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The Gardiner Democratic Committee (GDC) is the official arm of the state, county, and national Democratic Parties in Gardiner, New York.  It is our responsibility to identify and recruit interested and qualified candidates for local offices of government here in Gardiner.  As part of this effort, we are seeking to speak with citizens who may be interested in contributing their time, energy, and talents as local elected officials.  Before every election, the GDC interviews and votes on whether to endorse candidates for public office.  In addition, the GDC sponsors a Democratic Caucus prior to each election, a public meeting and vote wherein candidates interested in running on the Democratic ballot line have an opportunity to make their case to be the official Democratic candidate for available slots on the ballot.  Democrats who are registered to vote in Gardiner will gather at the caucus to select our party’s candidates for town offices.  While membership (party registration) in the Democratic Party is not a prerequisite for candidates seeking either GDC endorsement or nomination at the caucus, the GDC is looking for possible candidates who strongly share the values of the Democratic Party.

November 2019 Elections Call for Candidates

On November 5, 2019, an election will be held to determine who holds the following Gardiner offices:

• Town Board Member (2 positions)
• Town Supervisor (1 position)

Here are brief job descriptions for your consideration.  For further information on the positions and town government responsibilities in general, see https://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/pubs/townoff/ito.pdf

Town Board Members (2 positions available this year)

Gardiner has five Town Board Members, four of whom serve staggered four-year terms (the fifth is Town Supervisor, which is up for election every two years). The legislative authority of the town rests in the town board, which is the governing body of the town.  The Town Board makes all significant decisions of the town government, including, but not limited to: discussing and passing laws and ordinances; budgeting; filling vacancies in town offices, elective or appointive; may select a town attorney and a town engineer; and provides for the hiring of other employees as necessary for the conduct of the town’s business.  Other functions are too numerous to list here.

The Gardiner Town Board holds regular meetings on the first two Tuesdays of every month and meets at other times as necessary to get the business of the down done.  Town board members also generally serve as liaisons to town operating departments and other town entities, attending meetings as necessary to provide that oversight and communication function. The estimated total time commitment is 10-15 hours per month.  Salary is currently $5,585 annually  (no healthcare coverage offered), as well as contributions to the state retirement system.

Town Supervisor (1 position available this year)

The Gardiner Town Supervisor serves as the town executive and administrator.  After town board decisions have been made, it is the supervisor who often carries out the decisions. The supervisor usually receives the majority of complaints and suggestions of citizens, as well.  The Town Supervisor also serves as the presiding officer (chairperson) of the town board, a town legislator (one of five votes of the town board), the town fiscal officer.  In short, the Gardiner Town Supervisor is the top manager of the town government.

The Gardiner Town Supervisor commits an estimated 100 hours of his or her time to town business each month, however, this amount may vary considerably based on issues he or she is dealing with at any point in time.  The Town Supervisor appoints a Deputy Town Supervisor to fill in and make necessary decisions when the Supervisor is not available.  The annual salary for Gardiner Town Supervisor is currently $42,026 per year with healthcare coverage provided (20% individual contribution), as well as contributions to the state retirement system.

 If Interested, Please Contact Us

If you think you might be interested in either a position on the Gardiner Town Board or as Gardiner Town Supervisor, or would just like more information, we are interested in speaking with you!  Please contact:

GDC Chair, Mike Kruglinski
(845) 649-8966
bigkrug@yahoo.com

GDC Vice Chair Lisa Lindsley
(201) 321-0301
lisa.lindsley@gmail.com

This Document as PDF

Some Background on this Endorsement

As you may have heard, our County Executive for the last decade, Mike Hein, recently accepted a new position as Commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance.  The GDC wishes Mike well in this critical new role in Governor Cuomo’s cabinet.  Although the County is in good hands temporarily with Hein’s long-time Chief-of-Staff, Adele Reiter stepping in as Acting Executive, a special election is required within 90 days of the Executive’s resignation to fill the position through the rest of Hein’s term, which was scheduled to go through the end of this year.

