Congresswoman Kathy Hochul put an end to speculation Monday by announcing that she would not present a primary challenge to fellow Democrat Brian Higgins if a new legislative map placed them inside the same district.
The possibility emerged as state officials continue to hammer out new Congressional districts, a mandatory process which complies to the most recent Census figures.
Hochul says she will pursue Western New York's other Congressional seat.
With New York State losing two seats in Congress, districts are being stretched and reconfigured, leaving incumbents with uncertain electoral prospects.
Representative Louise Slaughter is expected to have her reconfigured district concentrated around her hometown of Rochester and would lose the portions of Erie and Niagara Counties she currently represents.