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December 2023 Newsletter |
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Dear Friends,
On a recent podcast*, my favorite historian, Heather Cox Richardson, casually mentioned that should Trump win next year, her life would be in danger. I think she is right.
The MAGA Republicans are no longer hiding their goals. They don’t want a ‘small government,’ but one that enriches the already rich, strips away long held rights and protections, politicizes the justice system, and abandons our allies on the global stage. The Supreme Court judges that Trump appointed have already destroyed the right to abortion and have stated that contraception and gay marriage are next. They have gutted the landmark Voting Rights Act which has enabled state after state controlled by Republicans to disenfranchise millions of voters and create extreme gerrymanders that cement their grip on power regardless of the will of the voters. They attempted a coup and tried to overthrow democracy after the last election and if they retain a majority in Congress, they might well succeed this time.
I can’t pretend it is a good day for Democracy in America.
We are all worried, but we are worried together. Only by acting together are we going to be able to save our democracy. The people on the democratic committee are channeling our fear into action. We invite you to do the same. We are planning right now, to be sure that we are ready for 2024.
NY21 Update
Elise Stefanik, our representative in NY21, is a key MAGA Republican. In the last three cycles we’ve run two strong candidates against her, and we haven’t made gains.
This is not the case in NY19, which borders Schoharie County to the south. NY19 is a toss up race, where Josh Riley has already organized a strong campaign against Molinaro. We CAN help to take back the House, by winning in NY19. As we approach an election where the very existence of our democracy is at stake, our time and money should be spent on winnable districts, rather than investing tens of thousands of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours on a candidate with little chance of victory.
I’ll be reaching out with opportunities to support NY19. I have blocked out weekends in September and October 2024 for this work. It is reasonably likely I will be working on a campaign.
On the Committee
Committee members are working to make it easier for you to participate in our government. One of our members is taking advantage of this moment of calm to organize all of our voting files. When our voting files are organized, we can quickly see voting patterns and use that information to run more effective local campaigns. I have organized all of the snail mail addresses, weeding out those who no longer live in the county and adding people who have recently moved here. This work is mundane, tedious and essential. Our communication committee continues to create a beautiful and useful monthly newsletter, and we have a solid presence on social media. Our social committee has been creating opportunities for Democrats throughout the county to meet and engage.
A personal note I recently left my teaching job. As a teacher, I structured environments that encouraged children to succeed. Yet, when I expand my lens to consider the larger society, the structures that support people’s success are lacking. Teachers can’t teach, doctors can’t doctor and no one can live up to their potential. I want to be part of the team that is working for big, societal change.
I am getting closer to that goal. I was awarded a fellowship for Women in Leadership through Rockefeller College at the University of Albany. Starting in January, I am going to be studying government and working in a state agency. I am very excited.
Happy Holidays
On behalf of the Schoharie County Democratic Committee, I would like to wish you and yours a beautiful holiday season, and a Happy New Year. May we continue to work together for a more peaceful and loving world.
