November 22, 2020

Fellow Gardiner Dems:

This is the first chance I have had to communicate with you since the election and I wanted to give you an update and a call to action on Georgia.

Key Races 2020

We have a lot to be thankful for this week of Thanksgiving.  Our four-year Trumpist nightmare is almost over.  Despite his pathetic attempts to hold onto a job he obviously detests, Donald Trump will vacate the White House and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States on January 20 2021.  Personally, I am looking forward to the beginning of recovery from the damage the Republicans have wrought and, at a personal level, simply not hearing from the worst president in our nation’s history multiple times every day.  THANK YOU for going out to vote and for everything else our volunteers and supporters did to make this victory a reality.  Your engagement wins elections!

Antonio Delgado will be our Congressman for another two years.  He was re-elected with 52% of the vote to Kyle Van De Water’s 46%.  The remaining two percent was split among the third-party candidates.  We congratulate Congressman Delgado and will do all we can to make help this next term a success for him and for all of us in New York’s 19^th Congressional District

Jen Metzger’s race for State Senate has not been called yet, after a week of counting absentee ballots.  As of Friday, there were still about 10% of those still left to be counted, mostly from Sullivan County.  Senator Metzger was about ten points behind on election eve and she still trails by a significant margin we are told.  There is still a path to victory possible, but chances, frankly, are not good.  The good news is that redistricting will take place soon and our 42^nd Senate District will look different in a couple of years, hopefully transformed to not heavily favor Republican candidates as it is now.  I will keep you posted on the results as they come in.  Jen has been a great State Senator and we hope for the best.

More good news came Friday night with the announced victory of Michelle Hinchey in her race in our neighboring 46^th State Senate District.  She was significantly behind the Republican Rich Amedure on election eve but more than made up the difference when the absentee ballots were counted this week.  The Democratic pick-up (the seat had been held by Republican George Amedore, who retired) leaves our party just one seat shy of a supermajority in the NY State Senate.  New York continues to rock Democratic!

Georgia! Georgia! Georgia! We Win Georgia, We Change America!

As Democrats, we had two significant disappointments on Election Day.  One was simply that, despite losing, Donald Trump got 70 million votes from our fellow Americans, including many of our neighbors. While Joe and Kamala’s victory has turned out to be significant (it will turn out to be 306 to 232 in the Electoral College and more than a six million margin in the popular vote), there will be strong headwinds along the way.

The other disappointment was not outright taking the Senate.  As of right now the Republicans hold a 50-48 majority in the Senate with both Senate races in Georgia headed for a January 5 run-off.  If the Democratic candidates win both races, the Senate will be evenly divided and, with Kamala Harris casting the deciding vote, the all-important Senate majority will go to us.

This means that ALL of our efforts for the next five or six weeks need to go into ensuring that Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win their run-offs challenges against their Trumpist Republican incumbents, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.  It is the responsibility of each and every one of us give and do what we can.  We all know that if Mitch McConnell continues to control the Senate, he will obstruct everything Joe Biden and Kamala Harris try to do.  On the other hand, with our own Chuck Shumer running the Senate and Kamala breaking ties, we can change America!  So PLEASE, give until it hurts and volunteer your time and effort between now and January 5 to pitch in and help bring about victory.

Here is a list of worthy organizations and ways to get involved (thanks to Melissa Servant for help with this):

• The Warnock campaign website is here and the Ossoff website is here. You can find out more about them and donate using their donate buttons and you can also volunteer to do phone banking by clicking the sites’ volunteer buttons.
• The Democratic Volunteer Center helps volunteers make calls, write to voters, and send texts to help get out the all-important Democratic vote in Georgia. This is a great way to contribute.
• The work of Stacey Abrams and others helped turn Georgia blue in the presidential race for the first time in almost 30 years. Her organization, Fair Fight works to raise money for progressive candidates, organize on the community level, and register voters.  This is a great cause to contribute to and will help flip both Georgia Senate seats blue.
• The New Georgia Project also holds volunteer registration drives and other activities to register progressive voters. It is also a great organization to volunteer for.
• Indivisible Ulster for Georgia Run-offs runs a phone and text bank Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-6 pm. Contact Indivisible Ulster if you wish to participate with a group of your neighbors trying to bring about change in Georgia.
• Black Voters Matter is an organization whose goal is to increase power in black and other minority communities to allow community members to determine their own destiny. They focus on voter registration, GOTV, and policy advocacy.
• Post Cards to Voters focuses on having volunteers write friendly, handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races. This is an easy and satisfying way to pitch in on the Georgia fight.

