In advance of Tuesday’s Primary Election, we want to share two quotes with you that we feel are particularly timely.
“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.”
“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.”
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.
We, the undersigned, are fellow residents living in NY’s 19th Congressional District, and we support PatRyan 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 PatRyan 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
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!
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!
Pat Ryan at the opening of his Kingston Field Office.
At our February meeting the Gardiner Democratic Committee voted overwhelmingly to endorse Pat Ryan for the Democratic nomination to run in NY’s 19th Congressional District against incumbent Republican John Faso. We believe that Pat a) represents solid Democratic values, and b) he is the most electable of the six candidates currently in the race.
Please join us on Tuesday March 6 at 7:30pm for a Petition Party at La Charla at 127 Main Street (formerly Shea O’Brians) in New Paltz! You’ll have a chance to hear Pat speak, sign our petition and sign up for petitioning shifts. The cash bar outside the main room will be available throughout the event. Our main room opens at 8pm.
Pat was born and raised in Kingston, NY, where his family has been for five generations. After graduating from West Point, Pat was deployed to Iraq to served two combat tours, including a tour as the lead intelligence officer for an infantry battalion of 1,000 soldiers and officers responsible for ground operations in Mosul.
While in a war zone in Iraq, Pat experienced how outdated technology was limiting and endangering our troops. After leaving the military with the rank of Captain, Pat launched a technology firm that worked to save lives by equipping troops with better tools. Pat lives in Gardiner with his wife, Rebecca.
We are writing to share some good news about our determination to take back District 19 and defeat John Faso, one of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress, in November.
Last evening, the Gardiner Democratic Committee endorsed Gardiner resident, Pat Ryan to run in NY 19. Beginning last year, members of the committee have spent months attending candidate forums and speaking with the remaining 6, possibly 7, candidates who will vie for the opportunity to run against Faso in November. We had many discussions among ourselves and came away determined to endorse who we think had the best chance to win, not only in Ulster County, but in the “conservative” counties north and west of us. We believe that candidate is Pat Ryan and here’s why:
A graduate of West Point and an Intelligence Officer who served 2 tours of duty in Iraq, Pat was born and raised in Kingston to a family that has lived in our community for five generations. Pat avoids the “carpetbagger” label pushed by Mercer money that helped defeat Zephyr Teachout in 2016.
Because it is his family home, his policy priorities reveal a unique understanding of our district and its needs. He is advocating for education reform to help our young people and displaced workers find meaningful work in our changing economy. As a successful small technology business owner and creator of 150 jobs, he’s acted on these priorities in the real world.
Pat has put forth an infrastructure plan to bring our nation’s roads and bridges and our district’s rail into the 21st Century – thereby also creating jobs. And, crucially, he is passionate about fixing our broken healthcare system to provide universal care. Pat believes health care is a human right.
Pat is a “cross-over” candidate and a unifier. His progressive policy priorities will win in our district and his military service, as well as his experience as a small business owner, will open doors in the counties where Trump signs dotted lawns.
There are some fine candidates running in 19, but they don’t have the qualities that make Pat “unique.” His adult life has been about service to our country – his post military life consisted of training returning veterans for technology jobs and producing life-saving information technology for our troops in combat. We admire his service, his integrity and his commitment to putting our community and country’s needs over his own interests, party or donors. At West Point, he was taught that, “Officers eat last.” He continues to embrace that value in his civilian life.
If you haven’t already met Pat and his wife, Rebecca, there will be many opportunities in the coming weeks and months to do so and we will be sending you information about upcoming events. If you would like to be part of Pat’s campaign and help him to victory in November, email his campaign manager, Tim Wagner at tim@patryanforcongress.com.
We look forward to being represented by Gardiner resident, Pat Ryan, in Congress!
Former Gardiner Democratic Committee Chair, Leon Steiner, passed away on January 4, 2018, at the age of 81. The cause was cancer.
Leon and Marlene Steiner
A life-long Democrat, Leon served for many years on the Gardiner Democratic Committee, including seven as Chair. Leon believed strongly in the importance of working with other town committees. In addition, he forged a close working relationship with the Ulster County Democratic Committee to elect Democrats. Leon also served for many years on the Board of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.
A retired electrical engineer with a Master’s degree in computer science from Brooklyn Polytech, Leon worked for many of the top aerospace companies. He was most proud of his work for NASA on the Hubble Space Telescope. He and his beloved wife, Marlene and family moved to Gardiner in 2000.
Gardiner Democrats, as well as the entire Gardiner community, mourns the passing of this civic leader. May he rest in peace.
