Tom Reed and Tracy Mitrano

CORNING – Republican Congressman Tom Reed has been reelected to his fifth term in Office. The former mayor of Corning, NY who was first elected to congress in 2010, held off Democratic Challenger Tracy Mitrano of Penn Yann with a margin of victory 122,881 votes (53.8 percent) to 100,495 votes (44 percent).

More than 228,000 voters turned on election day in 2018 to vote on the representative for New York’s 23rd Congressional District – about a 16 percent improvement over the total number of voters who showed up in the last midterm election of 2014.  That year, Reed received nearly 58 percent of the total vote while his opponent that year, Democrat Martha Robertson of Tompkins County, picked up just 36 percent.

Of the 11 counties that are part of the 23rd District, Chautauqua County has the highest number of registered voters with just under 76,0000. Of those voters, 41,270 turned on out on Election Day this year to vote, with 24,134 (59 percent) choosing Reed, while 16,579 (41 percent) voted for Mitrano.

But as Reed celebrated his most recent victory, he’ll do so knowing that he and other House Republicans will be in the minority starting in January. All major news outlets have reported that Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years, dealing a major setback to President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda and giving fresh hope to liberals who want to investigate and perhaps even impeach the president.

Eddie Sundquist

MAYVILLE – Democratic Committee members in Chautauqua County have announced their endorsement for congress in the 2018 General Election.

Jamestown attorney Eddie Sundquist, the only candidate of the pool of seven to come from Chautauqua County, collected 59 percent of the ballot vote to beat out six other contenders to win the endorsement of the Chautauqua County Democratic Committee. Sundquist received the majority of votes on the fourth attempt by more than 100 committee members.

Democrats across the state’s 23rd Congressional District have been working to identify the candidate who will best challenge Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning), who will be seeking a fifth term in office.

Fellow Democratic hopefuls Tracy Mitrano (Penn Yann) and Max Dell Pia (Owego) were second and third runner ups respectively in the nomination process. Also nominated were Linda Andrei (Ithaca), Rick Gallant (Corning), Ian Golden (Ithaca), and Charles Whalen (Geneva).

Party Chairman Norman Green says the endorsement process for the county Democratic Committee is a precursor to the June 26 primary where rank-and-file Democrats will vote to finalize the party’s candidate to run in the general election.

The field of Democratic contenders this year is the largest since the creation of the newly drawn 23^rd congressional district back in 2012. In that year’s election, a total of three Democrats competed for the party’s nomination to face Reed, with the eventual winner being Ithaca’s Nate Shinagawa. There was no primary in 2014 and 2016 elections, with Democratic candidates Martha Robertson and John Plumb each having no competition from their fellow party members. In each of those three past elections, Reed was able to hold his seat.

The NY23 district extends along New York’s border with Pennsylvania from the shores of Lake Erie in Chautauqua County to the suburbs of Binghamton in Tioga County.  Of those numerous counties in the district, Chautauqua County holds the largest overall population, while Tompkins County has the most registered Democrats.

Eddie Sundquist

JAMESTOWN – Even though it’s still nearly a year-and-a-half away, a Jamestown residents is officially throwing his hat into the ring to challenge Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) in the 2018 election.

Area attorney Eddie Sundquist this morning officially announced his campaign for New York’s 23rd Congressional District in a media release sent to WRFA.

Born and raised in Jamestown, Sundquist is a graduate of Jamestown High School and is the first in his family to graduate college, having earned a political science degree at St. John Fisher College. He then earned his Masters of Science in Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, and received his law degree from the University of Buffalo School of Law. His law practice currently focuses on helping injured workers and grieving families.

Sundquist is currently a founding board member and community trainer for the Erie County Restorative Justice Coalition and he also serves as a regional competition judge in the Finger Lakes FIRST Robotics competition.

In his announcement, Sundquist accuses Reed of defending the elite and special interests in D.C., saying that if elected, he would instead fight for all of the hard working people of the Southern Tier –  adding that the district needs a true representative who will fight for access to affordable healthcare, high quality child care and education, and economic opportunity for all.

