A special election for New York's 11th congressional district was held on May 5, 2015, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Michael Grimm. Grimm, a member of the Republican Party, announced on December 30, 2014, that he would resign from the House effective January 5, 2015, and not take his seat for a third term following his guilty plea for tax evasion. On May 5, 2015, Republican candidate Dan Donovan defeated his Democratic challenger Vincent Gentile in the election and filled the vacant seat.

Michael Gerard Grimm is an American politician and convicted felon, who represented New York in the United States Congress from 2011 to 2015 until his conviction and resignation from Congress. Grimm represented New York's 13th congressional district during his first term, after which he represented New York's 11th congressional district. Both districts consisted of Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn. Grimm is a member of the Republican Party; during his time in office was the sole Republican to represent a significant portion of New York City.