Jamaal Bowman and Patrick McManus are battling for the 16th Congressional seat in New York and discuss with News 12 their top priorities if elected into office. 

Bowman is a Democrat and former middle school principal. McManus is a conservative and former first responder.

The 16th Congressional district covers Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Hartsdale, Scarsdale, Greenburgh, and portions of the Bronx.

Both candidates are new to politics, but they both agree that they don’t like the direction the country is headed in.

Bowman shocked the political world when he defeated Rep. Elliot Engel during the June primary by 16,000 votes. Since then, he's been trying to inform Democrats about the importance of this election.

“Right now, it’s about getting the vote out,” says Bowman. ”We want to get as many people to the polls as possible. The Democratic Party has to show its strength through turnout.”

Bowman further tells News 12 that if elected, he’d focus on job, education, and housing, along with climate change and anything that will improve the quality of his constituent's lives.

“Making sure we pass policies like the Heroes Act that gets people back to work and help people who are food insecure and fully investing in public schools,” says Bowman.

However, opponent Patrick McManus claims he’s not the right choice, saying in part, “I’m here to stand up and say there's another choice.”

According to McManus, Bowman’s policies have been tried and failed. He says if he is elected, his top priority is making sure the streets are safe again.

Whoever wins the race will replace Rep. Eliot Engel, whom Bowman defeated in the primary.

Elliot has held the seat for more than three decades.