Sundquist is one of several Democrats contending for the party’s nomination in 2018. Others who’ve announced an intention to run against Reed include Corning area teacher and union leader Rick Gallant, Ithaca businessman Ian Golden, Enfield resident James Clasby and Ulysses Town Board member JG Hertzler, who’s also an actor known for his role as General Martok in the Star Trek: Deep Space 9 television series.

The NY 23 Congressional District, containing: Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, Yates Tompkins and Seneca counties – along with a portion of Ontario county.

Since reapportionment redrew congressional lines and put Chautauqua County into the 23^rd congressional district, Tom Reed has won reelection three separate times against three different opponents. They included Ithaca-area Democrats Nate Shinagowa in 2012 and Martha Robertson in 2014, and most recently Randolph native John Plumb in last year’s election.

With the election still nearly a year-and-a-half away, more potential candidates cold also be coming forward in the coming weeks and months. If necessary, a Democratic primary will take place in June 2018.

The 23rd Congressional District is comprised of 11 counties – several of which are located in the southern tier along the New York-Pennsylvania border.

Starting this week, Sundquist will embark on a listening tour, visiting all 11 counties in the district to hear about real issues from the people of the region. For more information on Sundquist and his campaign, visit www.eddiesundquist.com.

NY 23 DISTRICT: The NY 23 Congressional District, containing: Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, Yates Tompkins and Seneca counties – along with a portion of Ontario county.

The next congressional election isn’t until November 2018, but several individuals are already putting their hats in the ring in an effort to unseat Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning).

Rep. Tom Reed of Corning, elected to Congress in 2010, has represented New York 23rd Congressional District since January 2013.

According to the Jamestown Post-Journal, potential candidates for the state’s 23rd congressional district include Jamestown area attorney Eddie Sundquist, Corning area teacher and union leader Rick Gallant, and Ithaca businessman Ian Golden. Also listed as a potential candidate via Facebook is Enfield, New York resident James Clasby.

Since reapportionment redrew congressional lines and put Chautauqua County into the 23^rd congressional district, Tom Reed has won reelection three separate times against three different opponents.  They included Ithaca-area Democrats Nate Shinagowa in 2012 and Martha Robertson in 2014, and most recently Randolph native John Plumb in last year’s election.

With the election still nearly a year-and-a-half away, more potential candidates cold also be coming forward in the coming weeks and months. If necessary, a Democratic primary will take place in June 2018.

The 23rd Congressional District is comprised of 11 counties – several of which are located in the southern tier along the New York-Pennsylvania border.

John Plumb (D-Lakewood)

JAMESTOWN – The John Plumb for Congress campaign is once again going on the offensive against Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23), accusing him of putting the interests of Wall Street before residents in the 23^rd Congressional District.

On Thursday the Plumb Campaign sent out a media release criticizing Congressman Reed’s campaign for sharing a graphic on social media on Wednesday, Aug. 2. The graphic features a message that Reed is representing the “families here in the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes, and Western New York.” However, the accompanying image includes the Tom Reed Logo over a silhouette of the New York City Skyline.

Whether intentional or an oversight, the irony of the image didn’t go unnoticed by Plumb’s campaign.

Friends of John Plumb spokesman Sam Newton said the image is actually fitting for a representative that has taken over $1 million in campaign funding from Wall Street and the financial industry – including over $260,000 in this campaign cycle. He also claims that Reed has consistently voted to protect Wall Street at the expense of families here in Western New York.

A screenshot of the recent message and accompanying image on the Tom Reed’s social media.

“We appreciate that Congressman Reed is finally coming clean about who he represents in Washington – Wall Street bankers, not the hardworking families here in Western New York, the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes,” said Newton.

To support his claim of Reed putting Wall Street before Southern Tier Families, Newtown says that in June of this year, Reed voted along with his House Republican colleagues to block a new fiduciary rule that requires financial advisors to act in their clients’ best interests when giving financial advice, and bars advisors from ripping off clients in order to increase profits.

