Ian Golden

ITHACA – A group of progressives from Tompkins County have announced their endorsement for congress in the 2018 Election.

Last week the Tompkins County Progressive Committee, a group of over 100 grass-roots activists, voted to endorse native Ian Golden of Ithaca for Congress in New York’s 23rd District. Golden is one of several individuals vying for the Democratic Party nomination to run against Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) in November.

Ithaca is the county seat of Tompkins County, which is the second most populated county in the 23rd district, next to Chautauqua County. Tompkins County also contains the largest number of registered Democrats out of any of the 11 counties in the sprawling southern tier district.

Eddie Sundquist (Jamestown)

The Golden endorsement comes on the heels of other public endorsements from Progressive Action Network of the Southern Finger Lakes (which includes Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties) as well as Tioga County Progressive Committee. Golden also finished in first place finish in the straw poll held by the Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Democratic Committees at the end of 2017.

Other Democrats vying for endorsements and the eventual party nomination include Jamestown attorney Eddie Sundquist – who won the Chautauqua County Democratic Party’s endorsement earlier this month –  along with Tracy Mitrano (Penn Yann), who won a straw poll conducted in Geneva last week.

Tracy Mitrano (Penn Yann)

Other candidates in the crowded field include Max Dell Pia (Owego), Linda Andrei (Ithaca), Rick Gallant (Corning), and Charles Whalen (Geneva).

The field of Democratic contenders this year is the largest since the creation of the newly drawn 23rd congressional district back in 2012.

The endorsement process for the county Democratic Committee leads to the June 26 primary where rank and file Democrats will vote and finalize the party’s candidate, who will then move on to challenge Reed in the November General Election.