New York's 21st Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Democratic primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 12
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m.
Tedra Cobb (D) took more than 50 percent of the votes in a five-way race for the Democratic Party's nomination on June 26. She earned the right to challenge incumbent Elise Stefanik (R) on November 6, 2018 for her seat representing New York's 21st Congressional District.
Five Democrats ran in the June 26 primary for New York's 21st Congressional District. The race received national attention due to the entry of a former MSNBC TV host and controversy between two candidates over endorsements from progressive organizations.
The Capital New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN) endorsed former St. Lawrence County elected official Tedra Cobb (D) June 4.[1] But NYPAN’s state chapter, and the Justice Democrats PAC, endorsed former Bernie Sanders presidential delegate Patrick Nelson (D). NYPAN’s state chapter asked Cobb to delete social media posts saying she had their support, adding that the Capital Area group had no authority to issue an endorsement.[2]
Cobb raised $362,366, leading all candidates, as of June 6.[3] In her first televised ad, she promised to make access to comprehensive health insurance for all citizens a priority.[4]
Nelson ran on a progressive platform advocating for universal higher education, Medicare for all, and publicly funded elections.[5]
Former MSNBC television host Dylan Ratigan announced his candidacy in February.[6] Ratigan said he was running on a pro-labor platform and touted endorsements from the former vice-president of the New York State AFL-CIO, Ernest LaBaff, as well as the IBEW Local 2032 and the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees 4-AB1.[7][8][9]
In May, Ratigan reportedly told a group of Democratic activists he understood why people voted for Trump and that he considered doing so himself. Ratigan claimed that the statement was a joke and should not be taken seriously.[10]
The Working Families Party endorsed small business owner Katie Wilson (D). Wilson is campaignedon her personal story as a mother and non-politician.[11]
Former professor and non-profit executive Emily Martz (D), highlighted her experience in finance and economic development.[12]
| New York voter? Dates you need to know. | |
|---|---|
| Primary election | June 26, 2018 |
| Candidate filing deadline | April 12, 2018 |
| Registration deadline | June 1, 2018 |
| Absentee application deadline | June 19, 2018 (by mail), June 25, 2018 (in-person) |
| General election | November 6, 2018 |
| Voting information | |
| Primary type | Closed |
| Early voting deadline | June 25, 2018 (by mail), June 26, 2018 (in-person) |
| Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day. | |
For more on related elections, please see:
- New York's 21st Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Republican primary)
- New York's 21st Congressional District election, 2018
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2018
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2018
- Democratic Party primaries in New York, 2018
- Republican Party primaries in New York, 2018
Election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House New York District 21
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tedra Cobb | 55.7 | 10,853 |
 | Katie Wilson | 12.1 | 2,356 | |
 | Dylan Ratigan | 11.9 | 2,313 | |
 | Emily Martz | 11.1 | 2,165 | |
 | Patrick Nelson | 9.2 | 1,802 | |
| Total votes: 19,489 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Don Boyajian (D)
- Ronald Kim (D)
- Tanya Boone (D)
- Sara Idleman (D)
- David Mastrianni (D)
Candidates
Top candidates
Tedra Cobb
Cobb graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a degree in Spanish and sociology in 1989 and took a job as a Spanish-language corrections counselor at Riverview Correctional Facility. After three years in that role, Cobb joined North Country AIDS Outreach, where she participated in educational and AIDS screening programs in rural areas. In 1999, Cobb started a community health program through the St. Lawrence Health Initiative, which she would spend four years leading. In 2003, she obtained a master's in instructional technology from SUNY Potsdam.
Cobb was elected to the St. Lawrence County legislature in 2002 and served two four-year terms. In 2003, Cobb founded a consulting firm which she remained president of as of the 2020 election. After leaving the county legislature, Cobb taught communications at SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University. She left both teaching posts in 2015.[13][14]
Emily Martz
Patrick Nelson
Nelson graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2012 with a degree in biochemistry/biophysics. He interned with the Aaron Woolf congressional campaign in 2014. Nelson served as filed director for Mike Derrick's congressional campaign in 2016. He also worked for Assemblyman Phil Steck as a special projects coordinator in 2017.[15]
Katie Wilson
Wilson left Sierra Nevada College where she studied business and entrepreneurship to take over management of her family’s business - The Bark Eater Inn. She is also the owner of The Adirondack Attic in Keene, New York.
