Faso, Teachout will bring experience, substance to upstate congressional race

New York Slant endorsed candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primary for New York’s 19th Congressional District, the seat being vacated by Rep. Chris Gibson. Read our endorsements for each race below, beginning with our endorsement of John Faso in the Republican race.

Republicans in the 19th Congressional District have a clear choice when they head to the polls on June 28. One candidate has decades of experience as a politician, great command of the issues and a willingness to work with others. The other is a political outsider and businessman who wants to “radically reform the way Washington works.”

The latter is in vogue in this election cycle, but City & State’s editorial board encourages voters to cast their ballots for the former – John Faso.

Now, we are not arguing that D.C. doesn’t need fixing. It is dysfunctional. But simply shouting loudly about it doesn’t qualify you to be elected. Washington needs more people with the experience and faculty to debate and compromise on important issues, not newcomers fueled by outrage with unrealistic ideas of how government works.

In his career and in the campaign Faso has demonstrated a solid understanding of the issues that matter to voters. He speaks articulately about the problem of opioid abuse and his desire to find common ground with Democrats to pass legislation to help address this crisis hitting rural communities. His position on immigration is holistic, with clear consideration for the unique concerns of the farmers in his district, while promising to uphold the mainstream Republican position of strengthening the border and implementing a policy that allows millions of undocumented residents to “normalize” their status.

And his push for less regulation of the financial services sector isn’t the often touted free-market-at-all-costs mantra some spout like religious doctrine, but a nuanced criticism of how the reforms of the system have unfairly punished community banks that played no part in the economic collapse that started in 2008.

Another example is high property taxes. This could easily be dismissed as a state issue that a member of Congress would have no ability to impact. But the former Assemblyman and 2006 candidate for governor rejects that sentiment and has presented a plan to tweak federal law so that New York State can no longer shift Medicaid costs onto localities (currently states have the power to do this, but the vast majority of them do not).

While this proposal may be a bank shot, it is a creative and shrewd idea to solve a problem that has plagued upstate communities for decades. Congress needs more people who are willing, and more importantly able, to think this way.

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Two compelling Democratic candidates are vying to replace retiring Republican Rep. Chris Gibson in the 19th Congressional District. Will Yandik, a homegrown farmer’s son, understands the district’s issues from the inside out. He has seen federal price-setting take profits out of his father’s hands, and has seen the region become less affordable for middle-class families and less hospitable to small-business owners. Zephyr Teachout, a newcomer to the politically moderate district, has not lived these issues, but brings to the table a timely passion for amplifying unheard voices and freeing politics from the influence of money and lobbyists. Each comes across as genuinely passionate about their priorities, and well able to articulate their positions. But the depth of knowledge and credibility that Teachout brings to the anti-corruption issue gives her an edge. Unlike many well-intentioned candidates in the past who have pledged to clean up Washington, D.C., she may actually be able to meaningfully effect change because of her expertise on the topic. This is why we urge Democrats in the 19th Congressional District to cast their ballots for her in the June 28 primary.

Teachout is a staunch supporter of public education, calling it the foundation and infrastructure of our democracy. She supports community schools and reforming Common Core with greater input from local communities and administrators. She opposes burdensome tests that divert teachers away from other instructional priorities and “charterization” efforts that draw resources away from public schools.

Given the current climate, Teachout will likely face questions about her position on gun control. Early in her congressional campaign she was accused of flip-flopping on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Safe Act gun control law. She has said she does not approve of the legislation as a whole, but is in favor of background checks for firearm sales. With the mass shooting in Orlando pushing the issue back to the fore, her opponents may challenge her to clarify and solidify her stance.

Teachout’s sensibilities, especially her efforts to prohibit politicians from soliciting and receiving large contributions from special interests, align with those of Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose presidential campaign successes have shown that a large number of Democrats want an advocate on these issues. Her anti-corruption platform includes overturning Citizens United and passing Rep. John Sarbanes’ bill calling for publicly funded elections. The Fordham Law professor, whose specialty is the constitutional history of corruption, brings great credibility to the effort. If she wins the primary, it should be interesting to see a general election race featuring a woman who literally wrote the book on “Corruption in America” – a timely issue that New Yorkers are primed to engage in.