On Friday, November 17, in a crowded conference room at the Board of Elections Office in Kingston, absentee and affidavit ballots cast in the November 7 election were opened and tallied. The race for Gardiner Supervisor was the only one hanging in the balance. Our Democratic candidate, Lisa Lindsley, was there with her attorney and three members of the Gardiner Democratic Committee—Barbara Sides, Glenn McNitt, and Tom Kruglinski—for moral support. Republican/Conservative candidate Marybeth Majestic was also there with her attorney and Ken Ronk, Republican Chair of the Ulster County Legislature for support.
The ballots were opened district-by-district over the course of about an hour. The final tally was 1052 for Majestic and 1032 for Lindsley, a difference of 20 votes. Following the count, Lisa conceded the race to Marybeth and congratulated her on her victory.
Though the results of the Supervisor’s race are disappointing, we need to keep things in perspective. The Gardiner Democratic ticket did quite well. Our candidates, David Dukler and Warren Wiegand, won their Town Board races by very wide margins. Tracey Bartels won her race for a fourth term representing Gardiner and parts of Shawangunk in the County Legislature. And though she did not win, Lisa’s performance was nonetheless outstanding.
The name Majestic, of course, has been a household word in Gardiner for more than a hundred years. Lisa was a virtual unknown prior to her campaign, having moved to town a mere four years ago. By all rights, the race should not have been close at all. The fact that the margin between the candidates was just 20 votes (less than 1 percent) is an indication that her Democratic arguments for “doing better,” for smart development (not all development), for infrastructure improvement, and better recreational programs resonated deeply with Gardiner voters.
Moreover, Lisa was an outstanding candidate who ran a superior, and truly grass-roots, campaign. She recruited more than 50 volunteers who knocked on 1,793 doors, made 1,646 phone calls, wrote letters, put up signs, entered data, and encouraged citizens to make significant financial contributions to the Democratic campaign. Lisa also led and managed, quite masterfully, the data analytics that we used in this election and that will be a key to future Democratic victories. So, we salute her, thank her for her tireless work and leadership, and look forward to working with her on important issues in the future.
There is still much to be done in Gardiner. While we will make every effort to work with the Supervisor and new Town Board for the betterment of Gardiner, we know that the entrenched old-boy network is still quite active, especially on the town’s Planning Board. That body just issued a determination that the Shaft Road development will have no significant adverse environmental impact. The Planning Board is poised to issue a similar determination on the Heartwood resort development, which will mean that no Environmental Impact Statement is required. There will soon be two openings on the Planning Board and we will turn our attention to working to ensure they are filled not by developers and their allies, but by citizens who will prioritize open space and environmental protection.
Finally, we are quite gratified at the sharply increased interest in Democratic causes in the age of Trump. If you voted for our candidates, THANK YOU! If you contributed volunteer time or financial resources to the campaign, THANK YOU! If you stepped forward to get involved in any other way, THANK YOU! If you have any inclination to be actively involved, please let us know by contacting us via our website, gardinerdemocrats.com and we will find a way for you to make a difference. We are living our Democratic values here in Gardiner and we treasure your support!
Following an absentee ballot count, Democratic challenger Lisa Lindsley conceded the race for Gardiner Town Supervisor to incumbent Marybeth Majestic and congratulated Majestic on her victory. Majestic prevailed by a margin of 20 votes.
“The close results were an important message from advocates of open, progressive local government,” said Lindsley. “Voters are watching closely and are no longer going to let the old boy network run Gardiner unimpeded.”
Gardiner Democratic Committee Vice Chair Barbara Sides, who witnessed the ballot count, said “Our Town Board nominees were victorious. The fact that the Supervisor race came down to 20 votes is indicative of the opposition to the incumbent’s attitude that all land development is good for Gardiner and that the same entrenched interests should be appointed and re-appointed to our boards and commissions.
Gardiner Democrats meet on the second Thursday of every month at 7pm in the Gardiner Town Hall. For more information, visit
So it was a good night for our Town Board candidates. Lisa did better than most expected and is still in a position to win after the absentee ballots are counted. 124 absentee ballots were sent out. We don’t know how many were actually received back. We are looking at the possibility of a manual recount. Results will probably take 2-3 weeks to be finalized. Lisa ran an outstanding campaign, as did our other candidates.
Thank you to all who came out to vote for our great candidates! Turnout was very strong.
We are cleaning up our election signs. Please help us by picking up any of our yard signs you can. Tracey’s signs can be saved and dropped off at her house at 45 Sandhill Rd. or at Mike Kruglinski’s house at 12 Wolf Lane. Our other yard signs can be left at the transfer station (no charge) or at Mike’s house or in your trash. We try to save and reuse the metal frames, which can be left at Mike’s house.
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.