Dylan Ratigan
Ratigan was a business journalist with CNBC until 2009. From 2009 until 2012 he was the host of MSNBC's "The Dylan Ratigan Show." In 2012 Ratigan's book, Greedy Bastards, was published by Simon & Schuster.[16]
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+4, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 4 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made New York's 21st Congressional District the 207th most Republican nationally.[17]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.21. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.21 points toward that party.[18]
Campaign tactics and strategies
Campaign advertisements
Tedra Cobb
Support
|
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elise Stefanik | Republican Party | $2,808,067 | $2,998,028 | $352,229 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Tedra Cobb | Democratic Party | $1,547,984 | $1,508,662 | $39,321 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Emily Martz | Democratic Party | $250,824 | $250,642 | $181 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Patrick Nelson | Democratic Party | $72,216 | $72,122 | $95 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Lynn Kahn | Green Party | $5,838 | $6,807 | $149 | As of December 6, 2018 |
| Dylan Ratigan | Women's Equality Party, Democratic Party | $198,481 | $198,481 | $0 | As of July 12, 2018 |
| Katie Wilson | Working Families Party, Democratic Party | $265,858 | $265,858 | $0 | As of December 31, 2018 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Campaign themes and policy stances
Tedra Cobb
| “ |
Building a Thriving Local Economy Tedra pledges to protect the industries that drive our region’s economy, and promote policies that will help NY21’s economy grow. TEDRA’S VISION
TURNING VISION TO ACTION
Tackling The Opiod Addiction Problem Addiction and overdose deaths have reached alarming levels, in our communities and across the country. Tedra recognizes the need to abandon failed strategies of the “War on Drugs” and supports a range of effective approaches to turn the tide on this epidemic. TEDRA'S VISION
Enacting Healthcare Solutions Tedra is committed to enacting healthcare solutions that work for her constituents and leveraging the expertise of local hospital and medical professionals. TEDRA’S VISION
TURNING VISION TO ACTION
Addressing Gun Violence Tedra Cobb is committed to maintaining an individual’s access to firearms for safe hunting and personal protection, while working to minimize gun violence, an escalating public health crisis. She calls on Congress to reject partisanship and address the issue with reason, integrity and cooperation. TEDRA’S VISION
THE TIME IS NOW
TURNING VISION TO ACTION
Educating Northern NY From Cradle to Career Tedra is committed to increasing funding for education, from preschool to postsecondary, improving equity in education, and resisting all efforts to dismantle public education. TEDRA’S VISION
FIGHTING FOR BENEFICIAL FEDERAL POLICY Tedra is particularly concerned with the current federal education agenda, which promotes private education for the elite at the expense of public education for the overwhelming majority of American children. While she supports a family’s right to select a private education, she sees the deception behind proposed deep cuts to public education to divert limited resources to the euphemistic “school choice” movement. TURNING VISION TO ACTION
Protecting the Environment Protecting the environment is essential for our planet, our region, our health and our economy. NY-21 is not only a place of staggering beauty – its natural resources form the very basis of many of our livelihoods. Tedra is committed to protecting the environment, for moral, aesthetic, health and economic reasons. TEDRA’S VISION
TURNING VISION TO ACTION
Advocating for Fair and Sensible Immigration Policies Tedra Cobb will work to ensure that visitors and immigrants to this country receive fair treatment and are protected and valued as important members of our community. TEDRA’S VISION
TURNING VISION TO ACTION
RELATED POLICY POSITIONS
WHY TEDRA? Because of her deeply-held values – fairness, kindness, respect for diversity, appreciation of other cultures, and equal access to opportunity – Tedra recognizes that we all benefit when we welcome newcomers to this country. Immigrants create jobs, strengthen the local economy, and add to the cultural diversity that makes the U.S. great. Supporting Military Service Members and Veterans Taking care of active-duty military personnel and veterans cannot just be a political talking point or a chance for a photo op. They are our friends, our neighbors, and vital members of our communities. They have served our country, and, they deserve more than what they are getting from Washington. TEDRA’S VISION
TURNING VISION TO ACTION
VETERANS & ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF OUR DISTRICT An estimated 70,000 veterans live in the 12 counties that make up NY-21 – more than 12 percent of the residents of the district. A staggering 19,600 people serve at Fort Drum—making it easily the district’s single largest employer. These individuals are an amazing resource, with proven leadership abilities, technical skills, and organizational abilities. Veterans have earned our admiration, and understanding. When they need help, we will step up and ensure that they have the resources and opportunities they deserve. |
” |
| —Tedra Cobb Democrat for Congress[20] | ||
Emily Martz
| “ |
