Posted on 10/07/2022 3:27:18 PM PDT by Right Wing Vegan
CLIFTON PARK – “Grab a lawn sign,” a campaign staffer for state Senate candidate Michelle Ostrelich, D-Niskayuna, instructed a crowd in Clifton Park as the town hall event they gathered for came to a close.
In the event’s remaining minutes, Ostrelich sounded off on reproductive rights and threats to democracy — positions widely championed this year by Democrats up and down the ballot. Her final message: Clifton Park is vital.
“If we win Clifton Park, we win the election,” Ostrelich said. “So, we need everybody.”
Facing off against state Sen. Jim Tedisco, R-Glenville, for the first time in four years, within the newly-drawn 44th state Senate district, Ostrelich’s campaign is betting on what has historically been a tough battleground for Democrats in local races.
“It’s been taking time to see the demographic changes,” Ostrelich said. “Clifton Park is growing. Halfmoon is growing. The folks moving here tend to be families and it’s also supported by Global Foundries, that’s right — so the Democrats are changing what Republicans can’t.”
Between the 2000 and 2020 U.S. Census, the number of Clifton Park residents who speak a language other than English at home has increased 7%, non-white residents is up 9%, foreign-born residents has increased 5%, and residents with a bachelor’s degree has risen 5%.
The number of Democrats and Republican enrollees in Clifton Park is roughly 1-1, the Saratoga County Board of Elections reported in February. Six years ago, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by 1,500 registered voters.
Despite Democrats’ slight enrollment edge within the last two years, Republican town Supervisor Phil Barrett easily sailed to victory with 66% of the vote last year against Melissa Boxer.
All elected town officials in Clifton Park are currently Republican.
“Going up the Northway, the biggest issue is turnout,” Ostrelich said.
“It’s not a matter of it never happening,” said Clifton Park Democratic Committee Chairman Patrick Lyons about flipping the town blue. “It’s a matter of time.”
Voter enrollment numbers don’t paint a complete picture of the GOP’s success in Clifton Park, according to town Republican committee chairman Jeffrey Jones.
As more and more residents flock to the Saratoga County town, he believes they grow enticed with the business climate and cost of living, and don’t want to hear from local candidates taking on nationally-polarizing issues. The chairman claimed he has a close friend who votes blue in national elections and red in local elections.
“I laugh at him and say, ‘Why is that?’ and he’s quite frank with me,’” Jones said. “He says, ‘Local Republican votes better my life. I like my life in Clifton Park.’”
Like Barrett, who has been in office a dozen consecutive terms now, Tedisco has grown into something of a local brand since winning office on the Schenectady City Council back in 1977. Tedisco served in the state Assembly for more than 30 years before entering the state Senate in 2018.
Ostrelich touted her Schenectady County victory over Tedisco in 2018 as a major triumph despite her defeat districtwide. The two-time challenger represents District 3 in the Schenectady County Legislature, which covers Glenville and Niskayuna.
“A lot of [turnout] has to do with just educating voters,” Ostrelich said. “They were not aware of how conservative he was.”
Ostrelich lost to Tedisco in that race by 20,268 votes.
2019 Schenectady mayoral candidate Thearse McCalmon lost by a 39,154-vote margin to Tedisco in 2020. Redistricting earlier this year pushed Tedisco and fellow state Sen. Daphne Jordan, R-Halfmoon, into the same district. A one-term incumbent, Jordan opted not to actively seek reelection … The 43rd state Senate District representative opted out of re-election earlier this year in order to avoid a primary with Tedisco after a weekslong war of words.
All of Saratoga County, as well as Schenectady and Niskayuna, are included in the new district. It has a roughly 5,000-headcount Democratic enrollment advantage. The number of registered Republicans in Saratoga County within the last 20 years has fluctuated back and forth within a 3,000-voter margin. It’s currently some 64,000.
There are nearly 53,000 Democrats in Saratoga County — about 23,000 more than in 2000. Independents make up 27% of all voters.
On the campaign trail, Ostrelich claimed she’s also met independent voters and Republicans voters passionate about reproductive rights and threats to democracy.
Six Democrats including Ostrelich opened a joint campaign headquarters in Clifton Park in August. Ostrelich, at the time, extolled the new location, expecting it would allow for unity between campaigns and greater access to voters.
Tedisco has had an office in Clifton Park for 10 years now.
“As an elected representative, I take my job seriously to be accessible and visible by visiting communities in every corner of my Senate District,” Tedisco said. “The 44th Senate District is a wonderfully diverse district with urban, suburban, and rural communities and I make it a top priority to meet with constituents in every part of the district so I can listen to what matters most to them and be a strong voice on their behalf.”
What State??
I apologize for neglecting to indicate after the title that this is NYS.
New York
NY. Piss poor writing. There are multiple Clifton Parks. You have to read way down to rule out all but one.
If the journalists were not so horrible these days then they would realize that stories these days get picked up and read out of their area. It is journalism 101 to start with the full description of the location including the state.
It's a news cite serving Schenectady NY. Apparently there's a Clifton Park in that local area. Thus there's no mention of the state.
That's typical.
*site*
👍👍
I lived in Clifton Park when there was nothing there,…turned into a bedroom community of government workers from Albany…Left the state in 1980 for Colorado….In twenty years taxes went from 600 to 650 ….I think I was paying 1400 in New York…..
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