Jeff Beals Promotes

Progressive Agenda

19th District Congressional candidate Jeff Beals, a former CIA agent and State Department staffer in the Middle East, this afternoon burnished his progressive credentials before 40 voters in Sunday forums in Cooperstown Village Hall for candidates running against U.S. Rep. John Faso, R-Kinderhook.  He embraced his endorsement by Bernie Sanders’ progressive, called for “Medicare for All,” and told the gathering when they here any of the seven Democrats being called “carpetbaggers,” they should respond that Faso is a “corporate-bagger,” given the sources of his funding.  Beals, currently a history teacher at a private school in Woodstock, said his family has associations with the Catskills and current 19th District going back two generations, and said he is one of only tw0 of the seven Democratic candidates vying in the June 26 primary who actually voted locally in 2016.  Listening to Beals are Bob Eklund, New Lisbon, left, and Ken Fogarty, Chenango County, right. Inset, one of Oneonta Assembly candidate Dan Buttermann’s daughter returns from handing moderator Richard Sternberg a written question from the audience.  Sternberg announced Erin Collier of Cooperstown, the latest Democrat in the race, will appear at a Sunday forum at 3 p.m. April 22. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)