WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Pat Ryan won a special election for a New York State seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, a role he will fill through early January, Edison Research projected on Tuesday.

Ryan beat Republican Marc Molinaro in the first competitive House contest since the U.S. Supreme Court in June eliminated the nationwide right to abortion.

Ryan, the Ulster County executive and a combat veteran, ran a campaign urging voters in New York's 19th District to fight back against attacks on abortion access, voting rights, and democratic values.

In other primary races, longtime Manhattan Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler easily defeated Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a fellow Democrat pitted against him by redistricting in New York's 12th District, while former federal prosecutor Dan Goldman narrowly beat Yuh-Line Niou, a Democratic state assembly member supported by the progressive Working Families Party, in the 10th District, also in Manhattan.

In Florida's Democratic primary, former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who switched parties years ago, defeated Nikki Fried, the state agriculture commissioner, and will face incumbent Republican Ron DeSantis in the fall.

(Reporting by Scott Malone)