Please do something—contribute what you can, volunteer to make calls, or write letters or post cards.  Your activism helped us make gains on election day this year.  We are extremely thankful for your generosity in that regard.  But Georgia on January 5 will be make-or-break.

THANK YOU, and I wish you a peaceful and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.

Tom Kruglinski
Chair, Gardiner Democratic Committee

The Gardiner Democrats, in conjunction with Ulster Activists (U-Act) will be doing a fundraiser to support the reelection of our State Senator, Jen Metzger on Saturday, September 12 from 1:00 to 3:00 in Gardiner at a private home.  This in-person fundraiser is limited to 50 people.  Attendees can mingle with the candidate and her supporters as well as bid on a variety of great items in an auction (part silent, part live).  Auction items include:

• Handcrafted Jewelry
• A Skydive from The Ranch in Gardiner
• Pottery and other items from local artists
• Majestics Hardware Gift Certificate
• Gift Certificates from Cafe Mio, The Mountain Brauhaus, and Garvan’s
• Services such as an acupuncture session, a professional photography portrait session, and haircuts
• A poster signed by Jerry Seinfeld
• Wine, wine, and more wine
• Much more!

All proceeds go toward the Senator’s reelection effort.

For tickets (minimum contribution $50) click here 

Election Day, November 3, 2020 is likely to be the most consequential election of our lifetimes.  Trump’s incompetence is vast, and his crimes are too many to list.  We all know what is at stake in Gardiner as well is throughout the nation: our democracy and maybe even our lives.

Voting Trump out of office is obviously the most important task in this election, but here in Gardiner there are other key election decisions we must make, including:

• Our state senator, Jen Metzger has—in less than two years in office—resolved 400+ constituent requests for assistance; sponsored 21 bills that have been signed into law, with 100% bipartisan support (including bills on reproductive rights, automobile safety, rural development, voting rights, bail reform, support for healthcare workers, Lyme disease, helping our farmers, and many more); held mobile office hours in 31 locations around the district, and sponsored 20+ community events throughout the district. She has made quite a positive impact on our district and on the state as a whole.

However, Jen is facing a daunting challenge in that the 42^nd Senate District was gerrymandered to favor Republican candidates and her opponent is a multi-millionaire who is self-funding a very sophisticated campaign against her.  The Republicans have identified her seat as one of their key targets to take back in 2020.  We can’t let that happen.  We need to send Jen back to the NY Legislature.

• Our Congressman, Antonio Delgado’s victory in 2018 helped flip the U.S. House of Representatives blue. Since then, Representative Delgado has built up a very strong record of progressive accomplishments, including: advocating for universal affordable health care, a tax code that works for working people, and improving economic opportunities for our farmers and rural communities.  He has helped shepherd multiple bipartisan bills into law.  He has held 35 in-person town hall meetings across every county in NY-19 and 10 virtual town halls since the start of the COVID-19 crisis.  He has fought the rollback of crucial environmental regulations that protect our rivers, mountains and forests.  He introduced the Green Jobs and Opportunities Act to address our climate crisis and to ensure the workforce is ready to transition to an economy based around clean energy

Antonio is facing a serious challenge from a Republican determined to take a seat the GOP sees as theirs.  We need to help our congressman continue the great works he has begun over the last two years.

So, casting our vote for the Democratic candidates is literally more important than ever and it is critical that every one of us make a plan to vote.  Click on the links for key voting information.