The date of the election will be announced shortly.  In the meantime, the parties must get to work nominating candidates for the special election.  The Ulster County Democratic Committee has called a nominating convention for Wednesday, February 20 where members of the various town committees will cast votes for the candidate of their choice.

GDC-Endorsed Candidate for County Exec, Pat Ryan

Three major candidates emerged on the Democratic side: Gardiner resident Pat Ryan, runner-up in the 2018 primary for Congress, Kingston small businesswoman, Pat Strong, who ran unsuccessfully for State Senate in the fall, and Marc Rider, one of Mike Hein’s lieutenants.  Rider dropped out last week and threw his support to Pat Ryan. Another candidate, former Woodstock Town Council member Jeff Moran is not expected to be a factor in the race.

GDC Endorses Pat Ryan for U.C. Exec

At its monthly meeting on Wednesday, February 13, after hearing from both Pat Ryan and Pat Strong, the Gardiner Democratic Committee voted to endorse its fellow Gardinerite, Pat Ryan.  The GDC had endorsed and worked hard for Ryan in the congressional primary last summer.  But past allegiances were not the main reason for the committee’s support for Ryan.  Among the reasons cited by GDC Chair, Mike Kruglinski were the following:

His Stance on the Issues:  Pat has a strong vision for the future of Ulster County, including creating a countywide Green New Deal, fighting to continue Mike Hein’s efforts in reforming our justice system to be as fair as it can possibly be, working closely with our new Sheriff, Juan Figueroa, promoting economic development that benefits all Ulster County residents, and opposing the disastrous policies of the Trump administration.

His Record of Service: Pat is a fifth-generation resident of Ulster County who has made service a top priority in his life.  His mom was a public school teacher and his dad a small businessman and community leader. They taught him that serving his country and community was of paramount importance.  After graduating from Kingston High School, Pat went on to West Point and served two combat tours in Iraq.

His Executive Experience:  After leaving the military, Pat founded a small technology company, which he grew to over 150 employees.  As an executive, Pat managed a $25 million budget and worked to build partnerships with government and nonprofit organizations. He created a jobs training program for veterans without college degrees, equipping them with tech skills to ensure they had high-paying jobs.  So, Pat Ryan has strong executive leadership experience at large bureaucratic organizations, including as an officer in the U.S. Army, that is directly applicable to running a public sector organization like Ulster County.

His Strong Support of Unions:  Pat’s mom, Patti, was a public-school teacher at Chambers Elementary in Kingston and a union member who taught him the importance of organized labor to America’s working people.  In business, he implemented progressive employer policies like paid family leave.  The day after Pat received the GDC endorsement, he learned that he was also endorsed by the Upper Hudson Central Labor Council, which represents 30,000 union members in Ulster, Columbia, and Greene Counties.  Ulster County government has a strong unionized workforce with whom Pat will work closely and cooperatively to maximize the services delivered to county residents while improving Ulster County as a public employer.  He is a strong leader who prioritizes teamwork.

“All things considered,” says GDC Chair Kruglinski, “Pat is the best person for the job of Ulster County Executive.”

Victory in 2018

The Gardiner Democratic Committee would like to thank everyone who helped in this year’s tremendous victory. Whether you called, canvassed, donated, wrote postcards, worked on election day or just contacted friends and neighbors we thank you. We were fortunate to have the support of many Gardiner residents who had never been politically active before. Early in the year, our committee decided to focus all our efforts on the three critical elections for Congress, state senate and Ulster County Sheriff.  We knew that if we could help elect Antonio Delgado, Jen Metzger and Juan Figueroa we could help bring about fundamental change to our country, our state, and our county.

As you can see below, the efforts all paid off. The turnout of 2976 voters was the largest in any non-presidential election in Gardiner’s recent history. It was about 50% greater than the normal off-year totals. The pluralities we provided to Antonio, Jen, and Juan of about 1000 votes were critical to their election.

