Nearly 70 Gather in New Hartford for #OneTermTenney RallyOn Saturday, March 3, more than 60 protesters from across the Mohawk Valley rallied in New Hartford in opposition to Rep. Claudia Tenney’s re-election announcement held at Cavallo’s Restaurant on Genesee Street.
The constituents, many of them members of Indivisible Mohawk Valley, expressed surprise that Tenney plans to run for re-election after she drew a massive wave of negative attention to the Mohawk Valley last month when she insisted contrary to the facts that mass shooters are Democrats or liberals. All three of her recent congressional predecessors subsequently criticized her comments and her public conduct as inappropriate to the tragedy in Parkland, Fla. In spite of the backlash across in her district and across the country, she continued to defend her remarks in TV appearances.
“She’s an embarrassment to all of us. I don’t know why she feels the need to be in the spotlight on TV constantly but it’s not to represent us. I agree with former Rep. Hanna that Rep. Tenney seems to have a constituency of one,” said Joan Klossner of Clinton, who attended the rally.
Sally Myhr of Rome agreed.
“She refuses to hold an authentic town hall.,” she said. “Voters who challenge Tenney are ridiculed and dismissed. Hers is the only voice she wants to hear.”
Signs at the rally included: “Repeal and Replace Tenney” and “Shame on Claudia: No More Lies.”
Tenney’s fundraising has flagged in recent months, along with her local support. She has, however, continued to take large donations from Wall Street securities and investment corporations; Tenney sits on the House Committee on Financial Services. Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett said Saturday that the new law, for which Tenney cast a yes vote, gave a $29 billion windfall to the conglomerate that amounts to nearly 45 percent of its total $65.3 billion profit for 2017. In central New York, regular taxpayers have lost their SALT deduction and may see higher taxes.
Her New Hartford constituents expressed disappointment.
“She’s weak and ineffective. We have yet to see her take a major vote in Congress that has a positive impact on us. Her votes favor her big, corporate donors,” said New Hartford resident Barbara Brooks Goodman.
Katie Timapano, also of New Hartford, said, “She is so far afield morally that it’s hard to take her seriously. There’s a breakdown in trust between representative and constituents that we’ve never had before in this district.”
Hundreds of motorists signaled their agreement honks and thumbs up and rolled down their windows to join in chants of “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Claudia Tenney has got to go!”
One protester counted motorists 20 to 1 in favor of the protest message, “#OneTermTenney.”
Even after more than a year of picketing Tenney’s congressional office in rain, snow and frigid temperatures, her constituents have kept their sense of humor and strengthened their commitment to send her into retirement.
“I work harder on making Tenney protest signs than she ever has representing what is supposed to be her constituency,” said Bonnie Zweifel of New Hartford.
#OneTermTenney #NY22