A number of Democrats are lining up to challenge northern New York’s second-term Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. One of the latest to enter the race for the 21st district seat is businesswoman Katie Wilson from the Adirondack village of Keene. She says her campaign is about the future of the people and children across the district.
“This isn’t about me. This is about the future of my children that I think about every single day. And my aging father who is at risk of losing his home and means of survival here in the North Country. And I just realized that there are so many people across the North Country facing these same issues. These are real lives on the line here and I felt as though it was my duty as a citizen of the North Country and as a citizen of the country to do whatever I could to help make a difference.”
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was in Plattsburgh last week. When asked about the growing number of Democrats stepping up to challenge her she expressed confidence. “I have a very strong record of reaching across the aisle and of bringing results to this district focused on job creation, focused on economic growth, focused on expanding our partnership with Canada. So that’s what I’m going to continue doing. I’ve been through campaigns before. I’ve been through hard fought campaigns and I’ve won them significantly. And I’m going to be running on my strong record of independent and proven leadership for this district.”
Three other Democrats are already looking for the Democratic nomination. Patrick Nelson of Stillwater was the first to announce his candidacy in January. Tedra Cobb of Canton announced earlier this month and Emily Martz of Saranac Lake announced her campaign on Wednesday.