 2018 Gardiner Election Totals:

State Senator District 42

Jen Metzger 1950   Annie Rabbitt 986

Congressional District 19

Antonio Delgado 1945   John Faso 945

Ulster County Sheriff

Juan Figueroa 1875  Paul VanBlarcum  1060

We look forward to working with all 3 of these wonderful new office holders in the coming years. We expect great things especially at the state level where the Republicans can no longer defeat progressive legislation on many issues.

Thanks again for all your help. We look forward to working together on the county and local races next year. Many of us are going to see Juan sworn in as Sheriff on Dec. 28 at the Ulster County Courthouse at noon. All are welcome.

Gardiner Democratic Committee

Here is the sample ballot for the Nov. Election 2018 for Gardiner voters.

Gardiner Sample ballot Nov 2018

Good news for Dems! The current political situation has activated Democrats locally and across the state.  In the Democratic primary held on Thursday, September 13 energized Democrats came out in historic numbers.  Democratic turnout more than doubled across the state as members of our party chose statewide Dem candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General as well as members of the State Assembly and Senate.  Locally, here in Gardiner, we chose candidates for County

Juan Figueroa for Sheriff

Sheriff and State Senator.  You can find unofficial election results for Ulster County here.

Our two GDC-endorsed candidates won easily:

• For Sheriff, Juan Figueroa defeated Paul Van Blarcum by a greater than 4 to 1 margin.  Van Blarcum was nominated by the Republicans so he will face Juan in November running on the Republican line.  If Juan had not won, there would have been no contest in November, as Van Blarcum would have been unopposed.  A tremendous effort by Juan’s campaign paid off handsomely.  The vote in Gardiner was 588 for Juan and just 68 for Van Blarcum.  Now on to November which will be a real contest.  We all need to maintain the level of energy, enthusiasm, and volunteerism to beat the incumbent in the general.  If you are interested in volunteering for Juan’s campaign, visit his website and sign-up here.  Also, elections are expensive and every dollar helps.  Donate to Juan’s campaign by clicking here.
• 

  Jenn Metzger for State Senate

  For State Senate 42nd District, Jen Metzger won handily with 61% of the vote to 39% for Pramilla Malick district-wide (Ulster County gave Jen a whopping 83% of its vote and in Gardiner, she won by a more than 7 to 1 margin).  Jen is well-placed to take the Senate seat of the retiring John Bonacic.  She will face Orange County Clerk Ann Rabbit in November.  Again, we need to maintain the energy and enthusiasm through the general election.  Volunteer for Jen by visiting her website here.  Donate to her campaign by clicking here.

Turnout, Turnout, Turnout

But the real story is in the aforementioned historic turnout by Democrats in this primary.

As noted above, Dem turnout more than doubled.  In Gardiner, Dem turnout approached 50%, an unheard-of level of voter participation for any non-presidential election year.

Bring on the Blue Wave!

And here are the historical numbers for Ulster County:

Sept 2010: 4,360
Sept 2014: 7,005
June 2016: 6,835
Sept 2016: 4,727
June 2018: 14,259 *
Sept 2018: 16,208 * (and more to come with absentees/affidavits)

Someone asked me today what the context was for these numbers.  Was there significant population growth in the county recently? Could demographic changes account for these numbers?  My response was: “The context stands 6 feet, 3 inches, wears a long red tie and can’t stop saying stupid things.”  Thanks, Trump!  On to November and hopefully a blue wave.

Vote Delgado for Congress in November!

Aside from the two races above, by far the most important race is for NY’s 19th Congressional District where incumbent Republican John Faso is facing Democrat Antonio Delgado.  Faso has distinguished himself during his first 2-year term by voting with the Trump position 90% of the time, including on a deciding committee vote to kill Obamacare and cause 60,000 of his constituents to lose healthcare coverage.  Faso is in the pocket of the billionaire Mercer family that funds Breitbart News and Steve Bannon.

Antonio is a charismatic and accomplished lawyer and Rhodes Scholar who grew up in upstate New York and now lives in Rhinebeck. He represents our Democratic values of hard work, equal opportunity, universal health care, and good government working to help the people have been left behind by our current economy.

