Many of the about 500 attendees at last week’s meet-the-Democratic-congressional-candidates night at Kingston’s Old Dutch Church got their first look at the contenders who seek to oppose first-term Republican incumbent John Faso of Kinderhook.
It’s probably not a good thing when a freshman congressman gets huge headlines after announcing his first town hall meeting with his constituents eight months into his term.
According to a recent survey, 57 percent of the 56,000 registered voters in the 19th congressional district who are not enrolled in any political party failed to vote. A huge voting block is up for grabs— if only the candidates can put together an attractive message to reach them.
In the crowded field of Democrats in the 19th Congressional District seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) next year, two have taken the lead in one respect — outraising the incumbent in what most observers expect to be an expensive race.
As new candidates enter the already crowded field for the Democratic congressional nomination next year, the odds for bottom-feeders can only improve.
Not long ago Jeff Beals was wrangling together a constitution for Iraq. These days, he is bringing order to a crowded classroom of students at the Woodstock Day School. Life has taken Beals, 40, on a winding path that most recently has brought him to a key role in this district’s grassroots movement and a possible run for congress.
Congressman John Faso knows all the rules. Over a 30-year career, he may have invented some. But he has repeatedly defied and/or ignored the cardinal rule. Faso has allowed opponents to define him as a lily-livered wimp afraid to confront his constituents face to face.
He campaigned as a New York-style moderate, like his predecessor Chris Gibson, but so far he’s voted more like a fire-breathing arch-conservative.
Kingston’s not in his district, but Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney rolled into the Senate Garage anyway the evening of Monday, May 8 to talk to the about 600 who turned out for a “town hall” forum on the new Republican health care plan currently working its way through Congress.
The two are vying for the 19th Congressional District seat, which current Rep. Chris Gibson is vacating.