Photo by Architect of the Capitol
Many Hamilton students may have received reminders to vote in their in- box this past week, and with the 2018 Congressional elections looming, it is important to register.
While there may not be an opportunity to effect change on the executive level for three more years, the American people will soon have the opportunity to select whom they want representing them within the legislative branch.
Hamilton is located within the 22nd district of New York, which has voted Republican in the last three presidential elections. Donald Trump won the district with an impressive 55% margin, far more than either Mitt Romney or John McCain. During this election, Claudia Tenney, a hard right Republican, was elected to congress. She replaced Richard Hanna, a moderate Republican, who retired and did not seek reelection.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
During the 2016 election Tenney defeated Democratic challenger Kim Myers in a highly contested and expensive election. Outside organizations contributed nearly $4 million to support Tenney and $2.4 million in support of the Myers campaign. While Tenney may have won this election by a significant margin, the future of the district is still on the table. With the 2018 election just about a year away, we at
The Spectator
wanted to provide an update on the race.
Claudia Tenney was educated at Colgate University and began her career as the only American to be employed at the time by the Consulate General of Yugoslavia. She then moved on to establish the Tenney Media Group, in Clinton, as well as a law practice.
After being defeated in a race for Oneida County Surrogate Court Judge, she went on to run for Congress in 2014 but lost. In 2016, she ran again and subsequently won the congressional election. Politically, she is far-right, and has worked to repeal the ACA, sponsored bills to limit abortion ac- cess, opposed gun control legislation and has opposed the development of wind and solar energy.
Tenney and her opponent, Anthony Brindisi, have already engaged in a fierce war of words on the campaign trail. Brindisi also has a background in law and is a three-term state assembly member. Having served on the Board of Education, he wishes to make education a main focus of his campaign, alongside jobs, the economy and healthcare.
Shortly before Brindisi announced his campaign, Tenney went on the attack, stating, “He pretends to be a moderate when it benefits him, but on the issues that matter the most for Upstate New York, he has been a rubber stamp for the corruption and failed liberal policies of Governor Cuomo, Sheldon Silver, Ray Halbritter and New York City liberals.”
Tenney received criticism for speaking about Brindisi’s father’s alleged connection to organized crime. She spoke about how Brindisi’s father represented members of crime organizations and contrasted this with her own fathers record.
She stated, “[My father] fought for law and order and Anthony’s father represented some of the worst criminals in our community. You have to question … some of the things that have happened in his family. The voters make that decision. I’m not saying Anthony is part of any of that, but that’s the family you come from.” These comments received negative backlash throughout the media.
Jibes aside, this election will probably be decided based on who can convince the people of the 22nd district that they will stimulate the economy and bring jobs to the region. Trump provoked outrage this summer by urging jobless upstate New Yorkers to leave their homes and move to a different state, such as Wisconsin.
He told the
Wall Street Journal
, “When you have an area that just isn’t working like upper New York state, where people are getting very badly hurt, and then you’ll have another area 500 miles away where you can’t get people, I’m going to explain, you can leave. It’s OK. Don’t worry about your house.”