Environment Curbing climate change and conserving our natural resources are about the health of our environment, our people, and our economy. Imagine if we as a country made investments in renewable energy a priority. Imagine the renewable energy companies we could build — and the jobs we could create, the improvements in people’s health. Imagine what we could do as a country with leaders who understand this connection between job growth and protecting our environment, and who supports transitioning to an economy based on clean energy. Imagine how we could curb climate change. I have spent my career in the North Country creating strategies for small businesses — including renewable energy companies — to grow in environmentally sustainable ways and can assure you: We don’t have to choose between environmental conservation and economic growth like the current administration and incumbent are claiming. We CAN have both. It will take strong leaders to set our country on this stronger path. I stand against the current administration’s trajectory and stand for a path that protects our environment and creates gainful employment in regions like ours. The environment is a gift and a responsibility, and as a nation, we must start thinking 7 generations in the future. In the North Country, we depend upon the environment for our way of life, for recreation, and for jobs. Fishing, hunting, farming, outdoor recreation, and tourism are all dependent upon clean air, water, and soil. The entire world depends upon curbing climate change. For the benefit of our environment, our health, and our economy, I would:
Education As the daughter of a rural public school teacher, I strongly support public education, beginning at the pre-K level. In Congress, I will do all that I can to keep our countries’ public schools financially healthy and open, and to support our public schools teachers. In Congress, I will press to refocus our country so that we see public schools and public school teachers as a public and social good. This means means lobbying against legislation that diminishes or calls into question the stature of schools and our teachers, such as tying test scores to teachers’ compensation. Legislation must acknowledge that public education is about creating a strong nation and stable society through well educated and critically thinking individuals; it is about much more than personal achievement. We must fully support public schools and teachers because the future of our country is in their hands. Teachers deserve good pay and benefits, and this attracts the best in the industry. Pre-K Education
Public School Funding
Common Core & Charter Schools:
Post Secondary Education: Post secondary education is a major economic driver in the North Country because of what the education does for students and because of what it does for our communities. For these reasons, I will be a strong partner with our colleges, universities, and technical schools. Whether technical or liberal arts, private or public, higher education needs to be accessible, and there needs to be choices. I believe that the federal government has a role in making sure that access to higher education is possible by addressing affordability. It can do so by:
Technical Education: Much of the conversation in Washington and around the country surrounds college education at four-year institutions. As a congresswoman, I would work to make sure that vocational education receives the same attention because our country needs more people skilled in technical trades, and we have many students who would excel in those roles if the options were available and encouraged. To do this, I would:
Title IX Funding: Title IX is responsible for high school girls gaining access to sports teams and for those teams being treated equally. For example, it allowed girls’ teams to receive new uniforms made for girls rather than having to accept the boys’ hand-me-downs. Title IX was also in part responsible for schools and colleges paying attention to sexual harassment and violence. The Obama Administration provided schools and colleges with guidance on how to comply with Title IX in regards to sexual harassment and sexual violence. Although some people, including Education Secretary, Betsy Devos, believe that Title IX is no longer necessary and was used by President Obama to overextend his executive reach, given that girls and women are still treated differently due to their gender, as has been made clear in the recent sexual scandals that have come to light, Title IX is still relevant and should be maintained. Rural Schools: The North Country’s school districts face some particular challenges shared by other rural regions. We have strong teachers dedicated to our students, however rising local taxes, declining property values, and declining populations threaten the strength and existence of our schools. We know that schools are the centerpiece of our communities, and so when a school closes it has a significant, negative impact on an area. I support districts exploring and adopting the Community Schools initiative as a way to keep the schools at the center of the community, and to make them a center of support for families. To increase student enrollment, I support international high school student programs like that in Newcomb, NY. Long-term success of this program requires changes in federal student visa laws. North Country Values Our way of life, our environment, and the security of our country depend upon creating economic opportunities for everyone, maintaining environmental protections, and creating a healthcare system that provides everyone access to affordable, quality care. Hard-working people deserve to be able to put food on the table, money in the bank, and to access to quality healthcare. Those who need help should have