Tedisco, Murphy to duke it out in special election

HARLEM VALLEY — A special election to choose a New York representative to the House of Representatives will be held next Tuesday, March 31. When Hillary Clinton was appointed secretary of state, New York Gov. David Paterson chose then-Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand to replace her in the Senate. That left a seat in the 20th Congressional District that has remained empty since Jan. 27.

Leading up to the special election on March 31, the Republican Party nominated state Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, minority leader. The Democrats have chosen political newcomer Scott Murphy.

Tedisco is 58 and currently lives in Glenville, in Schenectady County. He has been an assemblyman for the 110th District since 1983 and minority leader since 2005. He is married with no children.

Tedisco made his way up to Millerton last Wednesday, March 18, for a meet-and-greet with North East town Supervisor Dave Sherman and residents of the village and town.

Sherman brought up the issue of the town’s need for a sewer plant, looking for Tedisco’s help to apply for grants and funds if he is elected. While Tedisco didn’t directly reply, he acknowledged that the state needed to "pinpoint the spots that need the most help."

Tedisco brought up the recent AIG bonus scandals, saying that he agreed with Paterson in that "the structure has to be changed."

A big part of this election, Tedisco said, will be education. He said he was excited for the election and said his campaign was always looking for more volunteers.

When asked why he chose to visit Millerton, Tedisco replied that "it reflects the flavor of the community and of Dutchess County. There are hard-working people here and voices that have to be heard."

It appears that Murphy will not be joining Tedisco up in the northeast corner of the county before the election. Repeated requests for an interview were not granted before this paper’s deadline.

Murphy is 38 and lives in Glens Falls. Currently a venture capitalist for Advantage Capital Partners, he has a wife and three children.

The talking points of the special election, which will be the first to happen under President Barak Obama, seem to revolve around the president’s economic stimulus package. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have contributed large amounts of money to each candidate’s campaign.

Tedisco recently spoke out against the stimulus package after a long period of choosing not to take a firm stance. Murphy, meanwhile, supported the bill before it was passed, and continues to support it, even as it has come under criticism for $165 million in bailout funds used to pay AIG employee bonuses.

The 20th Congressional District covers all or parts of Dutchess, Columbia, Delaware, Essex, Greene, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, there are 70,000 more Republicans enrolled in the district than Democrats.