Democrat Matt Castelli has released a platform for a new political party as he challenges Northern New York Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in November.
Castelli is a former CIA officer and National Security Council counterterrorism director who is challenging Stefanik, the Number Three House Republican, in New York’s 21st District.
In June, Castelli’s campaign created the Moderate Party which will appear with his name on the November ballot. Castelli said they created the party so voters would be familiar with his stances, but it has become more than that.
“It's become a home for a large number of voters across party lines who right now are experiencing a sense of political homelessness," Castelli said. "The Moderate Party is reclaiming a powerful voice for the great middle majority.”
Castelli says the party platform is based on three pillars – the first being safety and security.
“The Moderate Party will increase funding for law enforcement and give them the resources and trust they need to keep our families and community safe," Castelli said. "Our security is not just about public safety and national security. We're going to improve access and affordability of health care, mental health and elder care, especially for our veterans and our seniors, and especially in our rural communities.”
The second pillar is a strong economy. Castelli notes that the national debt is reaching unprecedented levels and says fiscal responsibility must be restored.
“Both parties are to blame in recent decades for their fiscal irresponsibility," Castelli continued. "We need to rein in government spending and take steps to balance the budget and reduce the national debt. We must eliminate inefficiency, fraud and waste in government programs. If the government is going to spend our hard-earned resources, then that spending must keep us safe, grow the economy, or protect and strengthen vital programs like Medicare and Social Security.”
The third pillar focuses on freedom and liberty. Castelli emphasized that as a gun owner he will protect the Second Amendment, an issue Stefanik often speaks about in the Republican-leaning 21st District.
“We support common sense measures like universal background checks to keep our cops, our kids and our communities safe from gun violence, while protecting the rights of law abiding gun owners," said Castelli. "We do not support an ill defined assault weapons ban that fails to address keeping our cops, our kids and communities safe. We are going to protect personal rights and individual liberty.”
Overall, Castelli says he sees the Moderate Party as a fusion organization.
“Many Democrats, Independents and Republicans helped us establish this Moderate Party," he said. "And so these values reflect the values of Democrats here in New York 21. They also reflect the values of many Independents and Republicans in New York 21 that don’t feel that they have a voice in those extreme factions of either the Republican or the Democratic Party that they may otherwise identify.”
In an emailed statement responding Castelli’s Moderate Party platform, Congresswoman Stefanik’s campaign said he is “masquerading as a moderate.” Senior Advisor Alex DeGrasse notes that Stefanik has been endorsed by every law enforcement union in the district. The campaign also criticized New York’s bail reforms and claims “Castelli has embraced Democrats’ bail reform and is only trying to desperately hide his radical views.”
