1982Final results
1982 election for New York's 20th District
U.S. House · New York
Richard L. Ottinger (D) won with 56.5% of the vote, defeating Jon S. Fossel (R) by 15.2 points.
Richard L. OttingerDemocrat · winner
56.5%98,425
Jon S. FosselRepublican
41.3%72,005
Florence T. O'GradyRight to Life
2.2%3,798
174,228 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1982
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Richard L. OttingerJon S. Fossel
$238.2K
Raised by the campaign
$383.3K
$236K
Spent by the campaign
$401.8K
$0
Cash on hand
$0
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1982; FEC, through Jan 31, 1983.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1982
The candidates
Richard L. Ottinger (D)Jon S. Fossel (R)
Also on the ballot: Florence T. O'Grady (Right to Life), 2.2%