• Are we and all of our family and friends registered to vote? Are our registrations current and for the addresses we currently live in. The deadline for registering new voters in New York is October 9. The deadline for changes of address is October 14.
• Are we voting in person at our regular polling location on election day, or is another option (early voting or absentee/mail in voting) right for us?
• If we are voting absentee/mail-in, then what are the rules for requesting and sending in our absentee ballot? What is the easiest way to request an absentee ballot? How should we fill out our absentee ballot application if we are staying home because of the COVID pandemic?
• If we choose to vote early on the designated days for early voting in Ulster County, where will we show up to cast our ballot?
• Is legal to request an absentee ballot and then choose to cast our single vote in person: (YES! This is the word of our Ulster County Board of Elections.)
• If we vote on election day, November 3^rd, where is our polling place, what time are the polls open (answer: 6:00 am to 9:00 pm) and what time will we plan to be there?
• Is in-person voting, whether early or on election day, safe given the COVID crisis that has killed more than 170,000 of our fellow Americans (as of 8/23)? Yes, polling locations are as safe as they can be, with poll workers required to wear masks (if they don’t please report it to the BOE at (845) 334-5470) and there is plenty of hand sanitizer available.  But WEAR YOUR OWN MASK!
• What other key information might I find helpful in planning my vote? Note that Jen Metzger’s campaign site has a wealth of information.  If you have a specific Question contact the BOE at (845) 334-5470.
• If you need a ride to the polls, either for early voting on November 3^rd, contact us at chair@gardinerdemocrats.com or call (914) 475-3601.
• Volunteer to be a poll worker! Poll workers are going to be in short supply this year due to the COVID crisis.  If you are younger and healthy, please consider working the polls to make it easy for others to vote. Click here to apply to be a poll worker or contact the Ulster County Board of Elections at (845) 334-5470

Help Wanted

The Gardiner Democratic Committee (GDC) is the official arm of the Democratic Party in Gardiner NY.  We have an immediate opening for a volunteer associate member to serve on the committee.  Unlike voting members, associate members do not serve as members of the Ulster County Democratic Committee and can only vote on local issues when designated by the Chair as filling in for a voting member.  That said, our pool of associate members serves as training ground for future vacancies among our eight voting members who are publicly elected officials.  Associate members are key to the smooth running and continuity of the committee and are regarded in all other ways as full committee members.

Qualifications:

1. Being a registered member of the Democratic Party residing within the limits of the town of Gardiner;
2. Commitment to our Democratic Party values and to the success of Democratic candidates locally, statewide, and nationally;
3. Willingness and ability to attend monthly meetings (generally the second Thursday of each month in the evening at the Gardiner Town Hall);
4. Willingness and ability to support, through the contribution of time and effort, projects important to the GDC such as: political campaigning, fund-raising, community-building, and other strategic and tactical activities. Approximate time commitment: 4-6 hours per month; more during the several months immediately prior to elections;
5. Desire to make a positive difference in our community through Democratic political activity.

We believe each member brings their own strengths to the position of associate member and we will leverage those strengths in a win-win-win for the benefit of the GDC, the community, and the member him/herself.

We would love to have you apply.

Send statements of interest to Chair@gardinerdemocrats.com

Tom Kruglinski and Lisa Lindsley wrote the following letter to Gardiner Democrats on September 14:

Dear Fellow Gardiner Democrat:

We hope this letter finds you well.  We are writing on behalf of the Gardiner Democratic Committee to inform you about the election this November 5^th and to ask for your help in continuing the string of wins we have enjoyed recently that include:

• Electing a new County Sheriff, Juan Figueroa, who is aligned with our Democratic principles
• Electing a progressive Democrat, Gardiner resident Pat Ryan as County Executive
• Electing Jen Metzger as our State Senator, which was key to helping flip the State Senate blue, which has since led to a boatload of progressive legislation passing in Albany
• Electing Antonio Delgado to the U.S. House of Representatives, turning the 19^th district from red to blue

THANK YOU for your help in making these important electoral gains! THANK YOU for voting and for your past support of our efforts.

