican image. Nothing in his electoral performance suggested that his time in Congress was about to end.

Then, on February 9, 2011, Gawker published a shirtless photograph and emails Lee had sent to a woman he contacted through Craigslist. Lee had described himself as a divorced, 39-year-old lobbyist. In reality, he was a married, 46-year-old congressman.

The photograph showed Lee posing shirtless in front of a mirror. The woman reportedly ended their correspondence after discovering that he had misrepresented his identity. The photograph and emails quickly became a national political story.

Lee resigned the same day the story appeared. He apologized for the harm his actions had caused his family, staff, and constituents. His congressional career had lasted just over two years.

Langworthy had another direct connection to a congressman whose career ended in scandal. He managed Lee's successful 2008 congressional campaign and subsequently served as his district office director. Their professional relationship gave Langworthy experience in both congressional campaigning and district operations.

Langworthy had now worked for two Western New York Republican congressmen whose careers ended unexpectedly. Reynolds retired following a damaging political scandal, while Lee resigned after his Craigslist correspondence became public. Langworthy continued his political career, eventually becoming chairman of the New York State Republican Committee.

Eric Massa's Tickling Scandal

Eric Massa, a Democrat and retired Navy officer, represented New York's 29th Congressional District across the Southern Tier. He defeated Republican incumbent Randy Kuhl in 2008 after narrowly losing to him two years earlier. His congressional career lasted approximately fourteen months.

In March 2010, Massa resigned amid allegations that he had sexually harassed male staff members. He initially cited health problems, including concerns about cancer, as a reason for leaving Congress. Reports of inappropriate conduct soon dominated the story.

In televised interviews, Massa acknowledged groping and tickling a male aide during a birthday celebration, although he denied that the contact was sexual. His explanations shifted as the controversy intensified. The House Ethics Committee investigation ended when he resigned.

Years later, ABC News reported that Congress had paid nearly $100,000 to settle harassment claims brought by former Massa staff members. The settlements drew renewed attention to the secrecy surrounding congressional misconduct claims. Massa's departure had already created a political opening in the Southern Tier.

Republican Tom Reed won the special election to replace Massa in November 2010. Massa's congressional career was over, and another Western New York representative had entered Congress under unusual circumstances. The curse had claimed another congressman.

Tom Reed's Misconduct Accusation

Tom Reed, a lawyer and former mayor of Corning, won the 2010 special election following Massa's resignation. He remained in Congress for nearly twelve years, representing communities across the Southern Tier. Reed routinely won reelection by comfortable margins and became a prominent member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

By early 2021, Reed was considering a campaign for governor of New York. He had developed a reputation as a Republican willing to work with Democrats on selected issues. His political future appeared to extend beyond his congressional district.

Then The Washington Post published allegations from Nicolette Davis, a former lobbyist who said Reed had sexually harassed her at a Minneapolis pub in 2017. Davis alleged that Reed, who appeared intoxicated, touched her back and unhooked her bra. Reed initially disputed her account.

Days later, Reed apologized publicly and acknowledged that the incident occurred while he was struggling with alcohol. He said he had subsequently sought treatment. He also announced that he would not seek reelection in 2022.

Reed resigned from Congress on May 10, 2022, before completing his term. A House Ethics Committee investigation remained pending when he left office. His resignation followed the misconduct controversy, although he also cited a new professional opportunity.

Reed had another connection to Langworthy. Both served on Donald Trump's 2016 presidential transition team, with Reed named a vice chair and Langworthy a member of its executive committee. Their participation placed them in the same national Republican political organization before Langworthy entered Congress.

Reed's departure added another unexpected ending to Western New York's congressional history. His resignation came only weeks before Chris Jacobs announced that he would not seek reelection. Together, those departures reshaped the region's congressional representation.

Chris Collins' Felony

Chris Collins, a businessman from Clarence and former Erie County Executive, entered Congress in 2013 after defeating Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul in 2012. Collins became one of Donald Trump's earliest congressional supporters. In February 2016, he was the first sitting member of Congress to endorse Trump for president.

Collins and Langworthy shared a significant political connection. Both served on Trump's 2016 presidential transition executive committee, while Tom Reed served as a vice chair. Their involvement reflected their established relationships within Republican politics.

Then came August 8, 2018. Federal authorities arrested Collins and charged him with insider trading and making false statements. The charges arose from his involvement with an Australian biotechnology company, Innate Immunotherapeutics.

