NY-19 is one of those swing districts that Democrats must win to have any chance of recapturing the House majority. NY-19 is a Hudson Valley/Catskills district that includes all of Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties, and part of Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery and Rensselaer counties. In the only presidential election since this district was redrawn, Obama won it by 6.2 percent.
The candidates this year are Democrat Zephyr Teachout and Republican John Faso. Teachout is a law professor specializing in political corruption who has run once for public office, garnering an impressive 34 percent in the Democratic gubernatorial primary against incumbent Andrew Cuomo. Faso was an assemblyman for eight two-year terms (minority leader for his last two terms), representing a district within the current NY-19, and lost two statewide races, for comptroller in 2002 and governor in 2006 (since the Assembly, he has become a wealthy lobbyist).
The most recent poll by Siena College, like all previous polls, has this race very close, Faso holding the narrowest lead, 43-42.
Friday, the New York Times endorsed Teachout, full text below.
In the sprawling 19th District, in the Hudson Valley and Catskills,Zephyr Teachout, a Democrat, is running against John Faso, a Republican who was the Assembly minority leader. Ms. Teachout, a Fordham law professor and author, is an expert on political corruption and the corrosive influence of money in politics. She gained national attention as a political novice for her surprisingly potent bid to unseat Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the 2014 Democratic primary. Her campaign is focused on fighting corporate monopolies and dirty money, protecting the environment and cutting red tape for small businesses and farms. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a kindred spirit, has endorsed her.
Mr. Faso, well known and respected in this district, has a lifetime “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. He wants to support the local economy by speeding up environmental reviews of big projects and cutting corporate taxes. Mr. Faso says he disagrees with Mr. Trump on several issues but refuses to say whether or not he will vote for him. Ms. Teachout is the better candidate for this era of gridlock and disillusionment. She promises to be the strong voice for change in Washington that so many angry voters are demanding.
Faso evidently thought that by fudging his support for Trump, it might help him get the NYT nod.
He was not so disingenuous back in June, when he spoke at the statewide dinner of the far-right militia-wannabe Oath Keepers (along with national-level wingnuts Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke and Oath Keepers founder/leader Stewart Rhodes).
It’s vitally important that we unite, that we decide to elect Donald Trump as the next Republican President of the United States.
Faso knew the room, and knew that if he expressed any misgivings about Trump, he would be booed and lose some base support.
So he told the truth then, and lied to the NYT now.
Teachout’s campaign is going all out to get out the vote (Lulu and will be helping with that next Saturday and Sunday). You can, too, if you’re in the area.
And, of course, anyone anywhere can help win this rare close race to take back a GOP House seat with a contribution.
Finally, here’s an illuminating chat between Teachout and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who represented about half of the current NY-19 in Congress, defeating an incumbent to get there:
x YouTube Video