In case you didn’t know, there are two primary elections and a general election this year. The first primary election is for federal offices and will be held on June 26. Polls open at 12 pm and close at 9 pm. The second primary is for state and local offices on September 13, again with polls open at 12 pm and closing at 9 pm.  We will be writing a future post about the September state and local primary.  The general election is on November 6, with polls opening at 6 am and closing at 9 pm.

In the June 26 primary, there are seven candidates vying for the Democratic Party nomination for New York’s 19th Congressional District.  To learn more about each of the candidates, you can go to this website, which has information on each candidate and links to each of their individual websites.

The Gardiner Democratic Committee has endorsed congressional candidate Pat Ryan in the June 26 primary.  Pat is a lifelong resident of Ulster County, current Gardiner resident, and a graduate of West Point who served two tours of duty in Iraq.  After the Army, Pat entered the private sector and started his own company to provide the best technology to our troops.

“We endorsed Pat for two reasons,” says GDC Chair, Mike Kruglinski.  “First, and most important, he represents our Democratic values and is truly concerned about ordinary Americans.  And second, we believe he has the best chance to beat the Republican incumbent and Trump supporter, John Faso.”  Kruglinski stresses that NY 19 is a “flipable” seat and, “We can do our best to help generate a Democratic wave in Congress to champion the middle class and oppose the dangerous Trumpist agenda.”

“Faso has done a terrible job representing the interests of ordinary NY 19 residents,” says GDC Vice Chair, Barbara Sides.  “He is a former corporate lobbyist and is currently being sponsored by the infamous Robert Mercer, the right-wing billionaire who also funded Cambridge Analytica and Steve Bannon.”  Sides continued, “Faso has spent his term in Congress championing big business, opposing universal health care, and residing squarely in the pocket of the NRA.”

Two Upcoming Opportunities to Meet Pat Ryan

There are two “Meet and Greet” events scheduled for Pat Ryan in the coming weeks.  These are opportunities to meet the candidate, hear him speak, and ask questions about issues that are important to you.  They are as follows:

Saturday, June 9 Hosted by the Gardiner Democrats
1:00-3:00pm
Yard Owl Craft Brewery
19 Osprey Lane
Gardiner, NY, 12525
RSVP to Brit@patryanforcongress.com for info

And…

Monday, June 18 Hosted by Barbara Sides
7:00pm-9:00pm
13 River Park Dr
New Paltz, NY, 12561
RSVP to Brit@patryanforcongress.com for info

Come to one of the Meet and Greets, meet our local hero and visit with your neighbors!