In solidarity, Theresa SCDC Chair |
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THE TASK AHEAD AS WE SEE IT FOR US AS PART OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 21 by Sarah Meredith, SCDC Gilboa Rep, Chair, Communications Committee Long story short, with no sugarcoating, Schoharie County is represented at the national, statewide and county levels by Republicans. Elise Stefanik is part of the MAGA leadership in Congress and remains one of the loudest, clearest MAGA voices in support of the twice impeached, many times indicted, lying and vindictive former president. She actively blocks legislation that would help families and businesses, promotes policies that blatantly lean away from democracy as outlined in our Constitution, and continues to favor the wealthy over the interests of working and poor Americans. At the present time, there is no viable Democratic candidate standing to run against her. Matt Castelli has chosen not to run again. She will probably win as an incumbent Republican, just like many Republicans do in our towns because of low voter enthusiasm and higher numbers of Republican voters enrolled, though the number of undeclared and minority party voters could easily outnumber Republicans if they, along with Democrats, support a Democratic candidate. Keep this in mind for the future. There are U.S. congressional districts in play all around us. Pat Ryan will have a well funded challenger in District 18, and Josh Riley will try a second time hoping to take back the seat from Marcus Molinaro in District 19. District 17, where due to a fluke of redistricting, Republican novice Mike Lawler unseated Sean Patrick Maloney with less than 1% of the vote. What can we, here in Schoharie County, do? There will be door knocking campaigns in all these nearby counties. In the fall, there will be phone banks to encourage people to consider Democrats, and then again to get out the vote for Democrats. There will be strong efforts to register more voters throughout these districts and in nearby states, like Pennsylvania, where contests will also matter. Many Democrats will be seeking funding. Stefanik is leading the charge to spend an enormous war chest of funds provided by MAGA fundraising in order to keep more Republicans from New York in Congress. Start planning now for the times next year when you can be more actively involved, and thinking about how you would like to help. Would you like to see SCDC organize trips to Pennsylvania for Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) efforts? Would you like us to keep you updated on how to join post card writing efforts, or phone banking for local New York districts? Would you host or join post card writing parties? Let us know your thoughts on this by emailing -- info@schohariedemocrats.org |
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Looking Beyond Incumbency: More Votes for Choice on the Ballot by Becky Leggieri, SCDC Richmondville Rep
The recent 2024 local elections results for Schoharie County may have favored incumbents overall, but the close vote counts for town council in the towns of Cobleskill, Conesville, Seward and Wright show voters are looking for alternatives to the status quo despite low voter turnout. The incumbent advantage phenomenon, or the electoral dominance an incumbent has, regardless of other characteristics, was certainly evident among the success of town supervisors, with 11 of the 16 winners unopposed incumbents. In the Town of Wright, every office except the town supervisor had more than one person on the ballot. According to the Schoharie County Board of Elections, the total number of active registered voters for Wright is 1,104. Although election certification will not be complete until sometime the first week in December, the unofficial vote count for each county, town and village office on the ballot is available. The total number of votes cast for the unopposed incumbent on the ballot for supervisor plus write-in votes cast was 369 votes, the lowest votes cast for any office on the ballot for Wright. The total number of votes cast for the office of council member was 1022, with each voter able to vote for two candidates. The 1022 votes cast were spread across five candidates and included four write-in votes. The top four candidates received the majority of the votes, with the top two candidates separated by six votes or .6%. The third and fourth place candidates were separated by nine votes or .1%. The top two candidates ran on the Republican line and the third and fourth ran on the Democratic line. The difference between the second Republican and the first Democrat, who placed third in votes received, was 12 votes or 1.1%. The town clerk/collector, town justice and superintendent of highways contests all received more total votes cast than the 369 votes for supervisor, with the superintendent of highways office receiving 533 total votes cast, 164 more than the supervisor total. Excluding the town council ballots, it is hard to determine if every voter cast votes for two candidates, as the vote totals for the three offices listed above were in the 500s, making the voter turnout for Wright just under 50% of active registered voters. Unlike the Town of Wright, the total votes cast for Cobleskill supervisor garnered the most votes of the three offices on the ballot - 941 out of 3350 active voters of the town and village of Cobleskill. However, because of the higher number of active voters for Cobleskill, the percentage of active voters who voted is a lower participation rate than Wright – 28% compared to 33.4% for Wright. The closest vote count was between the second and third candidates receiving votes for town council, a mere four votes or .2% of votes cast. Interestingly, the candidate