Delgado Says Health Care Biggest Issue Facing 19th District

RHINEBECK, NY — Antonio Delgado is the Democratic candidate for the 19th Congressional District in New York. He is seeking to unseat first-term Republican John Faso of Kinderhook.

Delgado was born in Schenectady and now makes his home in Rhinebeck in Dutchess County.

He attended Colgate University in Hamilton, Madison County, and earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford. He went to Harvard University where he received his law degree.

Delgado and his wife Lacey have two sons.

Read more about Antonio Delgado on his campaign website.

Patch reached out to candidates running in the Nov. 6 General Election and asked them to answer the same list of questions.

1) What are the biggest issues facing the Hudson River and Hudson Valley that affect your communities?

Everywhere I go in the district, people tell me that the most important issue to them is health care. No one should go bankrupt because of their medical bills or be denied life-saving coverage because of a pre-existing condition. That's not right. John Faso voted to take away health care from millions of people and make it more expensive for people with pre-existing conditions. We need to make health care both accessible and affordable.

I also want to ensure that our environmental policies and regulations protect our riverways for the many boaters, hunters, fishers, hikers and sightseers who enjoy our rivers and waterways here in upstate New York. We must preserve the Clean Water Act and invest in Hudson River clean-up and wastewater management that protect our freshwater resources for everyone in the community.

I was raised in Schenectady to working class parents who worked hard everyday to achieve the American Dream for my family. I am confronted with the reality that this dream is no longer in reach for so many families in the district. That's why I am committed to expanding opportunity for the working and middle classes through meaningful tax reform, voting for a Farm Bill that actually helps our small and mid-tier farmers, and improving infrastructure and broadband access for our rural communities in the district. We have seen stagnating wages, but there are opportunities to invest in our communities and fight corporate loopholes that serve the wealthiest few instead of our working families.

2) How would you apply the adage ‘think globally, act locally’?

I would apply the adage 'think globally, act locally' by linking local realities here in NY-19 to the broader global climate change crisis. Unpredictable weather patterns and fluctuating temperatures pose a very real threat to our farmers here in upstate New York, who face flooding, land damage and lower crop yields. We have to do everything we can to protect their livelihoods and the rural quality of life that is the economic engine of our region.

Additionally, climate change impacts everything from our local economy to our health — from the rising cases of Lyme disease due to higher temperatures which leave people with lifelong symptoms, to the families in Hoosick Falls who suffered a water contamination crisis. Our community deserves clean drinking water and the protection of our natural waterways that make upstate New York unique and drive our tourism economy. It's clear that addressing the global threat of climate change will have very real impacts for our families here in the district.

3) Property taxes are an issue for all our communities. What’s your position on the Shared Services projects? How would you bring school districts into that discussion?

Nothing is more important to our community than investing in local business, infrastructure and public education. Any way that we can reduce the burden of taxpayer costs while also enriching the public good is a priority. I believe that shared services are a strong approach that encourage collaboration across municipalities and local leaders and minimize waste while investing in the public good. When it comes to investing in our schools, I think shared services agreements could be equally impactful as long as they directly benefit our students and teachers.

4) What would your first priorities be if elected?

I'm running for Congress because I want to bring real representation and accountability to Washington, lower healthcare costs and bring meaningful tax reform for everyone in our district. I will prioritize working with my colleagues to pass legislation that will have a meaningful impact for working families — closing corporate loopholes in our tax code, signing onto the Paycheck Fairness Act, which ensures fair wages for women in the workplace, sponsoring legislation that lowers our health-care costs and allows Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies and overturning Citizens United. If elected, I want to bring back government for the people, by the people.

5) It’s a divisive election season — how would you serve all your constituents?

I want to be a fresh voice for those that feel unheard by their representatives in Washington. One of my priorities in this campaign has been finding ways to bridge divides and make sure that everyone has a voice. To achieve this, our campaign has organized public town halls in all 11 counties in the district. I have been grateful to meet with voters in every corner of the district to gain their perspective and I am committed to showing up, listening and engaging this same way in Congress. I promise to bring my constituents with me to Washington, D.C., not leave them behind. I will put the interests of the people here first and have pledged not to take any corporate PAC money — unlike my opponent who has accepted over $800,000 in corporate PAC donations. I have been grateful for my diverse career opportunities ranging from the music business to the legal arena. Over my career I've learned how to work across diverse backgrounds to come to agreement, and I would bring this mindset to Congress.

The 19th Congressional District is comprised of all or part of 11 counties in the Capital Region, Hudson Valley, Catskills and Central New York regions of New York.

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Photo caption: Antonio Delgado. Photo credit: Delgado for Congress.