Democrat Jean Lapper announced this week that she will challenge Republican incumbent Dan Stec in this fall’s 45th district New York State Senate race. The district is one of the largest geographically and extends across much of the north and northeastern section of New York. Lapper, a CPA from Queensbury, tells WAMC North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley she is running because she feels the North Country’s needs have been neglected.
I'm a mother, a CPA, a small business owner who spent the last 35 years doing work to make the North country a better place to live in and raise a family. I'd like to make this area a place where our children feel that they have opportunities so they can stay and raise their own families. We see so many people grow up here, they get educated here, and then they leave for better opportunities. And we need representation that works for us and we deserve a seat at the table. We've been neglected for too long. And I want to make sure that the needs of the North Country are met in Albany and that there's someone that will bring our voice and our needs to the state legislature and have them met.
So how has the district been neglected and what are those needs?
Well, the needs that I'm particularly focused on right now is that I'm running to fight for our reproductive rights. I'm fighting to, or I want to, protect our environment from climate change. I'm looking to deliver affordable high-speed broadband and invest in our small businesses. We live in an area that is absolutely geographically beautiful, naturally beautiful, and we need support to keep it that way. We've been talking about broadband for years and it needs to be accessible and affordable to our residents for everything from medical care, schooling and for businesses. And the backbone of the North Country is small business and as a CPA and a small business owner I understand the needs that I've seen myself as well as for my clients that we need help up here.
Have you ever run for a state-level seat before or even a community level seat before?
Yes. In 2019 I ran for Warren County Supervisor from the Town of Queensberry.
Have you ever held an office before?
No. I have not held elective office.
What did you learn from your experience running before that you can use in your campaign for state senate?
Well, what I learned from the previous run was that the most important thing was to show up and to listen to people. I ran a very good campaign, a very competitive election. I did very well for someone who was not known. And I'm a Democrat, I'm running as a Democrat. And I ran in a town where the voter enrollment advantage for Republicans is two to one and I only lost by 190 votes. So clearly my message rang with people, which was to meet their needs that as a CPA and a small business owner, and longtime community leader and volunteer, that, you know, I see the need, I hear their needs, I listened, listen to people. And most importantly, it was the getting out and meeting people and meeting them where they are.
Jean Lapper, the 45th district is quite large with Warren, Essex, Clinton and Franklin counties, all very rural, and parts of Washington and St Lawrence counties. A lot of folks probably will not know you. What’s your strategy for running in the 45th District?
Well, yes, Pat. It's 6,900 square miles and that’s the biggest district in in New York. I've already traveled about 4,000 miles in the last month to get to each of the different counties. And the way to spread my message is to meet with different groups throughout the different counties and then to ask the people in those counties to help spread my message. And so far it's been received very well. And I have a broad coalition of volunteers who are going to help me spread my message. And I think I have a great chance. It's a very competitive district. My opponent is not known in the whole district either. So I will get my message out. I have a plan to get the message out which I'll be rolling out over the next few weeks now that I've formally launched. I'm starting to do my tour of the district to make sure that I get to each county and hear what the voters are looking for.
Jean Lapper, you mentioned some of the needs and the issues that you feel need to be addressed in the district. When you take a look at your opponent, Republican Dan Stec, what are some of the issues where you think you clash most with Mr. Stec?
Well, start with the two issues that are in the news today about one is for reproductive rights. I'm a full supporter of reproductive rights, access to reproductive health care. I have a personal experience in that area where I needed access to the health care services that I needed. And my opponent just voted against the latest bill that was brought up in the special session at the end of June. I also am a supporter of protecting our environment. And again he voted against the Environmental Bond Act. He's been in office for 20 years and we are still dealing with the issues of high-speed broadband, which has not been addressed. He has not worked in main street, in small business. His experience is in government and politics and only that. So I think these are a lot of differentiations. Some of the things that are really significant, you know, as a small business owner and mother I'm seeing is in terms of the labor assets, we need investments in childcare. We need investments in affordable housing. And we need investment in senior care. There's a lot of seniors in this area. And none of these things are being addressed at the moment.
Mr Stec has been focusing on law and order and gun issues. What is your stance on law and order and gun issues?
Well, first of all Pat, I have to let you know that I've had family members in law enforcement over many generations and currently do. I also have a sister who works for the Department of Corrections. So the safety of our law enforcement and the department and the people who work in the prisons is really important to me. But the safety of the general public is also very important to me. I'm fully in support of the Second Amendment. But I think we need to have reasonable commonsense restrictions, so that we can go to school, go to the grocery store, and go about our business and feel safe.
Jean Lapper, why did you decide to announce your campaign for the New York State 45th Senate district now?
I'm making my announcement, my formal announcement, now because I want to get on the road and get out to all the counties. I want to start meeting with people and I want to let them know that I'm in this for real and the only way I'm going to know how to deliver what the people need is to get out and meet them. And now is a great time to do that.
Democrat Jean Lapper will face Republican New York State Senator Dan Stec, who is seeking his second term, in the November general election.
