BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Democratic state Sen. Timothy Kennedy won a special election Tuesday for the New York congressional seat vacated by Democrat Brian Higgins.

Kennedy defeated Republican Gary Dickson for the upstate New York seat, helped by a 2-to-1 Democratic registration advantage in the district, which includes Buffalo, Niagara Falls and several suburbs.

Kennedy has been in the state Senate since 2011. Describing Washington as “chaotic and dysfunctional,” he said he would focus in Congress on reproductive rights, immigration and stronger gun laws like those passed in New York after a 2022 mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket.

“New York has been a bulwark against Donald Trump’s extremist MAGA agenda that has infected our politics and our nation’s capital,” he said during the campaign. “The MAGA extremists have made the House of Representatives a laughingstock.”

Penn opened disciplinary cases into at least three students participating in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on College Green.

A University spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Penn has “clearly communicated” that encampment participants “are in violation of the University’s policies.” The University is “checking IDs in accordance with Penn’s Open Expression Guidelines,” according to the statement.

The spokesperson added that “several student disciplinary cases” have been opened through the Center for Community Standards and Accountability, and that faculty and staff violations “will follow the relevant disciplinary processes.”

“These actions, while unfortunate, are necessary,” the spokesperson wrote.

Cornell University is suspending students after an encampment on campus declined to move to an alternate location, President Martha E. Pollack said in a message Monday.

"Last Thursday, a group of individuals formed an encampment on the Arts Quad," Pollack said. "A student group had previously requested permission for an art installation there, consistent with our policies; however, they were dishonest in their request, stating that there would not be tents and that the art installation would be removed by 8 p.m. on Thursday."

Cornell University leaders then offered an alternative location for the encampment, according to Pollack.

"With an approved permit in hand, the protesters could have remained in the alternative location, per our policies, thereby avoiding disciplinary sanctions," Pollack's message said.

As Democrats play defense in U.S. Senate races this year, two battleground-state incumbents start out ahead in their reelection campaigns. Bob Casey in Pennsylvania and Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin are currently leading their lesser-known Republican challengers by seven points.

Both Casey and Baldwin enjoyed large margins of victory in 2018, but their reelection bids look more competitive at the moment in what is a more challenging environment. We find plenty of undecided voters and good reasons for the races to tighten as the campaigns heat up this fall.

These estimates are snapshots of the race early in the election cycle. With several months to go before voting starts, there is plenty of time for movement.

So here's why things could change: For one, the Republicans in the race are not well known to voters. It was under a week ago that David McCormick officially became the GOP nominee in Pennsylvania. He also ran for Senate in 2022, but lost to Mehmet Oz in the GOP primary. Eric Hovde in Wisconsin is currently much less familiar to voters than Baldwin, but the primary there isn't until August, giving him plenty of time to get on voters' radars and make his case.