He also points to Reed’s vote in 2012 to repeal what Newton says was a key mechanism designed to keep Wall Street banks and the financial industry in check to prevent them from crashing the U.S. economy again and hurting working families.

And Newton said that Reed voted in 2013 for a bill almost entirely written directly by lobbyists for a top Wall Street bank that would have repealed a key regulation and allowed Wall Street banks to once again trade derivatives in house –which is a practice that the New York Times called “a main culprit in the 2008 financial crisis.”

And finally the Plumb campaign says that in 2011 Congressman Reed voted against a predatory lending restriction, which allowed financial industry advisors who had been convicted of fraud for engaging in predatory lending to veterans to continue to sell securities.

REED CAMPAIGN: PLUMB IS THE ONE PUTTING OUTSIDE INTERESTS AHEAD OF THE DISTRICT

In response to the Plumb campaign’s most recent accusations, the Reed campaign responded by saying Plumb is the one who’s putting other interests before the interests of local constituents.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

“John plumb is the one who is bought – bought by the DC establishment. This has been proven time and time again by Nancy Pelosi’s constant involvement in the district,” said Amy Hasenberg, Tom Reed for Congress Spokeswoman.  “She handpicked Plumb to move here to run for Congress and she already has hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in television commercials. John Plumb is literally in the pocket of DC insiders. He doesn’t care about the needs of our families, he just cares about where his next fundraising check is coming from. Tom on the other hand is fighting for our families because New York is his true home. He is bringing New York’s voice to Washington.”

Hasenberg also said that when it comes to looking out for the interests of Wall Street, no one does it better than the Democratic nominee for president, whose received full support from Plumb.

“Hillary Clinton is the candidate bought by Wall Street this election and John Plumb has supported her all along. Tom is supported by New York’s 23rd District because he is fighting for fair policies for us.”

Plumb is challenging Reed for his seat in the 2016 general election. Over the past two decades he’s served as a submarine officer in the Navy and later as an official at the Department of Defense. Most recently he’s served as director of defense policy and strategy at the National Security Council and is also a Navy Reserve Commander. He graduated from Randolph High School in 1988.

Reed is an attorney and former mayor of Corning who was elected to Congress in 2010 and has represented Chautauqua County since January 2013, when redistricting created the new boundaries for the state’s 23^rd congressional district. Since first being elected to Congress in 2010 (defeating Mathew Zeller, D-Rochester), Reed won reelection in 2012 (defeating Challenger Nate Shinagowa, D-Ithaca) and in 2014 (defeating challenger Martha Robertson, D-Ithaca).

John Plumb (D-Lakewood), Left, announced in early July 2015 that he would challenge Tom Reed (R-Corning) for the NY 23rd Congressional District in the 2016 election.

WASHINGTON – Even though the next Federal Election is still more than 15 months away, at least one person has already come forward to challenge Tom Reed (R-Corning) for his seat representing New York’s 23^rd Congressional District.

Earlier this month, Randolph, NY native and U.S. Navy Reserve commander John Plumb (D-Lakewood) announced his intention to run for Congress on the Democratic ticket.

In a media release announcing his candidacy, the 45 year-old Plumb said he’s heard from too many families who feel Washington isn’t listening to the rural communities of Western New York, with the middle class and working families find it harder and harder to get ahead.

Plumb, who grew up in the area and graduated from Randolph in 1988, resigned in May as director for defense policy and strategy at the White House National Security Council to run full-time for Congress. It’s been reported that he has since set up a residence in Lakewood, just prior to announcing his candidacy.

WRFA has reached out to Plumb to get more specific details about his running for election, including his platform and his strategy for challenging an entrenched opponent in a largely Republican district, but his campaign has said he is unable to talk with us at this time and could not provide a timeline on exactly when the candidate would be available.

REED WELCOMES CHALLENGER

Meanwhile, Congressman Reed has offered his initial thoughts on the first challenger of the 2016 campaign. During a conference call with local media earlier this month, Reed said that while he doesn’t know too much about Plumb right now, he’s confident the differences between him and the Democratic challenger will come to light as we get closer to November 2016.