It is noteworthy that Antonio has been attacked by Faso and the Republicans for appearing, years ago, in a rap video.  With this approach, Faso and the Republicans are blowing the old, racist, Republican dog whistle that has been getting Republicans elected for a generation.  Well, this time it won’t work.  If we can maintain Dem enthusiasm in November that we just showed in this primary, Antonio will be our next Congressman.  The latest polling has Delgado ahead of Faso by three points!

Still, there is much work to be done.  We need to not rest on our primary laurels and push ahead to November with unrelenting hard work knocking on doors, making phone calls, showing up at events, and opening our wallets to fund the Delgado for Congress campaign.  To volunteer for Antonio, please visit his website here.  To make a donation to the campaign, please click here.

Together we will take back our country!

Another Primary? We just had one in June!

YES! You read that right!  New York has a SECOND primary election this year (in addition to the primary that was held in June for federal offices) and it is on a THURSDAY.  Thursday, September 13, to be precise, and polls will be open from 12:00 noon until 9:00 pm.  This is the primary where we will choose candidates for state and local offices, specifically Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, County Sheriff, and State Senator.

Here is the sample ballot for Gardiner Democrats.

It is critical (for why, see below) for everyone to vote at their local polling places between noon and 9 pm on Thursday, September 13 to cast their primary votes.  If you are/can vote by absentee ballot, please be aware that the last day for you to postmark an APPLICATION for an absentee ballot is September 6.

The last day to APPLY for an absentee ballot IN PERSON at the Ulster County Board of Elections (284 Wall Street, Kingston, NY 12401) is September 12.

The last day to deliver an absentee ballot to the Ulster County Board of Elections is 9:00 pm on primary election day, September 13.

Any questions about voting in Ulster County can be answered by visiting the website of the Board of Elections.

Who Should I Vote For In This Primary Election?

The Gardiner Democratic Committee has made two endorsements for the September 13 Primary Election: Juan Figueroa for County Sheriff and Jen Metzger for State Senator

Juan Figueroa for Ulster County Sheriff

Juan Figueroa

Juan is a 40-year resident of Ulster County, having moved with his family to Plattekill when he was a boy.  He is a 22-year combat veteran in the United States Marine Corps.  Juan served for 25 years in the New York State Police where he served in key leadership positions as a police academy instructor, field training officer, and an investigator with the Bureau of Criminal investigations where he worked to stop drug cartels, economic crime, corruption, racketeering, extortion and other crimes.  Juan believes is law enforcement and communities working as a team to tackle the opioid abuse problem.  Juan will bring true Democratic values to the Sheriff’s Office.

Juan’s opponent is the incumbent Ulster County Sheriff, Paul Van Blarcum, who is seeking a fourth term after having embarrassed the office by posting blatantly right-wing  posts on the County Sheriff’s Facebook page and behaved contrary to our Democratic values through a number of his actions including exhorting all pistol owners to bring their weapons to work with them, instituted discriminatory warrant checks on all citizens entering the county building, and working hand-in-glove with ICE to locate and arrest undocumented aliens.  Although he is a registered Democrat, Van Blarcum is also running as a Republican and will appear on the Republican line in November.  He even proudly had his picture taken with Donald Trump.  At the County Democratic Convention, Juan Figueroa received 85 percent of the delegates’ votes for sheriff.  However, the incumbent was able to get on the primary ballot anyway.  It is time for a change at the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office.  Vote for the Gardiner Democratic Committee’s endorsee, Juan Figueroa for Sheriff on September 13!

Jen Metzger for State Senator

Jen Metzger

This year the incumbent Republican State Senator for the 42nd district, John Bonacic, is retiring after 20 years in office.  Running to replace Bonacic is Jen Metzger a longtime Democratic activist, Rosendale Town Council member, and co-founder of Citizens for Local Power a community-based organization working to reduce energy costs for citizens and governments.  She has spent a ton of time working in Albany on these energy issues and understands how Albany works.  Like Juan Figueroa, Jen Metzger is a figure of immense integrity as well as someone who lives her Democratic values every day.  Jen is running against Pramilla Malick a Democratic activist from Orange County primarily known as the founder of Protect Orange County, a community organization leading the opposition of the CPV fracked gas power plant.

