The Republican candidate in the race for New York’s 43rd State Senate District officially kicked off her campaign Thursday. As WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports, she got a boost from a fellow officer-seeker.
Halfmoon town council member Daphne Jordan stopped in Saratoga, Rensselaer, and Columbia counties Thursday as she seeks the position being vacated by Republican Senator Kathy Marchione.
Marchione, who is retiring to spend more time with family, is leaving the legislature after three two-year terms. Jordan is a legislative aide to Marchione.
During a campaign stop in Troy’s Lansingburgh neighborhood, Jordan was given a boost by another Republican running this November, Dutchess County Executive and gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro.
“Yesterday is over, tomorrow is coming, and the next state senator to represent the great people of this district is Daphne Jordan,” said Molinaro.
Jordan, who describes herself as pro-life and a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, is running on a platform that she says will serve as a “check and balance to Governor Andrew Cuomo and the powerful New York City Democrats.”
“I’m running for the State Senate’s 43rd District. And I plan to bring what I learned creating and running my own businesses to the State Senate to help realize the goal of freedom of families, job creators, and every New Yorker,” said Jordan.
Jordan has secured the Republican, Conservative, Independence, and Reform Party ballot lines.
Control of the state senate hangs in the balance. Currently, Democrats outnumber Republicans, but the GOP maintains control with the help of a breakaway Democrat, Simcha Felder of Brooklyn.
Jordan mentioned the fragile margin in her prepared remarks.
“The Senate Republican majority and Assembly Republicans are the last line of defense for upstate taxpayers,” said Jordan.
Jordan’s platform opposes “sanctuary cities” and what she calls “free college for illegal immigrants” – referring to the DREAM Act backed by Democrats and Governor Cuomo that would allow undocumented immigrants access to scholarship funding, including the governor’s tuition-free Excelsior Scholarship program.
Jordan also believes single payer healthcare in New York is impossible.
“We’d like everybody to be covered somehow, but I don’t think it’s doable. It’s not feasible.”
In addition to Molinaro, Jordan was joined by Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, Rensselaer County Sheriff Patrick Russo, 107th District Assemblyman Jake Ashby, and other local officials.
Jordan will face Democrat and Working Families Party candidate Aaron Gladd in November.