This Year’s Election

This year there will be local elections for Town Supervisor and two Town Board members.  Our Democratic Candidates are Marybeth Majestic for Town Supervisor, Laura Walls and Franco Carucci for Town Board, and long-time Town Justice Bruce Blatchley.  Candidate profiles and our 2019 Campaign Platform are also at gardinerdemocrats.com.

For the first time in anyone’s memory this accomplished Gardiner Democratic slate is going unchallenged by the Republican Party.  That is good news because it ensures re-election of these fine public servants.  However  the lack of competition may dampen our Democratic turnout, which would be disastrous!

It is still vital that you support our campaign and come out to vote!  There are key county-wide races where our Gardiner campaign and get-out-the-vote efforts will make a difference.  Gardiner Dem turnout has recently been higher than other areas of the county.  Low turnout could hurt the hard-earned gains we have made.

The key county races needing your support are:

• Pat Ryan for County Executive: Pat, a West Point graduate and combat veteran, was elected on April 30 to replace Mike Hein. He is the nominee in his current race for a full four-year term.  Pat has been relentless in his pursuit of progressive Democratic priorities at the county level since his election, including a Green New Deal for Ulster County.  His opponent is local Gardiner far right-winger Jack Hayes, who wants to bring Trumpism to Ulster County government.
• Dave Clegg for District Attorney: Dave, a practicing attorney for 40 years, holds a powerful and progressive vision for a 21^st century DA’s office that actively prosecutes dangerous criminals while making the county safer through effective prevention programs. Dave believes in restorative justice, where rehabilitation for low-level criminals is the right thing to do and saves taxpayer money.  Dave is in a tough race against traditional “throw them in jail” Republican, Mike Kavanaugh.
• Tracey Bartels for County Legislature: our pro-environment, pro-Democratic values legislator was elected to the Chair of the Ulster County Legislature this past year.  She is responsible for the Ulster County Bring Your Own Bag Act and Styrofoam ban.  Tracey is in a fight against Republican and part-time Shawangunk resident Jordan Manley (his primary residence is in New York City).  Tracey’s seat is critical to Gardiner and to maintaining razor-thin Democratic control of the Legislature.
• March Gallagher for Ulster County Comptroller: March is our Democratic nominee for this key position that guards your tax dollars and provides financial analysis and audits of county policy initiatives. She is an attorney and a long-time leader in Ulster County’s economic development.  She is in a race against Lisa Cutten, an accountant who lost the Democratic nomination to March and then turned around and accepted the Republican nomination for the position, despite promising the GDC and many others around Ulster that she would do no such thing if she lost the primary.

We Need Your Help!

Your engagement, participation—and yes, FINANCIAL SUPPORT—will be key to Democratic Victory this November.  Every campaign costs money—for advertisements, signs, campaign literature, and mailings.  It is important to fight Trumpism and the Republican agenda at every level of government.  We have set a goal of raising $10,000 to run a top-flight local campaign and get-out-the-vote effort here in Gardiner.  Please consider making a generous donation to the Gardiner Democratic Party.  Even a small amount will make a difference.  You can write a check and send it to Gardiner Democratic Committee, P.O. Box 145, Gardiner, NY 12525 (please include your physical address if not printed on your check).

If you have any questions, or if you would like to volunteer to help ELECT DEMOCRATS this year: please call one of us.

With respect,

Tom Kruglinski                                                                             Lisa Lindsley
Chair                                                                                               Vice Chair
(914) 475-3601 or tomkrug@hvc.rr.com                                (201) 321-0301 or lisa.lindsley@gmail.com

P.S. Did you know that you can vote early this year!?  Early Voting has reached New York State and is being rolled out in Ulster County in a big way! Early Voting will take place on ten days immediately prior to Election Day, November 5.  The closest location to Gardiner for early voting is at the Redeemer Lutheran Church, 90 Route 32 South in New Paltz.  For a list of all early voting locations and times, visit the Board of Elections website at https://elections.ulstercountyny.gov/.

PPS: Sign up for our fundraiser on Thursday, October 3 from 6:30-8:30 at the home of our County Legislator, Tracey Bartels.  You will have a chance to meet the candidates and donate to the good cause of helping elect more Dems!

This Document as PDF

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!