A pair of downstate New York Democratic congressmembers traveled to the southern Adirondacks Sunday night to meet with voters in the state’s 21st Congressional District.
U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, from New York City, and Pat Ryan, from the Hudson Valley, traveled outside their districts for a town hall at Glens Falls’ Charles R. Wood Theater. The move came as Democrats seek to flip the North County seat currently held by outgoing Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd, which overflowed into another room next door, she believed connecting with one another was key to a Democratic victory in the district during this fall’s midterm elections.
“I’m really looking forward to learning more about your life, and your life, and your life on an individual level, the schools that your kids go to, the care that you’re looking to get. The things that keep you up at night. Because that’s truly, at its core, what’s going to allow us to govern,” she said.
Ryan emphasized the importance of investing in communities like Glens Falls.
“Let's roll back these tariffs that the Supreme Court just ruled are illegal, and give that money back to you, the American people and our small businesses,” he said. “Like let's roll back the trillion dollars in cuts to our health care system and reinvest, especially in rural community centers and physicians and hospitals.
“Let's take the 70-plus billion dollars we just gave to [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement], which is more than the budget of the United States Marine Corps, by the way, and like, let's actually invest that in real public safety in our communities.”
Three Democrats are vying to represent the party in November’s race.
Blake Gendebien, a dairy farmer from Lisbon in St. Lawrence County, was the Democratic candidate in last year's special election that never came to fruition after Trump withdrew his nomination of Stefanik for ambassador to the United Nations. Lake Placid restaurant owner Stuart Amoriell has thrown his hat in the ring, as has South Glens Falls progressive Dylan Hewitt, who sought the party’s backing last year as well.
The Republican primary field includes state Assemblymember Robert Smullen, who represents all of Hamilton County as well as parts of Herkimer, Fulton, Montgomery, Oneida and Ostego counties, and Anthony Constantino, CEO of sticker manufacturer Sticker Mule.
Michael Hoage, a military veteran and retired postal service employee, attended Sunday’s event. He said Democrats need to “really need to get out the vote” in November and continue the energy he saw at the town hall if they want to regain the seat held by Republicans since 2015.
“They need to present a good image, which is difficult to do in this day and age,” Hoage said. “And I think what the congresspeople did here tonight, saying what they’re for and not really talking about what they’re against or how great they are or all these other things. They need to get their message out that can resonate with the people.”