Collins served on the company's board and learned that a major drug trial had failed. Prosecutors said he passed that confidential information to his son, who sold shares before the news became public. The sales helped family members and associates avoid substantial financial losses.

Collins temporarily suspended his reelection campaign. Republican leaders scrambled to find a way to replace him on the ballot. They feared an indicted incumbent could jeopardize a district that had ordinarily favored Republicans.

Among those trying to arrange Collins' replacement was Nicholas Langworthy, then chairman of the Erie County Republican Committee. Langworthy and other Republican officials explored ways to substitute another candidate. But Collins reversed his decision and remained in the race.

Langworthy publicly expressed frustration with Collins' reversal. He compared the experience to being a jilted groom at the altar. Republican leaders had spent weeks preparing a replacement strategy, only to discover that Collins would not cooperate.

Then something remarkable happened. Despite his federal indictment, Collins won reelection in November 2018. His victory was narrow, not the easy win Republican leaders had expected.

His political survival did not last. Collins resigned on September 30, 2019, and pleaded guilty the following day to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and making a false statement to the FBI. A federal judge sentenced him to 26 months in prison.

President Trump pardoned Collins in December 2020, after Collins had begun serving his sentence. Trump himself was convicted in May 2024 of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in New York. The cases involved different conduct, but both men had previously served on the same presidential transition organization as Langworthy.

Collins attempted a political comeback in Florida in 2026. He entered the Republican primary for the state's 19th Congressional District. He finished fifth in the August primary, receiving 6,608 votes.

The former congressman who survived a federal indictment and won reelection in Western New York could not win a Republican primary in Florida. His story raises a larger question about congressional accountability. If a representative can win reelection while facing federal criminal charges, what does it take for voters to remove an incumbent?

Chris Jacobs' Stand on Guns

Chris Jacobs entered Congress in 2020 after serving as Erie County Clerk and a New York state senator. A Republican with an established political career, Jacobs had strong support from gun-rights organizations. He held an A rating from the National Rifle Association.

Then two mass shootings changed his position on gun legislation. On May 14, 2022, a gunman killed ten people at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo. Ten days later, another gunman killed nineteen children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Jacobs publicly supported restrictions on assault weapons and raising the minimum age for purchasing certain firearms to 21. He also supported restrictions on high-capacity magazines and civilian access to military-style body armor. His position represented a significant break with many Republican leaders.

His announcement angered Republican officials and gun-rights organizations. The New York Conservative Party withdrew its support. Jacobs faced the prospect of a bitter Republican primary against opponents who considered his position unacceptable.

On June 3, 2022, Jacobs announced that he would not seek reelection. He said he wanted to avoid an intensely negative campaign over his position on guns. He also maintained that he believed he could win despite the controversy.

Jacobs had not been accused of criminal conduct or personal misconduct. His political difficulties arose because he broke with his party on a major policy issue. Unlike several predecessors, his departure followed a public policy disagreement rather than a personal scandal.

His decision created the opening Nicholas Langworthy needed to enter Congress. Langworthy announced his candidacy for New York's 23rd Congressional District shortly afterward. He defeated Carl Paladino in the Republican primary and won the November general election.

Jacobs' decision not to seek reelection gave Langworthy an opportunity that had not existed weeks earlier. For Jacobs, changing his position on gun legislation preceded the end of his congressional career. For Langworthy, it opened the door to Washington.

The Man the Curse Keeps Missing

Nicholas Langworthy won his third term in Congress on November 3, 2026. His political career has continued while those of several predecessors and political associates ended unexpectedly. His connections to Western New York's congressional history are unusually extensive.

He worked for Tom Reynolds, whose career suffered from the congressional page scandal. He managed Chris Lee's successful campaign and served as his district office director before Lee resigned over his Craigslist correspondence. He participated in efforts to replace Chris Collins on the 2018 ballot and won his congressional seat after Chris Jacobs abandoned his reelection campaign.

Langworthy also served alongside Collins on Trump's 2016 presidential transition executive committee. Tom Reed, another congressman whose career ended unexpectedly, served as a vice chair of that team. These relationships connect Langworthy to five of the seven congressmen discussed here.

But Langworthy's voting record raises a different question about political accountability. His congressional career has not been defined by the personal scandals that ended several predecessors' careers. Instead, the question concerns his legislative decisions and their consequences for constituents.

Langworthy voted for the final House passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 3, 2025, when it passed 218–214. The legislation reduces projected federal spending on Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program while extending tax provisions. Republicans defended it as a measure to reduce federal spending and tighten eligibility requirements, while critics warned of reduced access to healthcare and food assistance.