a hand up. Those who cannot take care of themselves need to be cared for. Everyone, regardless of the conditions they were born into, deserves a chance to build the life they want. We need an economic system that rewards hard work and provides resources that help people build the lives they want to lead. Our way of life and our economy depend upon our winters, our clean air, water, and soil, and our forests. So that generations to come have the same opportunities we do, we have the responsibility to conserve our natural resources and curb climate change. The problem of acid rain dissipated thanks to sensible rules, and now we are reversing ground. We need to refocus national attention on this issue. Healthcare As a nation, we are stronger when our people have access to the health care they need at a price they can afford. Access to affordable health care is critical to our ability to learn, work, care for ourselves and our families, and realize our full potential as Americans. We need to be able to take ourselves and our children to the doctor when we are sick, to get regular check-ups and necessary vaccines, and obtain the medicines we need to restore and maintain our health. Problem: The Affordable Care Act (aka the ACA and “Obamacare”) has extended health insurance to millions who previously couldn’t afford it. But premiums are still much too high, and the Trump Administration is sabotaging some of the ACA’s key elements and driving premiums even higher. Even with the ACA, Americans are paying twice as much for health care than people in most developed countries and have the worst outcomes in key indicators like infant mortality, life expectancy, and chronic debilitating conditions among seniors. The prices we pay for pharmaceuticals are much higher than those of other countries, and almost 20% of every health care dollar spent by Americans with private health insurance goes towards administrative costs. Millions of Americans still don’t have health insurance, and many of those who do don’t get preventive care and care for acute health problems when they need it because of high co-pays and deductibles. Solution: We need a universal health care system. It needs to be a system that controls costs and improves outcomes. It needs to keep healthcare in the hands of private healthcare providers and take it off the shoulders of businesses, especially small businesses. It needs to be a system that enables individuals and families to consult the doctors they choose, receive preventive care that helps them stay healthy, have coverage for pregnancy, childbirth, and reproductive health services, mental health care, addiction treatment, and services that enable seniors and people with disabilities to live at home instead of in a nursing home. I want to be your voice in Washington because I have a history of building partnerships that are required to get this done. In order to move towards our universal health care system, as your Congresswoman, I pledge to support: A Public Option: Allow everyone to buy into Medicare. Medicare works for our seniors and people with disabilities and is far less expensive than private insurance because it has much lower administrative costs. This option will create the competition that some lawmakers insist is needed to lower costs and increase options for individuals, families, and employers. And, it will move us towards a universal healthcare system that our country needs. Disproportionate Share Payments: Ensure that our hospitals continue receiving the Disproportionate Share Payments that enable them to care for Medicaid-eligible patients Medicaid: Fully fund expanded Medicaid coverage for our low-income and working families, veterans, people with disabilities, and seniors who need nursing home care Federally-Qualified Healthcare Centers:Fully fund our federally-qualified community healthcare centers so that they can provide primary care in areas where there are few options for lower-income individuals, families, and seniors CHIP: Fully fund the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for children in lower-income families Drug prices: Enable Medicaid and Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices Coverage requirements: Require that public and private health insurance plans cover addiction treatment, mental health treatment, and full reproductive health care, including pregnancy, childbirth, and birth control Planned Parenthood: Maintain funding for Planned Parenthood, an essential health resource for women, particularly in rural areas VA Services: Increased funding for VA services and hospitals so that veterans, especially in rural areas, don’t have to drive long distances for essential care. Economy Our nation is stronger when our communities are good places to live and work, when they are prosperous, and when everyone can participate in that prosperity. My leadership in economic development has shown that our communities and local economies have the power to create jobs that pay enough to put food on the table and save for retirement. We can harness this power with a leader in Washington devoted to creating common sense policies that work for our communities. But right now, working families are getting left behind, especially in rural America. Poverty rates in our region are increasing and people are leaving. Yet, we see GOP tax cuts providing huge benefits to large corporations and ignoring real challenges faced by rural America. It is a tax plan that diverts resources away from working families and small businesses who need them most and towards millionaires, billionaires, and major corporations who are doing just fine. As well as