Third-party candidates often look to young voters to boost their campaigns. The Green Party candidate seeking New York’s 21st district U.S. House seat held by retiring Democrat Bill Owens was on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus Wednesday evening.
21st district congressional Green candidate Matt Funiciello was invited to speak at SUNY Plattsburgh by the student Environmental Action Committee. A small group of supporters, students, faculty and the curious gathered in a meeting room in the student center to hear from the celebrated bread baker and question him about his philosophy.
He talked about his platform and beliefs and then took questions on topics ranging from war and the military to the future of the Green Party. He says there are two critical issues that Democrats and Republicans are not addressing. “This is a rare race in which health care is a really key issue for everybody. And jobs are a key issue for everybody in the whole country not just this Congressional district. The Greens have a very clear green jobs platform. We want to see a new WPA. We want to see a green New Deal where anyone who wants to work in sustainable, renewable energy can have a job at a living wage with single payer health care. A lot of people might say that’s pie in the sky. And they’re realizing as long as we keep electing Democrats and Republicans it is pie in the sky. Because they’re never going to advocate for that. The other very important issue, single payer health care, isn’t being talked about by the Democrats or Republicans.”
Matt Funiciello is third in the latest WWNY News 7/Siena College survey with 11 percent, trailing frontrunner Republican Elise Stefanik and Democrat Aaron Woolf. Funiciello says win or lose, this election will place the Greens in a position of strength. “I think that the polls have now released the hereditary voters. They know Aaron’s going to lose the race. They know Elise is probably going to win it. They feel like if I want to make a protest vote, here it is. When you add them in to the 11 percent who are voting on principle and voting for me and when you add in all the people who didn’t get polled, who have cell phones or are under 55 years old I think we’re going to run in the 20's - if we don’t win. You know if we don’t start voting for a party that stands for something, then we don’t stand for something.”
Plattsburgh resident Mary Lou Levitt left the meeting with lawn signs to promote Funiciello’s candidacy. She initially saw him in a debate and wanted to hear more from the candidate. “I like the fact that he’s talking about minimum wage. I think he has some good ideas on cutting military spending. I like the fact that he’s against fossil fuels, that we could do better environmentally and economically speaking.”
Levitt believes disenfranchised voters are ready to turn to a third party. “If he achieves the 11 percent that’s predicted I think that’s a real indicator that there are folks like myself who have supported more major parties in the past and are disillusioned and discouraged. And rather than not voting I think we need to take a stand and support an independent candidate that’s willing to get out there and put forth a strong campaign.”
Town of Jay resident Fred Balzac asked the candidate about organizing more people to the Green Party. He says the strong polling for Funiciello shows the candidate and the Greens, also running Howie Hawkins for governor, are offering a viable alternative to the Republicans and Democrats. “There really is a hunger in this district and I believe across the country for a candidate who will speak his mind, say what he really believes in. Or she. Matt has been very outspoken in his campaign. People are looking for answers and there’s a lot of dissatisfaction in Washington and in Albany. I believe the Green Party has many of those answers that people are looking for.”
The aforementioned poll released Monday has Funiciello with 11 percent. Republican Elise Stefanik has 50 percent and Democrat Aaron Woolf polled at 32 percent.