The potential consequences for Western New York are substantial. As previously reported by WesternNYPolitics, a Public Citizen analysis identified several hospitals in Langworthy's district as financially vulnerable to Medicaid funding reductions. The report identified hospitals at risk, not hospitals certain to close.

On January 8, 2026, Langworthy voted against H.R. 1834, legislation extending enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for three years. The House nevertheless approved the measure, 230–196, with seventeen Republicans joining Democrats. The enhanced subsidies had expired at the end of 2025, exposing many marketplace insurance customers to higher premiums.

On the Jeffrey Epstein files, Langworthy opposed a July 2025 Rules Committee amendment intended to advance disclosure and did not sign the discharge petition used to bring the legislation forward. He also voted for H.Res. 589, a separate procedural measure. He ultimately voted for the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 18, 2025, when it passed the House 427–1.

Langworthy and other Republicans defend their positions on federal spending, taxes, and congressional procedures. Critics argue that reductions in healthcare and food assistance impose substantial costs on constituents who depend on those programs. The dispute concerns policy choices and their consequences, not allegations of personal misconduct.

Yet voters returned Langworthy to Congress for another term. His 2026 reelection illustrates the strength of Republican support in NY-23. It also demonstrates the difficulty Democrats face when challenging an incumbent in a district with a substantial Republican advantage.

His Democratic challenger, Aaron Gies, mounted an extensive campaign, traveling throughout the district and organizing dozens of in-person town halls. His campaign set a goal of 100 town halls in 100 days, and Gies reported holding approximately 60 by October 6. His campaign emphasized direct contact with voters across the Southern Tier and Western New York.

Gies improved on Thomas Carle's 2024 performance. Carle received 34.2% of the vote, while WSKG reported that Gies received 39.7% in unofficial returns on November 5, 2026. Langworthy received 60.3%, a margin of 20.6 percentage points, compared with his 31.6-point margin in 2024.

The result illustrates the difficulty of winning as a Democrat in NY-23. Republicans have a substantial voter-registration advantage, and Langworthy has won three consecutive elections by wide margins. A different outcome would require a substantial change in voting patterns or the district's political composition.

Is the Real Curse a Lack of Accountability?

Western New York's congressional history offers several different examples of political careers ending unexpectedly. Bill Paxon lost a struggle for Republican leadership. Tom Reynolds retired after a scandal damaged his political standing.

Chris Lee and Eric Massa resigned following revelations about their personal conduct. Tom Reed left Congress after a misconduct controversy. Chris Collins resigned following a federal criminal prosecution.

Chris Jacobs presents a different case. He gave up his congressional seat after taking a policy position that his own party would not accept. His decision showed that a disagreement with party leaders can threaten a political career even without allegations of personal wrongdoing.

There is no single explanation for these departures. Some involved misconduct, others involved political conflict, and several combined both. The common thread is the unexpected end of a congressional career.

Collins' reelection in 2018 illustrates how strongly voters can remain attached to an incumbent, even when that representative faces serious criminal charges. Voters returned Collins to Congress after his indictment. His career ended only when he resigned and pleaded guilty.

Langworthy's reelection raises a related, although different, question. His supporters returned him to Congress despite votes on healthcare, food assistance, and government transparency that critics argue run counter to the interests of many constituents. His electoral margins demonstrate that those criticisms have not persuaded enough voters to replace him.

Voters have reasons for supporting candidates beyond individual votes. Party loyalty, national issues, political philosophy, and satisfaction with a representative's work all influence elections. A single vote rarely determines an election in a district with a strong partisan advantage.

Still, the contrast is striking. Some Western New York congressmen lost their careers over personal scandals. Chris Jacobs lost his party's support after changing his position on gun legislation, while Chris Collins survived an indictment at the ballot box but eventually resigned after pleading guilty.

Langworthy's career has taken a different course. He has worked with several of the congressmen whose careers ended unexpectedly, and Jacobs' departure created the opportunity for Langworthy's election to Congress. Voters have now returned Langworthy to Washington for a third term.

Seven Western New York congressional careers ended under unusual circumstances. Rep. Nicholas Langworthy begins his third term in January 2027. Coincidentally, the third term was the median point at which the other seven congressmen encountered the political troubles that eventually ended their congressional careers. Langworthy's political career has survived the controversies surrounding these congressmen and criticism of his own legislative record. So far, the curse has passed Nicholas Langworthy by.