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After One Year, Democrat Woerner Faces GOP Challengers

Lucas Willard
/
WAMC

GOP contenders Chris Boyark and Gerard Moser are both hoping to unseat 113th District Democrat Carrie Woerner this November. Woerner beat out Republican candidate Steve Stallmer for the seat that was vacated by Republican and current Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan.

Neither GOP hoopeful has held elected office.

Boyark, a Mechanicville native and restaurant owner, has served on local Republican committees. Boyark said he’s running to give a voice to an upstate district in an Assembly ruled by downstate Democrats.

“We are a very, very diverse state and one group of folks should not dominate the conversation. We need a voice, and I intend to give us our voice back in the 113th.”

Moser called himself a political outsider. Moser has spent his career in the hospitality industry and is also an NRA instructor and president of the SaraSpa Rod and Gun Club.

Moser also wants to speak for the region, saying he’s concerned about jobs.

“ We’ve seen layoffs up in Fort Edward with GE, GlobalFoundries has been laying folks off. GlobalFoundries is up for sale. So there’s a lot of concern for job security in the area.”

Moser said he would support planned expansions at the warehouse and distribution centers in Wilton. Presently, Dollar General is seeking a tax deal to support a $92 million distribution center off Exit 16 of the Northway.

“We need to get the support to help get that bridge over the Northway expanded. Right now it’s a two-lane bridge. It really needs to be a four-lane bridge to manage the amount truck traffic through there.”

Moser also said he would put more planning in place for communities to respond to potential terrorist attacks on the heels of Paris and San Bernardino.

A primary concern of both candidates is corruption at the state capitol, a topic set to dominate campaigns across New York after the recent convictions of the former leaders of the Assembly and Senate.

Chris Boyark…

“Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos made more than enough money off of us in elected office, they don’t observe anymore.”

Boyark criticized the sitting Assemblywoman for recently voting against a package of GOP-led ethics reforms early in the new session. Woerner said there were technical problems with the proposals and that she’s looking forward to a new report on ethics reforms to be delivered by Assembly Democrats Brian Kavanaugh and Gary Pretlow, who were tasked with the job last year by Speaker Carl Heastie.

The Round Lake Democrat said she is proud of her record and looks forward to the campaign.

“As the campaign rolls out and people start to really look at my voting record, they’re going to see that as a body of work, I am representing the interests of our small businesses, our farmers, our parents, our educators, and really representing the culture of this region well.”

The Republican primary will be held in September.

Lucas Willard is a reporter and host at WAMC Northeast Public Radio, which he joined in 2011.
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