Didi Barrett

Didi Barrett
New York State Assembly District 106
Incumbent
In office
2012 - Present
Term ends
January 1, 2015
Years in position	1
Party	Democratic
Compensation
Base salary	$79,500/year
Per diem	$171/full day; $61/half day
Elections and appointments
Last election	November 6, 2012
First elected	March 20, 2012
Next election	November 4, 2014
Term limits	N/A
Websites
Office website
Campaign website

Didi Barrett is a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly, representing District 106 since 2013. She previously represented District 103 after winning the March 20, 2012 special election until 2013. The special election was called to fill the vacancy created when Marcus Molinaro (R) resigned after being elected Dutchess County executive.

Committee assignments

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Barrett served on the following committees:

Elections

2012

See also: New York State Assembly elections, 2012

Barrett ran in the 2012 election for New York State Assembly District 106. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on September 13, 2012. She also ran on the Working Families Party ticket. She defeated David Byrne in the general election which took place on November 6, 2012.

New York State Assembly, District 106, General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Didi Barrett Incumbent	54.3%	28,297
	Republican	David Byrne	45.7%	23,797
Total Votes				52,094

2012 special

See also: State legislative special elections, 2012

Barrett defeated Richard Wager (R) in the March 20, 2012 special election. On election night, the outcome of the race was unclear. However, on March 30, Wager conceded defeat to Barrett. Barrett led Wager by 137 votes. Approximately 1000 absentee ballots remained to be counted.

Barrett also ran on the Working Family Party ticket. Wager also ran on the Independence and Conservative Party tickets.

2010

See also: New York State Senate elections, 2010

Barrett was a Democratic candidate for District 41 of the New York State Senate. Barrett ran unopposed in the September 14 Republican primary. Barrett was defeated by incumbent Stephen Saland (D) in the general election on November 2. Barett ran as a member of the Democratic and Working Families party.

Campaign donors

2012

Campaign donor information is not yet available for this year.

Issues

Campaign themes

2010

Barrett's campaign website lists several main issues:

• Creating Jobs: "More than 13,000 of our neighbors in Dutchess and Columbia Counties are unemployed; many thousands more are underemployed. We must get them back to work, and the best way to do that is through smart, sustainable economic growth that takes advantage of the best of our region. We can make use of opportunities like the new Excelsior Jobs Creation Program, which offers incentives to both existing local businesses to expand their workforces and to new businesses that will bring jobs to our region – and keep them here."

• Reforming Albany: "We deserve higher standards of ethics, transparency and accountability from our elected officials. We deserve legislators who are committed to putting the people’s work above partisan bickering. Everyone is saying it: Albany is broken. Let’s start restoring faith in state government with independent redistricting, campaign finance reform, meaningful ethics standards, and disclosure of outside sources of income."

Didi Barrett for State Senate

• Lowering Property Taxes: "Property taxes are driving businesses out of New York State and residents from their homes. We need to look at real solutions – one example is the circuit breaker tax – so residents are never stretched beyond their means. We’ve watched our property taxes rise time and again, but our schools are laying off teachers and cutting programs so drastically that younger children will not get the same opportunities that their older siblings had just a few years before. It’s clear we need to rethink how we fund our school system, how we tax, and where that money goes."

• Supporting Our Farms: "The Hudson Valley has a rich, diverse agricultural tradition and our working farms provide the scenic backdrop that makes our region such an appealing destination. Keeping farms viable and attracting young farmers is critical to feeding not just local residents but the entire state."

• Protecting Our Environment: "Our region is blessed with incredible natural resources, from the Hudson River on the west to the foothills of the Berkshires on the east. We are the home to extraordinary flora and fauna which contribute to the beauty and appeal of the region as both a place to live and to visit. Protecting our natural resources must go hand in hand with any economic development. Tools such as smart growth principles and Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) can help us maintain the communities and the open spaces that make up the character of this very special region."

• Educating Our Youth: "Simply put, we are letting too many of our children down. As a mother, Didi knows first hand that not all children learn the same way. But every child starts out wanting to be successful and we as a society need to give them the tools to do so. Effective education must remain a priority even during tough times and it requires a collaborative effort of all the stakeholders — parents, teachers, administrators, and community members."

• Preserving Our Liberties: "Our Founding Fathers showed extraordinary wisdom when they drafted our Constitution and established the Bill of Rights. They made it clear: it is not government’s place to interfere with the basic rights of its citizens. Didi is committed to protecting a woman’s right to control her own body by assuring that all reproductive health services are safe, accessible and affordable for all the women of NY State. Didi believes in marriage equality for all New Yorkers and look forward to sponsoring and passing a bill in the next term. Didi supports the rights of sportsmen and women, as well as the Second Amendment, and Didi believes that New York State’s firearms laws should be enforced."

Education

• BA, Speech Communications, University of California at Los Angeles
• MA, Folk Art Studies, New York University

Professional experience

"Didi spearheaded the creation of the Dutchess Girls Collaborative, an alliance of local programs, supporters and providers that address the needs of young women. She helped launch and is a board member of the North East Dutchess Fund (NED) of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, focusing on allocating funds to improve life in the six towns of northeastern Dutchess County. She helped create the pioneering NED Corps program, with Dutchess Community Action Partnership, to deliver greatly needed social services to this rural region."

Recent news

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External links

Suggest a link

• Office website
• Campaign website
• Campaign facebook page
• Campaign twitter page
• Official Project Vote Smart Biography
• Imagine Election profile
• 2010 New York Times Endorsement

References

Political offices
Preceded by Ronald Canestrari (D)	New York Assembly District 106 2013–present	Succeeded by NA
Preceded by Marcus Molinaro	New York Assembly District 103 2012–2013	Succeeded by Kevin Cahill (D)