serious challenges, we face substantial opportunities. To meet these challenges and realize the opportunities, we need a leader in Washington who can help our towns and villages build infrastructure, attract investment and resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs, market our communities, and support sectors that thrive in our region. Imagine what we could do if we had a Congresswoman who understands economic development in our region, as I do. Imagine what we could do if we had a Congresswoman who has been involved with successful economic development ventures across our region, as I have been. Imagine what we could do if we had a Congresswoman who values strong communication with local government, community organizations, and businesses, as I do. In the North Country, my work has created and promoted economic opportunities across our region. Through partnerships with local government, businesses, and community organizations across our area, I have helped expand the clean energy sector, revitalize Main Streets, and help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful businesses. I want to be the voice of the North Country in Washington because I know what it takes to develop our economy. As your Congresswoman, these are my priorities: Support thriving sectors: Expand business opportunities in industries that thrive in our region: clean energy; small manufacturing; artisanal products; recreation and tourism; forest products; family farming; aerospace; transit equipment; defense; and biotech Small business development: Target resources to encourage entrepreneurs and small businesses, including support services and tax reform that encourages investment in these ventures Infrastructure: Investment in improvements that give all of our communities access to broadband, cell service, and reliable and safe water, electricity, and sewage systems. Education: Help rural school systems find creative solutions so that their schools can remain centers of the community, and help communities fund federal mandates and programs that teach students life-skills not always found in the home. We also need more programs that enable our graduates and veterans prepare and compete for 21st century jobs. A highly-qualified workforce attracts industries and employers that pay high wages and contribute to the prosperity of our region Taxes & Regulation: We need to responsibly levy taxes while ensuring that our regulations are well targeted and true protections, always thinking in terms of long-term investments in our nation’s future and creating opportunities for all people. Airports: Improve and promote our international and regional airports so they attract new industries and employers Arts & culture: Improve the use of our performing and visual arts centers, and the support of our local artists, to further anchor and enrich our communities. Performing and visual arts are an anchor for communities. They enhance the quality of life, they attract visitors, and they attract new families to the area. The arts support local businesses by attracting visitors who then shop and eat at local restaurants and retail stores. Natural resources: Protect our natural resources so that they continue to support our way of life, attract entrepreneurs and telecommuters, and welcome visitors who contribute to our economic prosperity. This includes supporting local efforts to create working landscapes Healthcare: Reduce employers’ health care costs by taking them out of the health insurance business: provide individuals and families the option to buy into Medicare. Support our rural healthcare system by maintaining funding for Medicaid and raising the level of Medicare reimbursements Transportation: Innovate and modernize so that we have transportation systems that work in rural America. In some communities in our region, employers cannot recruit qualified workers because there is little or no public transportation for them Housing: Support local communities’ efforts to create housing that workers and middle-income families can afford. Housing costs in communities popular with tourists and second-home owners are often beyond the means of teachers, shop owners, hospital employees, forest rangers, firefighters, and service workers — the very people these communities depend on for their quality of life |
” |
| —Emily Martz for Congress[21] | ||
Patrick Nelson
| “ |
“There are over 700,000 people living the 21st District and every one of them knows something that I don't. If we work together we will do a far better job than anyone could do on their own. I will always be learning in this job.” -Patrick Nelson
Health
Careers; Not Just Jobs
A living wage for everyone Reforming Our Political System
Note this is not an exhaustive list at this time. This page will expand and improve throughout the campaign. If there is an issue important to you please do not hesitate to reach out to us about it. |
” |
| —Patrick Nelson for Congress[22] | ||
Katie Wilson
| “ |
What's Katie Fighting For? We are living through a moment where the polarization in America is stronger than it has been in decades. If we desire progress, we must acknowledge the root causes of this divisiveness and take action. By and large, we are arguing over who has access to resources and how people make money, while watching the wealth gap grow wider every day. In order to address the root cause of our society's ills, we have to meet people's basic needs and address income inequality while fighting corporate corruption. Only then can we create healthy communities and economies while creating a better future for our children. Only then does the American Dream exist.
