On Thursday evening, local Democrats running for political office came to campus to share their visions for the future of the Binghamton area.
The forum, which was held by the Binghamton College Democrats, provided an opportunity for the candidates to outline their plans to Binghamton University. The candidates are all running for districts that represent student populations.
In attendance were Kim Myers, who is running for the 22nd Congressional District in New York, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo of the 123rd District and Daniel Reynolds and Bob Weslar, who are running for the 4th and 13th County Districts, respectively. Jason Garnar, a candidate for Democratic county executive, had to cancel last minute because of an illness.
According to Conor Stillwell, the president of College Democrats and a senior double-majoring in political science and sociology, the forum served as an opportunity to bridge the gap between campus and the surrounding community.
“We want to get people to know more about the local politics here,” Stillwell said. “We feel like this is a great way for students to learn about the candidates that are running for office.”
Harry Bittker, political director for College Democrats and a sophomore majoring in political science, moderated the forum. He asked the candidates questions about the local economy, the Southern Tier’s growing heroin epidemic and the importance of voter participation.
Myers, who is running in one of the most tightly contested House of Representatives races in the country, spoke about the importance of civic engagement.
“You guys are important because you’re our future,” Myers said. “You’re an important voter block. I want to make sure I hear you, I want to make sure that you know me and I want to make sure that I’m able to serve you in the U.S. Congress.”
Lupardo, who is up for reelection in her district, spoke about the opportunity that students have to get involved in the area’s growing economy after graduating.
“We have a terrific opportunity right now to completely rebuild this place,” Lupardo said. “I always tell the story of what size fish do you want to be and what size pond do you want to operate in. This is a great chance to be a very big fish in a small pond. You can look across this place, and you can tie into some of the innovative work that is happening.”
When asked about the heroin problem that is affecting upstate New York, Myers said that it is an issue that needs attention on all levels, starting in the doctor’s office.
“The opioid epidemic is a passion of mine because it is not unique to any demographic, it is not unique to anybody at all,” Myers said. “I believe that we need to address this on a federal, on a state, on a county and on a city level, comprehensively. The doctors can no longer prescribe 30 days of oxycodone for a teenager that gets their wisdom teeth removed.”
Heather Manley, the treasurer for College Democrats and a sophomore majoring in human development, said that it is important for students to have the chance to interact with local election candidates.
“It’s good to know what’s going on in your local community and have the power to vote down the ballot if you want to,” Manley said. “We brought them to campus so [students] can see them face to face, see that they’re real, so that they aren’t just thinking about the presidential election.”