“Mr. Plumb apparently is coming from the mindset that there is unlimited pots of money in Washington, D.C. and will continue to carry on his boss’s – president Obama – work of raising the deficit; the debt can be an unlimited albatross on the backs of the taxpayers of the 23rd district along with their kids and their  grand kids. I think that that’s going to be a clear contradiction between the two of us,” Reed said.

Reed also said that even though he’s focused on representing his constituents, he’s also aware that he’ll have to focus on running for reelection, although that probably won’t begin until the late spring of 2016.

“this is democracy and people have the right to choose, and I agree with that,” Reed said. “It’s fundamentally up to the people to decide. Plumb is the first opponent and I’m sure there may be others who are contemplating it on the Democratic side and are likely to get into the race between now and then. My focus is obviously to do the job I was sent by the voters to Washington D.C. to do, and that’s to fight for them day-in and day-out while we’re in office.”

As for Plumb, he’s already received endorsement from several Democratic leaders, including Chautauqua County Democratic Committee Chairman Norman Green and the Tompkins County Democratic Committee on the eastern side of the district, where Reed’s last two Democratic challengers – Nate Shinagowa (2012) and Martha Robertson (2014) had hailed from.

John Plumb

RANDOLPH, NY – While the 2015 election is still more than three-and-a-half months away, one area resident is already turning his sites on the 2016 general election.

Democrat John Plumb has announced his intention to run for Congress for New York’s 23rd District.

In a media release announcing his candidacy, Plumb describes himself as a fourth-generation Western New Yorker and Naval Reserve Commander who was born in Jamestown and raised in Randolph. He’s spent the last two decades working as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy and later as a Department of Defense official and a staff member on the National Security Council.

Plumb said he’s heard from too many families who feel Washington just isn’t listening to the rural communities of Western New York – saying that year after year, our middle class and working families find it harder and harder to get ahead.

The 23^rd district is currently held by Republican Tom Reed of Corning. Reed has not yet officially announced his intention to run for reelection, although it is widely believed he will seek fourth term in office. No other democrats have yet to come forward to announce their intention to run.

Since the 23rd Congressional District was drawn in 2012, Reed, who was elected in 2010 and had previously represented the former 29th Congressional District, has won reelection twice. In 2012 he defeated Democratic challenger Nate Shinagawa and in 2014 he defeated Democratic challenger Martha Robertson. Both challengers were based out of Tompkins County.

The 23rd Congressional District includes Chautauqua County and stretches across the Southern Tier all the way to Ithaca in Tompkins County.

For more information on John Plumb’s candidacy, visit www.johnplumbforcongress.com.

Image from www.facebook.com/andrewcuomo

ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo will remain in office for four more years.

That after voters across New York went to the polls on Tuesday to vote for the top office in New York State – along with several other statewide, regional and local offices.

With nearly all election precincts reporting by the end of Election Day, Cuomo had collected about 54 percent of the statewide vote, with Republican challenger Rob Astorino of Westchester County picking up 41 percent and Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins coming in a distant third with just over 5 percent.

Shortly after the close of the polls on Tuesday, the Associated Press declared Cuomo the winner. During his victory speech, the governor focused on his campaign’s rhetoric – playing up his accomplishments of the last four years, which include legislation involving property tax assistance, new jobs and on-time budgets. The governor also promised those in attendance that he was just getting started and that New Yorkers “ain’t seen nothing yet.”

The governor said during the next four years he will focus on raising the minimum wage, improving public education, fighting the local property tax burden, passing the Women’s Equality Act and passing the DREAM Act.

Schneiderman, DiNapoli Win Re-Election

In addition to Cuomo’s victory, the two other state-wide office holder also picked up re election wins for their respective offices. Both Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli will serve four more years in Albany following wins on Election night.

Schneiderman defeated Republican opponent John Cahill 58-39 percent, while DiNapoli bested his Republican opponent Robert Antonacci, 61-36 percent. It was the first re-election for both Democrats.

