Business and community leaders from across the North Country gathered at the Holiday Inn in Plattsburgh Thursday morning to hear from one of the candidates running for the district’s congressional seat.
The Plattsburgh North Country Chamber of Commerce periodically invites elected officials and those seeking office to appear before business owners and community leaders.
In noting their continuing efforts to bring people of importance to the region, Chamber President and CEO Garry Douglas pointed out that federal issues are of greater concern to the region than many other areas of upstate New York. “Where would everything be in the North Country if we weren’t making the border work? It’s a very unique element that’s uniquely important to our region that we look to Washington to keep an eye on and to take care of. U.S. Canada relations generally - it’s the business we’re in. What Washington does in a whole array of ways matters to us and is important. Airport development, agriculture, transportation funding. What is going to happen in Washington over the next couple of years matters to us as a region in some very unique and very significant ways.”
His issue outline led to the introduction of the featured guest for the breakfast forum. Elise Stefanik is the Republican candidate in the 21st district congressional race, hoping to replace retiring Democrat Bill Owens. She gave a brief presentation about herself and her positions. “I have spent some time working in Washington. That’s been used unfortunately as a negative by my opponent. I actually think it’s a positive. As a young person I was able to see first-hand how broken Washington is and how we desperately need new ideas and a new generation of leadership who have the courage to put forth solutions instead of the gridlock that we’re seeing today.”
Stefanik was peppered with questions on a wide range of issues. Former County Legislator Sara Rowden was concerned about the candidate’s stance on the Affordable Care Act.
“Why can’t we just tweak what we’ve got here and make it better instead of repealing it?”
Stefanik answered “ I do support immediate fixes short of repeal which is why I support repealing the medical device tax. I support the repeal of the employer mandate. I agree with allowing young people to stay on their parents’ plan until the age of 26. I think we should have state-run high risk insurance pools for those with pre-existing conditions.”
Another person asked “I’m concerned about your relationships with GOP extremists like Paul Ryan, Karl Rove and the Koch Brothers. How can I be sure that you would represent me?”
The candidate responded “I’ve been very clear on a number of issues that I am willing to break with the party on. I’m running as my own candidate.”
Simon Conroy was unimpressed and feels Stefanik should be careful when touting her bipartisanship. “Bill Owens set a high bar for bipartisanship. And you have to believe not what people say but what people do. If you look at the record of Elise Stefanik she has not had a bipartisan history. She has worked with some of the more divisive people in D.C.”
After the event, Stefanik said she’s faced similar questions and issues over the course of the campaign. “I think that foreign policy has become more at the top of voters’ minds at this point in the campaign rather than where it was last year. But jobs and the economy is still the overwhelming issue.”
The chamber will host a breakfast forum with Democratic candidate Aaron Woolf on October 28th. Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello will not appear at a chamber breakfast.