The North Country also faces unique challenges: We must invest in our rural hospitals and health centers to ensure they can continue to serve our communities and advocate for policies that address the quality of care and staffing crises in our region’s nursing homes. In the 12 counties that make up NY-21, there are only seven hospital beds reserved for opioid detox. I will fight for resources to address this massive need as so many of our neighbors struggle with addiction. We also have the largest veteran population in the state and not one VA hospital in the entire district. Our brave servicemen and women deserve quality, easily accessible healthcare and services close to home. Healthcare programs like CHIP and Medicaid must be protected and reinforced in order to ensure the health and well-being of our children and seniors. Through Medicaid funding, many children, including my own, have access to speech and occupational therapies. Seniors and caretakers of elderly parents rely on Medicaid for home care services and nursing home costs. For many young men and women, Planned Parenthood is their sole healthcare provider. I stand with Planned Parenthood and the important work they do in keeping our communities healthy through family planning services and cancer/STD screenings.
SMALL BUSINESSES + ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: As a small business owner, I know the economic issues we face here in the North Country intimately. As your representative, I will work to free small businesses from the burden of paying for their employee's health care, advocate for increased access to micro-lending to empower start ups and women entrepreneurs, and demand fairness in our tax code. Small businesses like my own should not be held to the same tax structure as large corporations: I propose a fair and graduated tax that takes into account scalability and size while assuring that access to micro-lending becomes a reality. It’s time to empower and value small business owners, employees, and entrepreneurs as the backbone of our local economy. To create a business friendly environment that attracts and retains young people, we need basic community infrastructure to support our workforce. I'll fight for good local transportation through innovative ride sharing programs, quality & affordable childcare initiatives that emulate programs in New England where nursing homes and daycares work together to provide a better quality of care for both, and I'll fight for comprehensive broadband and cell phone coverage here in the North Country.
BROADBAND EXPANSION: Nearly 28 percent of North Country households and businesses are without broadband. With a rapidly increasing importance of digital communications, we are not maintaining competitiveness with the rest of the state. This inhibits not only small business owners and professionals, but children and students trying to compete in the digital age. We are in a unique time when many millennials and seasoned professionals are returning to the area with the option to work remotely. We need these people–young and old–to stay and must provide them with every function needed to support a lifestyle in this technologically driven era.
EDUCATION: Every day we entrust the future of our children to the teachers and school leaders and yet often they have little say over earmarked funding. Those who best understand their communities and student bodies should keep local control to create the best educational opportunities for our kids. In NY-21, we are fortunate to have incredible programs like BOCES and CV-TEC where students can pursue technical skills training and direct-entry career paths. By expanding these models of learning, we can invest in internship programs, empower our students, and allow businesses to train for positions that need to be filled within our communities. This will both create a pipeline of future employees and help keep young people here in the North Country. Every child deserves access to well trained teachers and no child should be subject to under qualified teachers due to their socio-economic status. As public school funding follows the student if they switch schools, we must hold charter schools accountable to the same standards as our public schools to maintain the integrity of our education system.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Special interest groups should not be funding our elections. We have to address the hurdles keeping so many driven and committed citizens from running for office. At a time when income inequality is approaching an all-time high, we don’t need more millionaires creating policy in America.
