County Dems start election season with endorsements process
On Thursday the Columbia County Democratic Committee endorsed six candidates for 2024 elections, but chose not to endorse in one contest in order to make the candidates better known.
In the context of redistricting for NYS Assembly Districts and as yet unsettled redistricting lines for federal Congressional Districts, the Committee discussed the reasons to endorse candidates or not prior to the June primary.
Whether to endorse was not a question in those races where a Democratic candidate had no challengers and therefore no primary prior to the general election.
The committee easily endorsed Democratic incumbents Joe Biden for President, Kirsten Gillibrand for US Senate, and Michelle Hinchey for NYS Senate. Hinchey spoke to the Committee, and was lauded for her legislative accomplishments in her first term, her leadership in the Senate, and her ongoing work to identify and work on solutions for county needs.
The committee also gave a resounding endorsement to Democrat Josh Riley, who is currently running unopposed to replace Republican incumbent Marcus Molinaro in Congressional District 19. Citing Molinaro’s voting record as something he will not be able to deny, Riley said, “The stakes have never been higher” for the survival of democracy, individual rights, and quality of life in this nation. He expressed gratitude for the past and future support of Columbia County voters, and promised an intense and focused campaign to flip Molinaro’s seat blue in 2024.
In two contested races, there was controversy about the value and drawbacks of endorsement.
In the case of the 106th NYS Assembly District, Democratic incumbent Didi Barrett has been in office since 2012 and is being challenged in the June primary by Democratic Hudson City Supervisor Claire Cousin.
In this instance, the push to endorse rested largely on a desire to support and acknowledge Barrett’s record; whereas the recommendation to not endorse was based on the value of a primary campaign and election, which some considered to be “more democratic” and less divisive. Members who supported no endorsement said that both candidates deserve a “fair and open primary”; and opined that a failure to endorse an incumbent at this point in the election cycle did not imply a rebuke or lack of confidence in the incumbent.
Once the committee decided to endorse in this contest, Barrett was heavily favored in the vote to endorse for the 106 AD, with a number of committee members wanting to acknowledge her work as an Assembly Member, citing her accomplishments in the legislature, her presence and availability to constituents, and her knowledge and advocacy for the varied economies and communities in Columbia County.
On the contrary, in the 107th NYS Assembly District, two relatively unknown candidates are running in the primary, and there is no Democratic incumbent. Though some committee members spoke in favor of candidate Chloe Pierce and others in favor of candidate Kent Sopris, the consensus was NOT to endorse either in this contest. General agreement was that both are relatively unknown at this point in time, and the fairest course was to allow the primary voters to make the choice of which will be on the ballot in the general election.
Interviews with AD 106 candidates Barrett and Cousin, and 107 candidates Pierce and Sopris were conducted at a CCDC candidates’ forum last week (click here to watch video).
So the campaign season begins!
Registered Democrats in the Town of Chatham and around the county will soon have the option to sign petitions for candidates to get them on the ballot for the primary and the general election in coming weeks. For more information or to make arrangements to sign petitions, contact Cindy Bobseine at cindyb.chathamdems@gmail.com.