Three New York Democrats are facing off for a chance to run in November for the new 46th state Senate district seat.
Former Rensselaer County Executive candidate Andrea Smyth-Massaroni, Schenectady County District 3 Legislator Michelle Ostrelich, and perennial Schenectady candidate Thearse McCalmon, who has run for mayor, city council and state Senate, are vying for the chance to take on Republican state Senator Daphne Jordan.
McCalmon says she thinks the redrawn 46th offers a unique opportunity.
"The 46th senate district, a very winnable seat, over 50%, 53% Democratic-leaning," said McCalmon. "So it's practically almost an open seat, because even the Republican incumbent is new to parts of the district.”
Jordan, of the current 43rd district, lives in the Saratoga County Town of Halfmoon, which was to be part of the redrawn 46th, and could appear as such in the revised redraw.
"While I am going to be picking up new areas, I will represent them just as I represent the towns that I already have," said Jordan.
A court ruled that New York's redrawn congressional and state senate maps were unconstitutional. A court-appointed special master has until May 24th to come up with a final set of maps.
Citing her experience as a county legislator, Ostrelich believes she is best-suited to fill the 46th seat.
"I've learned an awful lot about the needs of local governments to make sure we've got safe water, running sewers, and everything from sidewalks, trails, and roads that don't have terrible potholes in them," Ostrelich said. "I think what I bring to the table is the experience of having been a decision maker, making sure that taxes are maintained low. Been proud that we haven't had to raise taxes over the past 10 years, and certainly not, during my term averaging 0% increase in taxes. So knowing how to deliver services to residents that need them, understanding the budgetary constraints, and listening to folks every day, whether it's going door to door during a campaign, or when they have issues and they need help, understanding the challenges and the anxieties that families are facing today."
Smyth-Massaroni says the 46th is most challenged by housing and the economy.
"We have two big corporations, one in Rensselaer County that's not relevant to Troy, but Regeneron and GlobalFoundries in Saratoga County," said Smyth-Massaroni. "And what's happening is those high-paying jobs, which are so important as an economic driver, are driving up the housing costs without an equivalent increasing of housing stock. And so we are, you know, creating problems for the workforce crisis by not being able to adequately house the employees that we need to recruit for the businesses, for the care economy, for the childcare economy, teachers, firefighters, you know, the working class jobs that need to support a community, and so that I see as one of the main challenges in this district."
McCalmon says public safety and housing are the biggest issues facing the district.
"We're still coming out of the Black revolution of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, Black Lives Matter," McCalmon said. "And trying to deal with the issues with policing and communities of color, and to people of color and also in our poor neighborhoods, and trying to find a way where we can keep our neighborhoods safe and also keep our people safe. And housing, we're coming out of COVID. And we all knew that we were going to be facing a real crisis or another crisis and by way of housing, our eviction crisis. Many people couldn't afford to pay their rent because of lack of work. People struggled to make ends meet, the stimulus payments were not enough. And our tenants are just on that precipice and many of them have become homeless or have housing insecurities."
State senate primaries are being held August 23rd, after being moved from June as a result of the district redrawing process.