ENVIRONMENT: Not only do I hold a deep reverence for the land, especially here in the North Country, but I understand that our environment is critical to the local economy. We rely heavily on tourism here in the Adirondack region and the quality of our soil and water is critical to the farming industry in surrounding areas. I oppose legislation that threatens our right to clean air and water, period. I'll fight every day to ensure our lakes, rivers and streams are protected, to protect our future generation's access to a healthy environment and economy, and the reining in of corporate greed that threatens our future in so many ways. I support an end to fossil fuel subsidies, keeping oil in the ground, and reviving the American economy through clean, green jobs that will lead us to a '100% renewables' energy future. I haven't waited to get elected to show leadership on local issues. I led the charge when a shady rail company employed extortion tactics aimed at our local Adirondack communities, threatening our economy and environment. You can find comprehensive coverage of this issue on our Press page and sign the petition (below) to ensure Iowa Pacific Holdings is brought to justice. LATEST ON RAIL CARS Call to Action on Rail Car Storage The Adirondack Park is not a junkyard, and the residents of the North Country deserve a voice in determining how our land is treated and protected. We know Iowa Pacific intends to store 22 miles of rusting, decaying, vandalized and toxic rail cars inside the park, sitting on the banks of our rivers and in our protected wilderness. This is not a partisan issue. All across Warren and Essex counties, and beyond, community officials and residents have come together in opposition to this misuse and abuse of our environment and region. The Surface Transportation Board recently cemented their legal authority and federal jurisdiction over the Tahawus rail line – and Iowa Pacific Holdings, the company responsible for parking thousands of dangerous disused rail cars on the 22-mile stretch of track – when it granted the company “common carrier” status in 2012. The ruling allowed Iowa Pacific to rebuild and use outdated segments of rail lines to transport WWII-era materials for refinement in New York. Now, the company intends to use this federally-granted authority to turn the Adirondack Park into a parking lot for contaminated and unsafe tanker cars that pose a health risk to both the environment and surrounding communities. Together we can call on Elise Stefanik to break her silence and finally take action to protect her constituents. |
” |
| —Katie Wilson for Congress[23] | ||
Dylan Ratigan
| “ |
Political Reform Two centuries ago, the people of the United States birthed modern democracy into the world. It was a system prized for equality, fairness, and self-government. Today, our politics are broken and our system allows money to buy policies for a favored few. By engaging in politics, together we can restore and reform our democracy to allow policies that serve the people, once again making it an effective tool for us to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Jobs Only by reforming our banking and finance systems can we build an effective system that serves, as it used to, the people of this country. We need to reform our banking system so it works for local communities and local economies once more. A healthy banking system makes money by helping people build businesses and create jobs that meet each community’s needs. All workers should benefit from the economic growth they help create. Everyone has a stake in prosperity. We have to promote fair and transparent markets that allow everyone to compete and thrive.
Health In terms of per capita health expenditures, the United States leads the way among all developed nations. However, we rank near the bottom in healthcare coverage, accessibility, and outcomes. Our life expectancy is shorter than 30 other countries and a higher percentage of people go without health coverage than many other countries as well. Because of our broken politics, healthcare has become first and foremost a massive profit machine for large insurance, drug, and medical conglomerates. The opioid crisis in NY-21 has been instigated by huge pharmaceutical companies, who have made billions of dollars off the destruction of our communities. We need to make healthcare accessible to all, expand access to preventative healthcare options, cater to the needs of the individual, and eliminate wasteful medical practices. Achieving universal healthcare coverage— whether it be through a single payer system, a dual system– so that we can ensure everyone is able to see a provider when it will do the most good and will deliver healthcare in the most affordable, effective way possible. Education We need an education system that emphasizes and prioritizes local control. The ability to understand and adjust education policy according to the needs of our communities is paramount to unlocking innovation and creative solutions. The United States’ per-student expenditure at the elementary/secondary level is 31% higher than many other countries, yet many of our teachers remain badly paid. Because of our broken politics, we spend too much on education administration and not enough educating our kids. High spending with poor returns has stagnated our once dynamic educational system. This is a risk to our future as we cultivate and raise the next generation of American leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
Trade Free trade is a lie. The people who pay a price for trade agreements are the less elite of rich societies, 100% of the time. Rigged trade has destroyed the industrial sector of this country over the last four decades, and working people of America have suffered greatly. Despite this reality, major corporations continue to advocate for cheap, overseas labor. With our broken politics, big multinational companies have an outsized influence in our political system. The false notion of free trade has contributed to social decay all across our country. We must begin a real conversation about how to respect the actual humans that populate this country at a time when the economic shift in the world is bigger than just lost jobs. Energy The United States must embark on a nation-wide shift to distributed renewable energy resources. Our continued extraction of the planet’s resources, with such destructive environmental consequences, can no longer continue. Yet oil and gas companies and old electric utilities run our broken politics. Nations like Sweden, who threw down the gauntlet in 2015 to eliminate fossil fuel usage within their borders, and Costa Rica, who generated 99% of its electricity in 2015 from renewable sources and aims to be carbon-neutral in 2021, have demonstrated true leadership in the race to save our planet. It is time for the United States to rise to the occasion. It is crucial now more than ever that the U.S. and world leaders act urgently to address the issue of climate change. *Enacting comprehensive energy reform that optimizes the uses of current energy sources while incentivizing the innovation of new and renewable sources of energy.