The race to replace Bonacic as State Senator in the 42nd district is key because of the slim Republican majority in the State Senate that has prevented many key pieces of Democratic legislation from becoming law.  It is critical that we choose the strongest candidate possible to face the Republican nominee, Orange County Clerk, Anne Rabbit and take the majority in the New York State Senate.  The Gardiner Democratic Committee strongly endorses Jen Metzger for State Senator.

The Gardiner Democratic Committee has made no endorsements for Governor, Lieutenant Governor or Attorney General.  Here are the websites of the candidates:

For Governor
Andrew Cuomo
Cynthia Nixon
For Lieutenant Governor
Kathy Hochul
Jumaane Williams
For Attorney General
Zephyr Teachout
Sean Patrick Maloney
Letitia James
Leecia Eve

One more time: Please don’t forget to vote in the Democratic Primary on Thursday, September 13!

Dear Fellow Democrats,

In advance of Tuesday’s Primary Election, we want to share two quotes with you that we feel are particularly timely.

1.  “Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.  The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not
   

   Pat and student activists at the completion of his 30-mile march, to fight for sane gun laws, from FDR’s home to Faso’s Kingston office.

   a President and Senators and Congressmen and Government Officials, but the voters of this country.”

2. “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”

These words were spoken over 80 years ago by Franklin Roosevelt, yet they seemed tailored for the political crisis we find ourselves in today.

• If you are tired of the blatant corruption, vote!
• If you are tired of the unending lies, vote!
• If you are tired of the soulless and complicit Republican Congress, vote!
• If you are tired of the racism, homophobia, xenophobia and misogyny, vote!
• If you are tired of the dismantling of our democratic institutions and the courting of demagogues, vote!
• If you are tired of the self-dealing of an incurious, craven, incompetent and dangerous chief executive and his family, vote!
• If you are tired of images of innocent babies and children ripped from their mothers and warehoused for political reasons, vote!
• If you are tired of Congressman Faso and his toadying to Trump and the NRA, vote!

On June 26th, we have the opportunity to take back our country one Congressional District at a time. We strongly urge you to cast your vote for West Point graduate, veteran and 5 generation resident, Pat Ryan because we strongly believe that he has the best chance to beat Faso in November.  The priority is to take back our district and that means winning the votes of those who live in the red and purple districts north and west of us. “According to the NYS Board of Elections (as of April 2018), there are 157,000 Democratic +Green +Working Family Party-registered voters.  There are 158,000 Republicans + Conservative-registered voters, and 157,000 “other” voters.  These are virtually identical “thirds.”DEMOCRATS CANNOT WIN THIS ALONE.”

Veteran and Small Business Owner Pat Ryan Releases Poll Showing him as the Strongest Democrat Who Can Beat Faso in November

Through our votes, we have the power to change the story.  Call friends, neighbors and family.  Tell them what’s at stake.  Our country is unrecognizable.  We have the power to restore it to sanity.

Democratic Primary:  Tuesday, June 26^th

Vote where you normally do

The polls are open 12 to 9

The Gardiner Democratic Committee

Dear Neighbor,

We, the undersigned, are fellow residents living in NY’s 19th Congressional District, and we support Pat Ryan as the Democratic candidate for Congress in the June 26th primary. As you likely know, there are 7 candidates competing for the nomination. We have been following this race closely. Each of us has hosted or attended numerous speaking events featuring many or all of the individual candidates. We have had opportunities to chat with them one-on-one. It has been, for each of us, painstaking to select the one candidate for whom to vote, because it is a truly excellent slate of candidates, with each of them being, in our estimation, true and dedicated progressives. We’d be more than happy to have any of them be our Congressional representative. We have, however, finally decided on Pat Ryan as our choice. We’d like to tell you why.

