ENDORSEMENT EDITORIAL
Delgado Invincible, Earns
Second Term In Congress
In effect, the Republican Party this season failed to field a candidate against freshman Congressman Antonio Delgado in the 19th District, which includes Otsego County.
While a contest can sharpen an incumbent’s resolve, Delgado – except for voting “aye” on impeachment – has pretty much done everything right in his first term.
First, he’s been present, holding more than two-dozen town hall meetings district-wide, including at Oneonta, Cooperstown and Cherry Valley, and showing up with his family at such places as the Cooperstown Bat Company.
He was at a poverty summit at Foothills last year, and followed up with special funding to Opportunities for Otsego. That’s one of many examples of his attentiveness.
And he’s educated himself on farming, challenges facing small business, broad-
band and other regional challenges. Most astonishingly, he has sponsored legislation of sufficient breadth to pass the Republican Senate and get signed into law by the Republican in chief.
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He’s certainly earned reelection, as the Republican Party and major GOP donors seem to have concluded, too.
As of Oct. 14, Delgado had raised $5,689,567 toward his reelection. His challenger, a Poughkeepsie lawyer, Kyle Van De Water, had raised $130,381; that’s 2.3 percent of his opponent’s take.
Ouch.
Van de Water was further damaged, as if that were necessary, by the Ola Hawatmeh sideshow. The St. Louis fashion designer, by way of Poughkeepsie, lost the Republican primary, but continues on as an independent. Her signs are everywhere around here, compared to few to none for Van de Water.
What’s that all about?
Looking ahead, a Delgado victory may work for us in another way.
If Joe Biden wins the presidency, our junior U.S. senator, Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, has been mentioned for a Cabinet post. And Delgado’s been mentioned, if that happens, as the leading prospect to fill the Gillibrand vacancy.
Having one of two U.S. senators with such an understanding of Otsego County and the rest of the 19th as Delgado, and all the local contacts he’s developed in the past two years, can’t hurt us.
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This may be his local swansong, anyhow. With New York State looking to lose two Congressional districts in next year’s redistricting, one scenario has Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney retiring, and his 18th District in the Hudson Valley being folded into Delgado’s 19th.
If that happens, it’s likely Otsego County could be folded back into a Central New York District – Democrat Anthony Brindisi’s (or Republican Claudia Tenney’s) Utica-based 22nd.
Thinking back on Sherry Boehlert’s and Mike Arcuri’s congressional tenures, that sounds pretty good. After all, the Hudson Valley is a long
way away.
I am offended by the term “Sideshow” when talking about Ola Hawatmeh! She has been been backed by a very large grassroots movement as you stated. Ola has been to all counties since she first decided to run for the office. You also stated there are many signs for Ola ..these were made and paid for by this grassroots movement. This is draining of the swamp for Congressional District 19 and exposing the Republican Chairmen of said District! Kyle was not “damaged” by Ola running.. ever think he was not supposed to win this race? Maybe he was just a placeholder for someone in 2022..Ola just got in the way. Why did Sean Hannity and Charles Payne endorse Ola.. can they be wrong? (by the way… Ola was born and raised in NY State.. moved back to NY after surviving cancer 2 times and also surviving domestic abuse)
I would not call Ola Hawatameh and her run for District 19 Congressional Seat a side show. As the author points out, Kyle Van De Water is virtually non-existent. The Republican Party obviously managed to get a lame duck with the intention to run against DelGado AND LOSE. As the author points out, there are future aspirations in DelGado’s political endeavors. The problem here, people witnessed (acknowledged) how this all transpired. The author also points out, Kyle Van De Water won the Primary. Is this actually the case? What the author does not mention is Ola Hawatmeh did win on Primary night, there were thousands of missing mail-in ballots. When it came time to open ballots, envelopes were missing for counters to use for verification, and hundreds upon hundreds of ballots suspiciously were perfectly stamped for Van De Water – These events encouraged people like Charles Payne and Sean Hannity to endorse the People’s Write-In Campaign for Ola Hawatmeh, calling the events that transpired in District 19 “a disgrace”. This campaign for Hawatmeh was born out of necessity, was born out the People’s desire to no longer be told who they can and cannot vote for by what appears to be a corrupt system, was born out of the people’s demand to no longer be stifled. The support to Ola Hawameh speaks volumes to this fact. The People’s voice certainly is not a side show, and neither is Ola Hawatmeh! Calling this movement a side show is as insulting as the establishment’s comments in the beginning of this campaign – calling her Muslim, Middle Easterner, a carpet bagger – in addition to other filthy names I will not mention. The fact of the matter is, Ola Hawatmeh is a single mother, a successful small business owner, a daughter of Christian immigrants, a native of NY 19 from the Poughkeepsie area, a cancer survivor twice with a much needed HEART OF GOLD for the people of NY 19. She is pro farming, pro 2nd, and pro small business. In my opinion, Shawn Hannity and Charles Payne were correct. NY 19 is a disgrace. Politicians use the phrase “vote your conscious” Does your conscious tell you to vote for two more lawyers or a qualified female candidate with life experiences we all endure on a daily basis. Who will better understand you? Take back District 19, get out and vote, let your voice be heard!