receiving the most votes was an incumbent and the third candidate, who lost by four votes, was as well. As with the result in Wright, the top two candidates ran on the Republican line and the bottom two ran on the Democratic line. Perhaps more voter turnout could have helped the incumbent who lost a seat. There are 291 more registered Republicans than registered Democrats in Cobleskill. However, there are 617 non-affiliated voters and 134 registered Independents. These 751 active voters may be the key to victory. Seward and Conesville saw competitive town council races. Seward had two separate races on their ballot for town council seats. In one grouping, eight votes separated the top two winners and the third was only 15 votes behind them. In the other grouping, ten votes separated the top two candidates. The town clerk/collector contest received the most votes cast at 443 votes. As Seward has 1,178 active voters, the 443 votes make up 37.6% of total active voters voting. Conesville’s results for their town council was a winner who won by 12 votes and second and third place candidates were separated by 11 votes. The office of tax collector received the most votes cast with 299 votes, which is 56.8% of the total active voters in Conesville. On a related note, the New York State Legislature approved a bill moving town and county elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years to coincide with national elections. The purpose is to increase voter turnout. Democrats introduced the bill and Republicans opposed it. Governor Hochul has not yet signed the bill into law. |
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THE INFORMAL VOTE TALLY: Town Elections in 2023 November 7, 2023 some of our local Democratic candidates lost by only a few votes. Courageous community-minded Democrats ran in 11 out of our 16 towns to put choices on our ballots. If you didn't vote, it could be that your inaction is helping keep Republicans in charge of your town. Asterisks* show candidates were not registered Dems, but had endorsements of Dems in their town. ^represents close vote tallies. ALL THE VOTE COUNTS HERE ARE UNOFFICIAL FROM THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AS OF 11/8/2023. Certified vote counts will be available sometime in early December. Take a look -- Blenheim Town Democrats endorsed the Republican candidates. All won uncontested races; highest winning vote count was 84 votes for the incumbent town supervisor. (2) Town Council (4-year term) Republican winners 517 & 466^ votes Town Clerk (2-year term) Tax Collector (2-year term) (2) Town Council (4-year term) winners 151^ & 163 votes Highway Superintendent (2-year term) Town Clerk/Collector (4-year term) winning incumbent 331 votes (2) Town Council (4-year term) winners 362 & 364 votes (2) Town Council (4-year term) winners 238^ & 246 votes (2) Town Council (Vacancy) winners 278 & 288 votes Sharon Town Clerk/Collector (4-year term) Highway Superintendent (4-year term) Town Justice (4-year term) (2) Town Council (4-year term) winners 259^ & 265^ votes Highway Superintendent (2-year term) |
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RESOURCE FOR SCHOHARIE COUNTY FARMERS Mohawk Valley Farm & Agri-Business Network For information about grants, farm market opportunities, county and state resources. New website: https://www.mvfoodaction.org/home |
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HELP KEEP DEMOCRATS RUNNING IN OUR RED COUNTY The Schoharie County Democratic Committee supports Democrats running for local offices, even as outnumbered as we are in Schoharie County. The Committee wants Democrats to have an impact on the challenges of 2024. Keep talking to neighbors about the strong candidates who can run next time to represent our democratic values and take time to find out what your neighbors want to see happen in our country. Think about what we share -- respecting honesty and consideration of others, for example. Remember what this, and previous generations have fought to save here and abroad -- equal rights, justice in the legal system, rejection of the "might makes right" approach of dictators and support for those who are silenced by political repression. There are lots of ways to help beyond donating: you can represent your town on the SCDC; you can help organize events like the FDR dinner and the summer BBQ; you can knock on doors to inform voters and get more people to go vote in our county or in swing states that are going to be critical in defeating the MAGA wing of the Republican party. You can get active in your town or village by attending local board meetings and speaking when there are choices to be made. Let your council members know that you care about what they do. You can also pitch in to build community with projects that mean something - like trash pick up along the roads, or delivering holiday meals. Consider donating to SCDC through ActBlue here. Or send a check payable to SCDC TREASURER, Jean Burton, P.O. Box 46, Gallupville, NY 12073. You can sign up for a variety of activities, just email info@schohariedemocrats.org |
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TOWN HAPPENINGS:
CHECK THIS LINK TO THE CALENDAR FOR YOUR TOWN & VILLAGE BOARD AND COUNCIL MEETINGS EVERY MONTH
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CONNECT & FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA SCDC Website - to get involved, with links to all our social media Schoharie County Democratic Committee on FB - for issues, events, inspiration @SchoharieDems on X for breaking news and commentary schohariecountydems on Instagram Your likes and comments are inspiring! |
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Chairwoman: Theresa Heary- info@schohariedemocrats.org SCDC Committees: |