We believe electability in November is the #1 issue to be decided on June 26th. Our American democracy is in peril. This is an ‘all hands on deck’ historical moment. Regaining Democratic control of the House of Representatives, which brings power of oversight, control of the legislative agenda, and committee chairmanships, must be our highest priority. We believe Pat Ryan is the most electable candidate. The winner in this primary must capture Democratic votes as well as many others. Gaining votes from amongst registered Republicans and non-affiliated voters is an absolute numerical requirement. According to the NYS Board of Elections (as of April 2018), there are 157,000 Democratic + Green + Working Family Party- registered voters. There are 158,000 Republicans + Conservative-registered voters, and 157,000 “other” voters. These are virtually identical ‘thirds’. Democrats cannot win this alone.

We believe that of all the candidates, Pat can best “get out” the Democratic vote in November, can win many votes from “independent, non-affiliated” people, and can also win votes from the many centrist, moderate Republicans who are disgusted with Faso and Trump. We feel Pat has a clear advantage over the other candidates in this absolutely essential way.

Pat’s local roots (born and raised in Kingston with extensive family connections in Ulster County), his education and military service (West Point Graduate with Honors, served two tours as an army officer in Iraq, masters degree from Georgetown University), and his fundraising prowess (second-highest fundraiser in the field) all make him the strongest candidate with the greatest crossover appeal. His experience and success in the field of cyber-security show management talent. He is bright, youthful, and he exudes a calm, commanding leadership style. He is well-spoken, genuine, and affable. He believes in seeking conciliation and building bridges.

Pat is the only veteran among the candidates. As witnessed in other recent races, veterans are more apt to vote for other veterans. Also, Pat has made gun safety the cornerstone of his campaign, and as a veteran, he can speak to this issue with authority. Voters of all party affiliations may be more inclined to embrace a gun safety message when delivered by a veteran. On other issues, Pat wants far-reaching and progressive health care reform. He takes a reasonable approach to transitioning to a Medicare-for-All system, an approach also advocated, among others, by progressive NY Times columnist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman. Pat supports protecting Title X funding, women’s and adolescent health, full funding of Planned Parenthood, a woman’s right to choose, equal pay for women, and paid family leave.

Pat is pro-science and understands the urgency of fighting climate change. Pat wants to assume a leadership role in the effort to install safeguards against invasion of internet privacy and for protection of personal data. His education and work experience equip him well for this task. Pat also takes progressive stands on combating income inequality, on campaign finance reform, and on fighting voter discrimination and gerrymandering. Pat believes in the value of diversity, has called the Muslim travel ban “despicable,” and wants Congressional passage of comprehensive immigration reform. For his views on other issues, you can look at patryanforcongress.com.

We pledge to actively and wholeheartedly support whichever Democrat wins the primary, but we think Pat Ryan is a great candidate who will also be the most “electable” come November. We’d be delighted to see him serve in Congress. Please join us and cast your vote for Pat Ryan in the Democratic primary on June 26th.

Signed (in alphabetical order),

Roman Arzhintar, High Falls
Doug Baz, Barrytown
Rich Bennek, Clermont
Michael Billeci, Red Hook
Hannah Black, Dutchess Cty Legislature Minority
Leader, Hyde Park
Carolyn Marks Blackwood, Rhinecliff
Debra Blalock (former Dutchess Cty Legislator), Milan
Edward Blundell, Mayor, Village of Red Hook
Maryelisa Blundell, Red Hook
Patricia Cadley, Red Hook
Anne Canzonetti, Woodstock
Matt Canzonetti, Woodstock
Arnold Cardillo, Clinton Corners
Suzanne Coffy-Iskowitz, Woodstock
Harry Colgan, Tivoli
Liz Cullers, Red Hook
Tim Delaney, Hurley
Susan Ezrati, Trustee, Village of Tivoli
Linda Faber, Rhinebeck
Jane Ferguson, Red Hook
Carl Frankel, Kingston
Mark Fuerst, Rhinebeck
Martha Gershon, Rhinebeck
Joy Harris, Rhinebeck
Tim Hunter, Gardiner
Sarah Imboden, Councilperson, Town of Red Hook
Joel Iskowitz, Woodstock
Lynn Itzkowitz, Rhinebeck
Nan Jackson, Staatsburg
Bill Jeffway, Town Board member, Milan
Christopher Kennan, Millerton
Mike Kruglinski, Gardiner
Tom Kruglinski, Gardiner
Gerald Kufner, Rhinebeck
Catherine Laing, Red Hook
Charlie Laing, Trustee, Village of Red Hook