Reed Cruises to Third Congressional Term

Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) with his family following news that he won re-election on Election Night, 2014. (photo from www.Twitter.com/TomReedCongress)

Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) will remain in office for at least two more years. The two-term Republican from Corning easily defeated his lone challenger – Martha Robertson (D-Dryden) from Dryden New York – by a margin of nearly 63 to 37 percent. The unofficial Election Night total from CNN had Reed picking up more than 105,000 votes across the 23^rd Congressional District, while Robertson was able to pick up just over 63,000.

Reed fared especially well in the western section of his district, which includes Chautauqua County. He picked up an estimated 40,600 votes in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties compared to the 20,000 that Robertson Received. The only county Robertson won was her home of Tompkins County – where she received over 14,000 votes compared to just 5,700 for Reed.

GOP Retakes State Senate

While Republicans were unable to win any of the three statewide offices, the GOP did find some success in the state’s upper legislative chamber.

It appears that Republicans will once again have sole control of the state Senate with candidates picking up enough wins to attain the required 32-vote majority.

Statewide, there were enough GOP victories rolling in around 11 p.m. on Election Night for Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos to declare in a statement that “New Yorkers have chosen balance and bipartisanship over an entire state government made up of Democrats from New York City, and placed their trust in Republicans to lead the Senate.”

Democrats later conceded that they weren’t going to win the majority.

It remained unclear whether members of the Independent Democratic Conference, led by Bronx Sen. Jeff Klein, would once again join forces with the Republicans, as they have for the past two years, or ally with their minority-conference Democratic colleagues.

Locally, Senator Cathy Young (R-Olean) picked up her fifth term in office after running unopposed.

In the State Assembly, the Demcrats picked up a seat and increase their majority with 99 of the 150 seats.

Goodell, Gerace and Piazza win County-Wide Races

Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R-Chautauqua) and Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph Gerace (D-Jamestown) both won re-election, while Jeffrey Piazza was a four-way race to be the county’s new Family Court Judge.

In the Local elections here in Chautauqua County, it was a big night for the two candidates who hold county wide offices.

Assemblyman Andy Goodell, who’s 150^th district covers all of and only Chautauqua County, cruised to a third term in office after easily defeating democratic challenger Barrie Yochim. With all districts in the county reporting, Goodell picked up 75 percent of the vote.

Meanwhile, Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph Gerace cruised to a sixth term in office, defeating Republican Challenger Russell Payne from Frewsburg by a margin of 63 to 37 percent.

In the race for the newly created second Chautauqua County Family Court Judge position, republican Jeffrey A. Piazza of Jamestown easily defeated his three opponents. Piazza picked up 59 percent of the votes throughout the county. In addition to running as a Republican, Piazza also ran on Conservative and Independence party lines.

Democrat Sally Jaroszynski, picked up 28.5 percent of the vote, Fredonia Republican Michael J. Sullivan, who ran on the Green Party line, picked up 6.6 percent of the vote while Working Families candidate James J. Spann, received 5.81 percent of the vote.

Rankin Defeats Kresge in District 12 Special Election

The Chautauqua County Legislature will have a new member serving on the panel. Republican Elisabeth Rankin won the special election for the District 12 seat which cover the north side of Jamestown, picking up nearly 52 percent of the votes. Rankin was challenging Democrat Beth Kresge – who was appointed to the seat earlier this year after it was vacated by Fred Larson, who had to step down after being appointed as the new Jamestown city court judge.

Rankin picked up an unofficial election night total of 746 votes, compared to Kresge’s 691.

All Three State Propositions Pass

State voters were supporting all three ballot propositions, according to unofficial returns on Tuesday night.

Voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 1 – the amendment that would retool the state’s redistricting practice, the once-a-decade redrawing of the state’s political districts.

And Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed Smart Schools Bond Act, Proposal 3, which would generate $2 billion to improve classroom technology and other elements of educational infrastructure, also saw approval, as did Proposal 2, the constitutional amendment that would eliminate the need for legislative bills to be printed and supplied to every lawmaker before being considered.

The 2014 candidates for 23rd Congressional District of New York: Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) and challenger Martha Robertson (D-Ithaca).

