Screen shots taken from debate on WROC-TV: Alissa Ellman, left, and Claudia Tenney debated on Monday night.

ROCHESTER – The candidates for the sprawling 24^th Congressional District debated on Monday night. Allissa Ellman and Claudia Tenney shared their views and at times traded barbs on the debate stage.

Ellman called Tenney “a nepo baby” while Tenney compared her challenger to “a carnival barker” who yells talking points from the far left.

Tenney was first elected to Congress in 2016. She is backed by the Republican and Conservative parties in a district we have a heavy Republican leaning. She said she is a serious legislator who brings money back to the district, posts rationale for her every vote in Congress, and is committed to keeping the country safe.

Ellman, a Democrat, is making her first run for public office. She joined the Army National Guard at age 17, and was deployed for 18 months in Afghanistan as a flight operation specialist.

Tenney, in the beginning of the debate, thanked Ellman for her service. Tenney also noted her son is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and an active duty Major in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Ellman, 42, of Lockport is a disabled veteran, getting diagnosed with a rare cancer associated with exposure to toxic burn pits in Afghanistan. Due to DOGE, she lost her job with the Buffalo Veterans Affairs Administration Office. That launched her more public political life. She was a guest of Sen. Charles Schumer at the State of Union on March 4, 2025.

Ellman said Tenney talks about support for veterans, but her votes often don’t match her rhetoric. Ellman noted Tenney opposed the PACT Act in 2022, which extended health coverage for veterans exposed to burn pit smoke and other environmental hazards that caused cancers and other illnesses during their service.

Tenney said she has a strong record of support for veterans. She voted no on the PACT Act because she said Democrats inserted other unrelated spending.

Tenney used some of her time to rail against Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, communism, and Ellman’s backing by the Working Families Party. Tenney said the Working Families supports an open border and Medicare for All which Tenney said who crush the state financially.

Tenney said she is a strong force against the “onslaught of taxes” in New York State.

Ellman said she isn’t Kathy Hochul and stands on her own convictions. Ellman said she is motivated to run to bring down the high costs of health insurance, and other cost-of-living expenses that she said have shot up due to Donald Trump’s tariffs and war with Iran.

“My name is Alissa Ellman and I’m running for rural New York and no one else,” she said.

Tenney, 65, is from Onedia County. Her father was a state supreme court justice. Tenney worked as an attorney and ran a community pennysaver.

Tenney said she doesn’t support all of Trump’s tariffs, but she said they have been effective in bringing back some supply chains.

She said she strongly supports Israel as an ally, and wants the United States to help Ukraine in fending off Russia. She called Vladimir Putin “an evil dictator.”

Ellman said she doesn’t see Israel as an ally right now, claiming the country is using American resources to commit a genocide in Gaza. Tenney said it’s in dispute if there is a genocide in Gaza, claiming the Hamas are putting out misinformation.

Tenney faulted the Biden administration for a persistent high inflation that has continued into the Trump second term. She praised Trump for his work in closing the border.

Ellman said a major overhaul is needed to the immigration system, which she said is overdue by 50 years. The country needs to allow a legal path for hard-working immigrants in the country.

Tenney supports expanded guest-worker programs for agriculture, including dairy farms, to ensure they have enough workers.

She stated her support for drilling shale to bring down natural gas prices, and stated her support for more nuclear energy. She spoke against the large industrial solar farms which she said have taken away thousands of productive acres of farmland.

Ellman said the 24^th District is suffering from higher costs due to Trump, and Tenney could pressure the president to reverse course. But Ellman said Tenney is too chummy with Trump, nominating him three times for Nobel Peace Prize and pushing to make his birthday a national holiday.

Tenney said she backed Trump for the Nobel due to the Abraham Accords in his first term.

Ellman said if she is elected she would make constituent services a top priority, hiring a staff of rural New Yorkers to help the district work through the federal bureaucracy.

Tenney said her staff is very effective in working through the channels to help people get Social Security and VA benefits, and resolve other issues.

Ellman disputed that, saying Tenney’s office provides AI-generated responses when people ask for assistance.

Tenney said she is a proven, experienced legislator who helped deliver tax relief on the federal side, including no taxes on tips, overtime or Social Security.

“I’m trying to make life more affordable and fight the downstate Democrats,” she said.

Ellman said Tenney is out of touch with the predominantly rural district.

“I’m a working class mom not a career politician like this lady,” Ellman said about Tenney, who was standing next to her on the debate stage.