Democrat John Mannion is projected to unseat freshman Republican Rep. Brandon Williams, flipping a battleground Upstate New York congressional district to the Democrats.

Mannion carried 53% of the vote to Williams’ 46% in the closely watched race, preliminary tallies from Tuesday’s election show.

The Associated Press called the race just after 11:15 p.m.

District 22 — which covers Syracuse and Utica — represented one of Democrats’ best chances to pick up a congressional seat and, perhaps, take control of the House.

“As a former teacher for nearly 30 years, State Senator, and Central New York native, John Mannion’s win is in large part due to his strong ties to New York’s 22nd Congressional District and commitment to delivering for his community,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene.

“In Congress, John will follow through on his word to make a difference for Central New York and Mohawk Valley families, whether that be bringing more good-paying jobs, defending women’s freedoms, or protecting Social Security and Medicare.”

Mannion, a state senator, vocally rebuffed Williams’ accusation that he stayed silent on supporting Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.

Williams, for his part, defended himself against Mannion’s attack that he and other Republicans scuttled a bipartisan agreement in the Senate to address immigration and border security.

Speaker Mike Johnson was hoping to give Williams a last-minute boost by stumping for him on Friday. Johnson had previously acknowledged that the hardest races for Republicans to win in New York were the 22nd District, as well as the 19th and 4th.