Gary Dickson

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Gary Dickson

Republican Party, Conservative Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

April 30, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Maryland, 1986

Graduate

George Mason University, 2014

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1978 - 1985

Personal

Birthplace

Los Angeles, Calif.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Government administrator

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Gary Dickson (Republican Party, Conservative Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 26th Congressional District. He lost in the special general election on April 30, 2024.

Dickson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Gary Dickson was born in Los Angeles, California. Dickson served in the U.S. Army from 1978 to 1985. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in 1986 and a graduate degree from George Mason University in 2014. His career experience includes working as a government administrator.

Elections

2024

See also: New York's 26th Congressional District special election, 2024

General election

Special general election for U.S. House New York District 26

Timothy M. Kennedy defeated Gary Dickson in the special general election for U.S. House New York District 26 on April 30, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Timothy M. Kennedy (D / Working Families Party)	68.5	48,050
		Gary Dickson (R / Conservative Party)	31.3	21,982
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	159

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 70,191
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Dickson in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Gary Dickson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dickson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a U.S. Army veteran, retired federal law enforcement officer, and current Supervisor (similar to a mayor) of the Town of West Seneca. Democrats enjoy a substantial registration advantage in town, but in 2019 I overcame that and became the first Republican Supervisor in fifty years. I successfully campaigned on a promise of fiscal responsibility, respect for residents, and an end to favoritism. I was overwhelmingly re-elected in2023. Redistricting and the retirement of the Democratic incumbent earlier this year opened up this seat and I decided to go for it. I am married and have two sons and two grandchildren.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• One-party rule in New York has resulted in out-of-control budgets at the local and state level. Federal spending is also out of control. The government tells us things are good, but our day-to-day experience tells us otherwise. Inflation is crazy and our kids can't afford to buy houses. My opponent is a career politician who thinks nothing of throwing money at any and all problems, regardless of outcome or effectiveness. This must stop. I will bring a voice for fiscal sanity to Congress.
• Despite what the government tells them, citizens are feeling more and more vulnerable to crime. I will advocate for police and for prioritizing the interests of victims over those of criminals.
• We must get immigration under control. We are a nation of immigrants, but most of us or our ancestors followed the rules and came here legally. In 2009 Democrats recognized that 500,000 people a year was too much, and walls were a good thing. Now they say that 2 million is OK and walls are bad. I disagree.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education. All children deserve a good education regardless of where they live, how much their parents make, and the color of their skin.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Abraham Lincoln, for his integrity. Franklin Roosevelt for his wise leadership in WWII.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I love the series West Wing and Tom Hanks's character in Saving Private Ryan. The Wire is one of the best series ever, especially the first season. The characters are ordinary people trying to do the right thing.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, and humility. Honesty because how you live your life is how you will serve in office. Integrity because you must be true to yourself, always voting you conscience and beliefs. And humility, because I don't have all the answers and most members of the public are very smart.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honesty, integrity, and humility.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To serve all the residents of the district equally and fairly. To vote for what is right. To try to accomplish something of substance before leaving this world.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Making the House a little bit better. Setting an example that we can disagree without being disagreeable.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of Martin Luther King. I remember everyone driving with their headlights on.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked at McDonalds when I was in high school for about two year.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Incredible power and influence. Other than that, it is not much different than most state legislatures.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

YES! Especially local government experience. At the local level you always hear more feedback from the public than other levels. You are acutely aware that your actions impact people's lives.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

We must fix the way we interact with each other. The federal government won't solve any of our problems if the Democrats and Republicans keep shouting at each other. As always, the answers are somewhere in the center. I would prefer right of center, but I will be only one of 435 members in the House.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Absolutely! None of us are irreplaceable. Do your best in the time you are allotted then move on so someone else can give it a try. Five terms for the House (for a total of 10 years) and two terms for the Senate (12 years) seems reasonable.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Jack Kemp

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Not one particular one, but I hear from many residents about how much high taxes have impacted their lives, especially seniors. We must get government spending under control.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

It is extremely rare that one party has both houses and the presidency. Not only both houses, but a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. So compromise is almost always necessary. And there is nothing wrong with that. There are 330 million people in the U.S., and we should try to meet the needs of as many as possible, within the law and the Constitution. This does not mean we compromise our core beliefs, but most disagreements are not black and white; there is plenty of gray in the world.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

Every bill for spending must be scrutinized carefully to ensure it is spent wisely and achieves the intended results.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

It is the House's duty to investigate, both to fulfill its oversight responsibilities and to uncover malfeasance. Congress must exercise its powers as envisioned in the Constitution.

What committees interest you?

Education, Intelligence

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency and government accountability are critical, and I brought that to my time in office.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Gary Dickson campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House New York District 26	Lost general	$62,849	$62,849
Grand total			$62,849	$62,849
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2024 Elections

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Government

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

U.S. House New York District 26

Website

Facebook

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Footnotes

[show]

New York's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

Chuck Schumer (D)

Representatives

District 1

Nicholas LaLota (R)

District 2

Andrew Garbarino (R)

District 3

Tom Suozzi (D)

District 4

Laura Gillen (D)

District 5

Gregory Meeks (D)

District 6

Grace Meng (D)

District 7

Nydia Velazquez (D)

District 8

Hakeem Jeffries (D)

District 9

Yvette Clarke (D)

District 10

Daniel Goldman (D)

District 11

Nicole Malliotakis (R)

District 12

Jerrold Nadler (D)

District 13

Adriano Espaillat (D)

District 14

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)

District 15

Ritchie Torres (D)

District 16

George Latimer (D)

District 17

Michael Lawler (R)

District 18

Pat Ryan (D)

District 19

Josh Riley (D)

District 20

Paul Tonko (D)

District 21

Elise Stefanik (R)

District 22

John Mannion (D)

District 23

Nick Langworthy (R)

District 24

Claudia Tenney (R)

District 25

Joseph Morelle (D)

District 26

Tim Kennedy (D)

Democratic Party (21)

Republican Party (7)