Following the campaign announcement from Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi of Utica, the College Democrats of New York has named the 22nd Congressional District a ‘priority race’ for 2018, the first of the election cycle to receive this designation. Over the course of the campaign, CDNY will work more closely with College Democrats chapters in these targeted areas to coordinate volunteer efforts and increase voter turnout to ensure electoral victory next fall.

New York’s 22nd district is currently represented by Claudia Tenney, whose extreme views are an odd fit for an area that has historically elected moderates like Richard Hanna, Michael Arcuri, and Sherwood Boehlert. Her vote for the American Health Care Act signaled a blatant disregard for the livelihoods of her constituents as the bill would deprive 40,300 residents of health coverage and strip Medicaid for 7,400 children in her district. Tenney has also voted against paid family leave and equal pay for equal work, denied the science behind climate change, and voted to repeal the financial regulations put in place by the Dodd-Frank Act. Furthermore, while representatives hold town halls across the country, Tenney remains inaccessible to constituents, and continues to avoid town halls and other public forums. When voters in the NY-22 go the polls in 2018, they must remember that Rep. Tenney chose big money and the Republican party over the well-being and basic rights of the individuals who elected her.

Since taking office, Rep. Tenney has marched in lockstep with Paul Ryan and the House Republicans, voting with them 100% of the time. In a district that Barack Obama never lost by more than one percent, CDNY believes that strong turnout from millennials will be a key factor in helping to elect a Democrat who reflects the values of the Southern Tier. By making the NY-22 a priority race, CDNY intends to mobilize local chapters and support their efforts to make young voices heard.

“Young voters across upstate New York are becoming increasingly aware of the very real consequences of a Congress that puts the Trump Administration’s priorities above those of their constituents,” said Harry Bittker, a junior at Binghamton University and CDNY’s Southern Tier Region Chair. “There has never been a better opportunity to rally this generation around its core values, and if we can do that successfully, I think Congresswoman Tenney will find that she’s in for quite a wake up call.”

Although the midterm elections are a year and a half away, the growing list of Democratic candidates across the state is indicative of New Yorkers’ mounting displeasure with the current Republican leadership. Every seat counts in the movement to take back the House and make our state a leader in progressive politics. CDNY is fully committed to allocating the resources necessary to flip the critical seat in the 22nd district. We must reaffirm the purpose of representatives as being public servants and hold Rep. Tenney accountable.

By martha

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