Barry Levy, Woodstock
Robyn Levy, Woodstock
Jack Kelly, Milan
Alison Lankenau, Tivoli
John Lankenau, Tivoli
Alice Linder, Milan
Arlene London, Red Hook
Gretchen Lytle, Rhinebeck
David Marshall, Milan
Kim Mayer, Gardiner
Shannon Miller, Milan
Stephanie Minerley, Milan
Jennifer Neufeld, Rhinebeck
Mary Anne O’Malley Red Hook
Deborah Franke Ogg, Shokan
Ruth Oxenberg, Livingston
Sharlene Oyagi, Red Hook
Larry Packer, Accord
Jennifer Powers, Rhinebeck
Greg Quinn, Clinton
Karen L. Rauter, Halcott Center
Gabrielle Raven, Woodstock
Caroline Rider, Red Hook
Patricia Lee Rode, Hudson
Michael Roomberg, Red Hook
Halley Roomberg, Red Hook
Franz Safford, Red Hook
Elizabeth Sayner, High Falls
Robert A. Schumer, Livingston
John Schmitz, Barrytown
Barbara Sides, Gardiner
Steven Siegel, Milan
Lara Flowers Simmons, Tivoli
James A. Steinberg, Rhinebeck
Brooke Stevens, Red Hook
Emily Svenson, Councilperson, Hyde Park
Christopher Tavener, Rhinebeck
Joy Taylor, Milan
David Teisler, Red Hook
Caitilin Twain, Staatsburg
Michael Ullman, Clinton Corners
Nancy Ullman, Clinton Corners
Bud Upshaw, Rhinebeck
Martha Upshaw, Rhinebeck
Stephen Weir, Gardiner
Kathryn Windley, Milan
Sheri Winston, Kingston
Severin Winter, Woodstock
Jacek Wojtowicz, Rhinebeck
Wendy Wynberg, Woodstock

See you at the polls!
The Gardiner Democratic Committee

Dear Fellow Democrats,

The jack booted Trump Administration’s cruel and inhumane immigration policy now includes ripping screaming, terrified children from their mothers and housing them in detention centers. Our nation’s moral leadership has been squandered by a dangerous, incompetent, corrupt, narcissist. Trump neither understands nor respects the duties of his office, nor does he recognize the limits placed on his powers by our Constitution. Worse, the complicit, soulless Republican Congress aids and abets this disgraceful, unlawful behavior while so called “Christian” leaders bow down to their cruel idol.

What to do? Call, write, march, donate – and VOTE! Take back our country one Congressional District at a time, starting with our own CD 19. We have a Primary election coming up one week from today. Call your friends, neighbors and family. Remind them of the importance of this race – the 10th most watched CD race in the country. Faso, a slick lobbyist, financed by the NRA and Mercer family has voted against his constituent’s interest and with the Trump agenda 90% of the time. Let’s send him the message: Times Up! You don’t represent us and we will replace you. Release him to collect his Wall Street paycheck.

Elect the Gardiner Democratic Committee’s endorsed candidate, Pat Ryan. A graduate of West Point who served 2 tours of duty in Iraq, Pat is running to take back his country from an internal threat – Trump and the Republican Congress. He has told our committee that he did not fight and risk his life and the lives of the men and women he commanded to defend an administration that is tearing apart our democratic institutions and squandering our moral leadership. He is passionate, determined, a Progressive: (see patryanforcongress.com ), tough AND he can beat Faso. His military service opens doors for him in the red areas of our sprawling district. His Progressive agenda attracts voters here in Gardiner and New Paltz.

This race will come down to a few hundred votes. Every vote counts. Be part of the blue wave!

See you at the polls!

The Gardiner Democratic Committee

Pat Ryan visiting with members and friends of the Gardiner Democratic Committee in front of the Gardiner Library

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!