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Richard Schaeffer for Assembly District Two
There is no good candidate for NY State Assembly in District Two.
So, instead of feeding into the political games of party leaders, please take the time to write in “Richard Schaeffer” for Assembly District 2: Call him out. Name his game. And, don’t let the major parties thwart our democracy by gaming and/or trading races.
Republican politician Jodi Giglio may seem nice enough for a Republican. Though, electing her could cause real harm to people who believe in equality, social justice, preserving the environment, and democratic ideals.
Giglio’s views are too conservative and she sometimes interferes with layers of government that she should not dabble in.
In addition, Jodi Giglio is a wealthy builder, which does not allow her to genuinely relate to the common people, working class, nor working families in her district.
Still (Suffolk County Democratic “boss” Richard Schaeffer and the Democratic leadership seem to reason): She is the incumbent, and, it is difficult in the NY political world to overturn Albany politicians. In addition, Giglio seems to know how to keep winning.
So, the Democratic Party leadership doesn’t even try to put up a (real) fight against her. Instead, they run a low-key, party operative (ie: with a Suffolk County OTB job), who does not truly run a race, who does not agree to debate, and who doesn’t fill out all (or any?) of the organizational or media surveys.
By putting up a candidate, but specifically running a candidate who does not show up for debates and does not truly campaign, most people will not notice the problem. Most people (especially non-insiders and voters who are there for the federal election) will not figure out that the Democrat Party leaders are capitulating to the incumbent and bowing down to the Republicans. And, by doing this, the Democrats are also giving up on creating a better, more just world.
The way that Richard Schaeffer, Chairman of the Suffolk County Democratic Committee, plays this game was easy for me to identify, because I faced a similar situation many years ago, when I used to live in the Town of Babylon.
At the time, our NY State Senator was Owen Johnson, a particularly conservative, Republican incumbent. On some election years, the Democratic leadership would run “sacrificial lamb” or “party operative” candidates against State Senator Johnson. (In an interesting 2018 article in City & State, the political magazine referred to these candidates as “patsy” candidates.) For other election years, the Democratic Leadership would just try to hand the Republican the win by not putting up anyone. At least one year, Richard Schaeffer himself made comments to the press that seemed to endorse Owen Johnson.
Now, these many years later, Richard Schaeffer and the Suffolk Democratic leadership are using the same tricks here in Eastern Long Island. Perhaps they are not brave enough to challenge an incumbent. Perhaps they don’t want to waste resources enacting the process of campaigns that is part of our democracy. Or, maybe there are other reasons.
Considering this scenario, people who believe in progressive policies, in the right to choose between two real candidates, and/or people who believe in the Democratic Party, should use their vote to send a message to party leaders: Give the voters a real choice.
So, instead of voting for wealthy Republican builder Jodi Giglio, and instead of voting for the “patsy” candidate on the Democratic line, please take the time to write in “Richard Schaeffer”: Call him out. Use the voting booth to name the perpetrator.
Don’t let the major party bosses thwart our democracy by gaming and/or trading races. Those candidate slots, those debates and campaigns which should be enacted among candidates, they represent a path to honor our voices, our choices, and our hope for a good future.
Let’s try to force the major parties to run real candidates in every race next time around. Don’t waste your vote on a patsy Democratic candidate or a conservative Republican builder (who will most likely win no matter what you do). Instead, take the time to write-in: “Richard Schaeffer”.
This article written and posted by Kimberly Wilder.
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Background articles, links, etc:
NY Assembly District 2 covers: Riverhead, Wading River, Calverton, Shoreham, and Manorville (Suffolk County, Long Island, NY)
City and State magazine:
The other reason the Dems don’t control New York: Rich Schaffer has made Suffolk County politics in his image, but at what cost? May 6, 2018
Newsday
Richard Schaffer in political balancing act as State Senate races heat up July 19, 2014
Riverhead Local
State Senate, Assembly and Congressional candidates to face off in debates this month October 4, 2024
Riverhead News Review
Election 2024: Meet the candidates: State Assembly 2 – Jodi Giglio October 7, 2024
Filed under: Babylon Politics, Ballot issues, democrat, election, elections, independent politics, long island, Long Island Politics, new york, New York State Politics, politics, rants, reform, Riverhead, suffolk county, write-in vote Tagged: | Albany Politics, Jodi Giglio, Long Island Politics, NY Assembly District 2, NY State Assembly, Richard Schaeffer, Rick Schaeffer, Riverhead politics, Suffolk County politics, Suffolk Democrats, Suffolk Party Democratic Party, write-in campaign, write-in vote
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