JAMESTOWN – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) has picked up an endorsement from two local newspapers.  Reed, who is running for reelection against Martha Robertson (D-Tompkins County) in the 23rd Congressional District, was endorsed this past weekend by both the Post-Journal and the Dunkirk Observer – both of which are considered Conservative newspapers and are owned by the Ogden Newspapers, Inc., based in Wheeling, WV.

In the Post-Journal, Robertson was criticized for taking a hard stance on the issues of free trade and natural gas exploration. However, the paper applauded Reed for “showing the flexibility needed when handling important issues.” The editorial also said that Reed has “shown his willingness to take local issues to Washington.”

Reed was not endorsed by the Buffalo News, (owned by Berkshire Hathaway) which said in a recent editorial that it could endorse neither candidate in the 23rd Congressional District race.

The News’ editorial called the campaign “a depressing race” and took Reed to task on several issues, including his support of a government shutdown last year and voting against raising the country’s debt limit. The editorial also mentioned Reed’s failure to remove his name from a law firm after joining congress (required by law) and also using campaign finance money to pay his personal property taxes. The article went as far to say that Reed has voted in ways that should automatically disqualify him from the office.

The editorial also criticized Robertson’s for running a what it called a weak campaign and for being to far left of many of the voters that live throughout the districts. Read the full text below:

THE BUFFALO NEWS
Portion of an editorial printed Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014

“This is a depressing race. Neither candidate seems up to what is the serious and complex task of representing the 23rd Congressional District or leading the nation in a responsible way.

“The incumbent Republican, Tom Reed of Corning, is a pleasant and engaging man, but one who has voted in ways that should automatically disqualify him from this office. Specifically, he supported a bill that he knew would close the government, then voted again to continue the shutdown – a vote that fortunately failed – and, perhaps worst of all, he voted in January to oppose raising the debt limit, which would have had the disastrous consequence of forcing the world’s premier democracy to default on its debts.

“Reed was also shown to have used campaign funds to pay a county tax bill – accidentally, he said – and has allowed his Corning law office to operate under his name while he has been serving in Congress, despite House ethics and American Bar Association rules that bar that practice.

“Yet, Reed’s Democratic opponent, Tompkins County Legislator Martha Robertson, has run a weak campaign, so weak that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee canceled plans to spend $465,000 on TV ads. Her approach to government appears to be significantly to the left of most of the district, perhaps explaining why she seems tentative in her approach to this campaign.

“In the end, voters of the district don’t have great choices. Reed seems likely to win and, if so, we can only hope that he moves back toward a responsible brand of conservatism – a place he told voters he wanted to be when he ran two years ago. In the meantime, we’re not endorsing either candidate.”

The Chautauqua County League of Women Voters is sponsoring its Meet the Candidates Forum Tuesday at the Robert H. Jackson Center. It’s one of two forums the organization is hosting for the community. A second forum is set for this Thursday night in the north county in the Fredonia Village Hall. Both forums begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

According to organizers, several candidates will be on hand for Tuesday’s forum. They include:

• Candidates for State Assembly: Republican incumbent Andy Goodell and Democratic challenger Barrie Yochim;
• Candidates for Chautauqua County Sheriff: Democratic incumbent Joseph Gerace and Republican challenger Russell Payne;
• Candidates for the county legislature’s 12th district special election: Democratic incumbent Beth Kresge (appointed earlier this year) and Republican challenger Elisabeth Rankin;
• And the four candidates for Chautauqua County Family Court Judge: Sally A. Jaroszynski; Jeffrey A. Piazza; James J. Spann, Jr. and Michael J. Sullivan.

The two candidates for Congress – Republican incumbent Tom Reed and Democratic challenger Martha Robertson – will not be in attendance.

WRFA will be on hand to cover Tuesday’s forum and will broadcast the portions of forum during this week’s Community Matter’s program on Thursday at 6 p.m. Audio from the forum will also be available at our website www.WRFALP.com.

IN addition, WRFA will be hosting one-on-one interviews with both Congressman Tom Reed and challenger Martha Robertson – which will air next week during our Oct. 30 Community Matters Program.