U.S. Congress: Josh Riley

The Editorial Board confidently endorses Josh Riley for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. The incumbent, Rep. Marc Molinaro, has not proven to be reliable and trustworthy, and Binghamton needs new representation.

Our coverage of Molinaro speaks for itself. The Editorial Board has condemned his rhetoric, including support of former President Donald Trump after his conviction and a call to ban Students for Justice in Palestine.

Most recently, Molinaro has continued to spread widely debunked claims about immigrants eating pets. This spread of false information is concerning, as we should trust our politicians to value and uphold the truth, even if that truth could hurt their political standing.

The New York Times recently published an article reporting that though Molinaro used to be a relative moderate in his party, he has swung toward the far-right with his full-throated support for Trump. This switch highlights Molinaro’s priorities — to further his own power, not stand on beliefs, and support the wants and needs of his constituency. Molinaro has shown he is unwilling to hold himself to the standards required of a representative.

Riley will be a new face we can trust to support the community and hold himself to these basic standards. As an Endicott local, he understands this area and can prioritize the needs of his constituency first-hand. We appreciate his plans to cut taxes for the middle class and work to control prices, as this will help struggling Broome County — something that all candidates have expressed as a concern.

This will be a tight race, as it was in the last election. The 19th Congressional District is one of seven competitive swing districts in the country and, as seen in the 2022 midterm elections, could determine the party that controls the House. Looking at how Molinaro has handled his tenure, the Editorial Board wants to see a fresh face. Riley is a reliable, capable candidate, and we believe he will be the trustworthy politician the 19th District deserves.

New York State Senate: Lea Webb

After reviewing both candidates for the State Senate, the Editorial Board enthusiastically supports Lea Webb ‘04, the incumbent, for reelection. In her time in office, it is clear to us that Webb is a community-centered candidate near-singularly focused on uplifting marginalized people. We feel that through her strong community roots, she will continue to effectively represent the 52nd Senate District in a body dominated by downstate politicians.

A SUNY alumna, Webb served on the Binghamton City Council and worked on diversity, equity and inclusion education at Binghamton University. In her first term, she secured state funding for a local public broadcasting station, helped to advance flood mitigation legislation and led an effort to ban carbon dioxide fracking in the Southern Tier.

We found Webb’s opponent in this race, Mike Sigler, a Tompkins County legislator, a strong candidate as well. As a representative on a body largely dominated by Democrats, we believed that, if elected, he could work well with local, county and state officials of both parties to advocate for Binghamton’s — and Broome County’s — needs. Sigler’s focus on bringing down costs is important and relevant given Broome County’s urgent affordability crisis. Webb’s plans to address the rampant unaffordability include using resources at the state level to bring prices down, highlighting a recent bill to increase the Tuition Assistance Program’s aid and eligibility and an effort to fight food insecurity on college campuses. Though both candidates are equally committed to economic reform, the Editorial Board is confident Webb’s connection to the community will inform her through valid criticisms of impracticality from Sigler.

As the chair of the State Senate’s Women’s Issues Committee, Webb is a strong advocate for Proposal One, a statewide referendum that would expand the New York Constitution’s protections against discrimination. She has said a state constitution amendment would insulate these freedoms from the political arena. Unlike moderate Republicans in New York, Sigler’s reluctance to support reproductive rights outlined in Proposal One and subsequent fearmongering over gender-affirming care is an extremist attitude that cannot compete with Webb’s dedication toward equal rights for all, including women’s bodily autonomy.

Though the Editorial Board feels both candidates would represent the 52nd Senate District well, we will vote for Webb because of her strong focus on the community and her unique advocacy for reproductive justice.

New York State Assembly: Donna Lupardo 

Donna Lupardo has served as an assemblywoman for nearly 20 years and the Editorial Board believes she can continue to have a positive impact on Broome County if reelected.

While Broome County has among the highest poverty rates in New York, Lupardo and her opponent, Lisa OKeefe, take a holistic approach to economic growth, identifying students as a crucial player in economic development. However, Lupardo has a track record. She helped expand the Innovative Technology Complex at BU with four new buildings, one of which created a $90.7 million impact on the Broome and Tioga region and created hundreds of local jobs in the design and construction phase alone. Other projects include the construction of the SUNY Broome Culinary Arts Center and championing the Industrial Hemp Act. The research and innovations from improved facilities put the county at the center of emerging industries and students alongside residents in advocating for economic equity.

Despite these improvements, OKeefe has rightly pointed out the lack of transparency, such as with a 29 percent pay raise for state legislators OKeefe identifies housing, small businesses and the art scene as examples of viable areas of investment that would affect the day-to-day quality of life for residents, not just students, and, more importantly, encourage students to keep their talents and economic potential in the area after graduation. With our endorsement for Lupardo, we expect that she will live up to her dedication to residents on a grassroots level, including the investment in industries that meld the student-resident divide.

State legislators, including Lupardo, have proven to work well with other elected officials to achieve goals. Alongside State Sen. Lea Webb, Lupardo pushed for the inclusion of Proposal One, extending protections against discrimination, on the ballot this year. Republicans have criticized Proposal One for its vague language — for example, the lack of the word “abortion,” and alleged expansion of rights to undocumented immigrants and transgender athletes. Though OKeefe notes abortion care is already written into New York law, the Board agrees with Lupardo — anti-discrimination measures are truly simple despite fearmongering as an excuse for transphobia and xenophobic rhetoric.

The board recognizes that having these measures in our state constitution is fundamental to curbing any future attempts at limiting abortion access or other discriminatory practices. However, the current Republican opposition to abortion, their emphasis on Proposal One’s language and the difficult, long process of amending a constitution is a reality. We hope Lupardo will draw on her previous experiences to preempt the likely opposition to fundamental rights if Proposal One is passed and that her experience will inform, rather than hinder, a renewed tenure.

To keep our news coverage of this election fully separate from the opinions pages, Pipe Dream’s news editor abstained from participation in this editorial.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.