Good News, Election News
Two important elections that affect Columbia County residents brought good news for Democrats on Tuesday.
Democrat Pat Ryan (left above) defeated Republican Marc Molinaro on Tuesday with a margin of 51% to 49% of the vote in a suspenseful special election for the remainder of Antonio Delgado’s vacated congressional CD-19 term.
In numerous post-election interviews, Ryan credited his win to his campaign’s focus on the public’s realization that citizens’ freedoms and rights are threatened in the current political climate. Lawn signs proclaiming “Choice is on the ballot” highlighted the restrictions on women’s right to choose healthcare after the recent Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. Subsequent promises by leading opposition figures to consider limitations on other current civil rights, calls for gun safety, and emerging threats to democracy were other prominent issues in Ryan’s campaign.
In a Washington Post interview, Ryan said: “There’s sort of this power grab of the far, far right (that’s) just wildly out of step with where the vast majority of Americans are.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/08/24/pat-ryan-new-york-special-election-2022-democrats/) In another interview with Politico, he said, “When we really clearly stand up and fight and say what our principles are and don’t pull our punches, we inspire people, we get people motivated and energized, and we win.” (https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/24/turnout-surge-powered-democrats-n-y-special-election-win-00053651)
Looking toward the November elections, Ithaca resident Josh Riley (right above) soundly won the Democratic primary against Jamie Cheney for the newly redistricted Congressional District 19. He obtained 63.5% of the vote to Cheney’s 33.5% (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/23/us/elections/results-new-york-us-house-district-19.html), making him the Democratic candidate for the new term in the November race.
In a statement sent to the local news station in Johnstown, NY, where he grew up, Riley congratulated his opponent, Jamie Cheney, on her campaign, and said, “I am so honored to be the Democratic nominee for Congress here in New York’s 19th District. For too long, Upstate New Yorkers have been sold out by professional politicians and special interests. I’m running for Congress to bring change and new leadership. This is a campaign by working families, for working families, committed to bringing the high-tech jobs of the future to Upstate New York.” (https://www.wbng.com/2022/08/24/riley-declares-victory-associated-press-calls-primary-him-ny-19/)
Now, Riley’s congressional campaign will gear up as he looks to keep his winning record and faces Molinaro in the general election in November. The new CD-19 is considered a swing district and will be a hotly contested prize in the race to retain a majority in the US House.
Locally, the Chatham Dems, other town Democratic committees, Indivisible Columbia, and the Columbia County Dems did considerable work to get out the vote for Pat Ryan and Josh Riley. The Chatham Dems endorsed both candidates. Volunteers worked with campaigns to increase voter registration in the county, and get out the vote during early voting, on Election Day, and by absentee ballot.
The combination of door-to-door campaigning, phone calls, texts, road signs, advertising, social media, donations, and person-to-person informal conversations got out the vote to ensure both Ryan’s and Riley’s wins on Tuesday. These efforts will be essential ingredients to a successful Democratic victory in November.