Weeks After Dropping Out Of Race, NY Congressional Candidate Found Dead

Army veteran who served in the Afghan war was found dead days after he withdrew his New York Congressional candidature.

The 41-year-old Kyle Van De Water’s cause of death is thought to be suicide. While his death continues to be investigated, he is remembered for his years of service as well as his political career.

Police in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York State were alerted of a man found in the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery. Investigating the “man down” report, the police discovered the dead body of a man. The deceased was later revealed as Van De Water. An investigation has been launched into the former political candidate’s death. Police are not looking for suspects as they are handling the case as a suicide.

Van De Water was born in Rhinebeck, New York State but grew up in Poughkeepsie. Along with his wife and four children, he had been living in Hyde Park, Dutchess County, New York, Mid Hudson News reported. Last year, he had unsuccessfully run against United States Representative Antonio Delgado. In July of this year, the Army veteran had announced that he would be running against Delgado again in 2022.

However, on Aug. 27 the congressional candidate withdrew from the race. He took to social media to announce his withdrawal. Expressing his gratitude for his supporters he shared that he was unable to dedicate “110%” effort due to circumstances in his personal life. He extended his support for the Republican GOP candidate who would replace him for the 2022 run.

Just two weeks after his announcement, Van De Water has been found dead. Speaking about the death of his former opponent, Delgado extended his condolences, New York Post reported. He shared that he was heartbroken for the deceased man’s family. He said that Van De Water shared his love for family and country. While Delgado did not provide further information on the circumstance of the death, he shared the Veterans Crisis Line number.

Van De Water had studied at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Albany Law School. After completing his education, he enrolled in the army in 2006. He served in Kabul, Afghanistan during his deployment. He received the Bronze Star for his service in 2011. After eight years of service, he was honorably discharged in 2014.