Dan Lamb Earns Spot in DCCC’s Emerging Races Program

In late April, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named Dan’s campaign to its list of Emerging Races. The list of Emerging Races acknowledges 20 candidates nationally who have put themselves in a position to win in November, making themselves competitive by running smart campaigns that are becoming increasingly competitive. Read more ...


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County Committee Endorses Valesky, Magee, and Lamb

At its April 3, 2012 spring meeting in Hamilton, the Democratic County Committee heard presentations from three Democratic candidates, invited by county party chair Marianne Simberg to address the county committee which endorsed them unanimously. 

Links:

  • The press release about the meeting
  • Official maps of the new congressional, state senate, and assembly districts, with information on their racial and ethnic composition

David Valesky

Incumbent State Senator David Valesky, running for reelection in Senate District 53, spoke first before joining family for his birthday celebration.  He mentioned several legislative achievements during this term’s less partisan climate, including two successive on-time budgets and increased state aid to education in this year’s budget.  He acknowledged the legislature still needs to do to more to fix the State’s finances and reform the way Albany works.  He answered questions including on hydrofracking and the Independent Democratic Senate Caucus he helped form.   

Bill Magee

Assemblyman Bill Magee, running for re-election after 11 Assembly terms in the new Assembly District 121, praised the network of support he receives in representing his constituents, especially on form policy, business development, and support for local colleges.

Dan Lamb

Dan Lamb was given more time to introduce himself and answer questions before the June 26 congressional primary for the Democratic nomination and his expected candidacy in the general election in the completely redrawn 22nd C.D. which stretches from Binghamton to Utica and includes all of Madison County.


He spoke of his 14 years of experience advising Congressman Maurice Hinchey (who is retiring) on issues that matter to his constituents and serving them in the southern part of the new district, his support from former Congressman Michael Arcuri from Utica, and the importance of sending to Washington a Democrat who understands the issues currently facing the middle class, unlike his likely Republican opponent, one-term Congressman “Rich” Hanna. Although he would prefer a single-payer health insurance plan, he supports President Obama’s Patients Protection and Affordable Health Care law because it controls escalating health care costs while insuring up to 30 million more Americans. Answering very knowledgeably to questions on hydrofracking, he insisted that New York State must take the time necessary for a thorough scientific study of all environmental and safety concerns before deciding whether to allow gas companies to drill. He said the gas which has been in the ground for millennia will still be there once we get scientific certainty about the facts. He also urged changing federal law to give the EPA oversight authority over all gas drilling under the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. 

Kirsten Gillibrand

The county committee is also giving strong support to Kirsten Gillibrand for election to a full six-year term as junior Senator from New York.  Having already received the endorsement of the Democratic State Committee, she needs no formal endorsements from county committees.

New County Committee Members

The County Committee also approved appointments to three county committee vacancies:  Sara Chapman DuVal from Earlville in the Town of Hamilton, Don Kelley from the Town of Eaton, and Robert Mann from the City of Oneida. (click here for Town and City Committees)

 

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Standing-Room-Only Crowd Hears 24-Year Old Ithaca Mayor

Before the County Committee’s business meeting a SRO crowd packed the Colgate Inn’s banquet room to hear Svante Myrick, Ithaca’s new mayor who was raised in nearby Earlville before being accepted by Cornell University and elected to the Ithaca city council while still a first-semester junior. He was introduced by committee member Eve Ann Shwartz from Earlville, the recently elected Hamilton Town Supervisor.


Drawing on his personal experience with humility and humor, he claimed leaders do not succeed just by their own initiative and efforts. They owe what they achieve also to family and a supportive community, to teachers, helpful neighbors and employers, often to assistance from government programs. Members of the audience had the opportunity to meet the personable mayor and congressional candidate Dan Lamb at a reception preceding their talks.

 

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Did You Know?

The new President of the New York State Election Commissioners Association (NYSECA) is Laura Costello, our long-serving Madison County Election Commissioner and Secretary of the County Committee. Congratulations, Laura!

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County Committee Chair Marianne Simberg has appointed Wanda Warren Berry as the county committee’s Publicity Chair.

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Elected in the March Village Elections were Sara Campbell DuVal, Earlville Village Trustee; Howard Love and Pamela Mitchell, Munnsville Village Trustees.

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