Our veterans should receive the care and dignity they have earned. That begins with ensuring that every veteran can receive access to quality healthcare, timely resolutions to their disability claims and appeals, sustainable housing, and opportunities to find purpose through serving our communities when they come home. Veterans 20 veterans a day take their own lives. Our top priority should be getting these veterans the help they need, including those with other-than-honorable discharges.
Women's Rights We must take necessary steps toward improving women’s access to affordable and quality healthcare, which include: *Ensuring that a woman’s right to choose is not compromised by limited access to safe and legal abortion services or family planning help.
Justice We imprison more of our own people than any other country on the planet. Our system of imprisonment criminalizes minorities and the poor. This must end. We can be more effective at rehabilitation and improve safety in our communities at a much lower cost while improving the opportunities for young people to achieve to their full potential. To do so we must do the following: *End the U.S. government’s war on drugs and encourage comprehensive reform for drug control policies that have had a devastating effect on communities.
'National Security Congress has avoided its responsibility to provide oversight for the wars the U.S. is fighting around the world. We’re at war in six countries right now and fighting enemies that didn’t exist when Congress authorized the global war on terrorism following 9/11. We need to support our service members by ensuring this country has defined victory, has adopted a comprehensive strategy to achieve it, and is willing to commit the resources and leadership to see it through. *Provide the necessary financial resources and support to Fort Drum to ensure they can accomplish their missions.
College
Equality All Americans must be treated equally under the law. Steps we can take to achieve this goal include: *Supporting measures like the Equality Act; proposed legislation that would provide the same nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQIA Americans as any other protected class under federal law.
Seniors
|
” |
| —Dylan Ratigan for Congress[24] | ||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2018
- United States House elections in New York (2018 Democratic primaries)
- New York's 21st Congressional District election (June 26, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Tedra Cobb for Congress, "Tedra Cobb Endorsed by Capitol Region Our Revolution," June 4, 2018
- ↑ Adirondack Daily Express, "Cobb campaign under fire over endorsement," June 8, 2018
- ↑ Open Secrets, "Ny 21st Congressional District, Accessed June 19, 2018
- ↑ Tedra Cobb for Congress, Enacting Healthcare Solutions," accessed June 7, 2018
- ↑ Nelson for Congress, "Policy," accessed June 7, 2018
- ↑ Democrat and Chronicle, "Former MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan enters race for Congress in New York," February 21, 2018
- ↑ Youtube/MSNBC, "Ratigan Runs Against the System," February 27, 2018
- ↑ Dylan Ratigan for Congress, "21st Congressional District Seat Ratigan Gains Endorsement of Former Union Leader LaBaff," May 18 2018, 2018
- ↑ Watertown Daily Times, "SOAR endorses Dylan Ratigan for Congress," June 11, 2018
- ↑ North County Public Radio, "NY21: Democrats say Ratigan voiced preference for Trump over Clinton," May 28, 2018
- ↑ Teen Vogue, "Katie Wilson Explains Why She Is Running for Congress," February 6, 2018
- ↑ Emily Martz for Congress, "Meet Emily Martz," accessed June 7, 2018
- ↑ Tedra Cobb for Congress, "Meet Tedra," accessed November 19, 2019
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Tedra L. Cobb," accessed November 19, 2019
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form on February 27, 2018
- ↑ Dylan Ratigan for Congress, "About Dylan," accessed June 25, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ "Issues," accessed June 10, 2018
- ↑ "Issues," accessed June 10, 2018
- ↑ "Policy," accessed June 10, 2018
- ↑ "Issues," accessed June 10, 2018
- ↑ "Issues," accessed June 10, 2018
