Meet The Candidate: Brescia For NY Senate District 39

MONTGOMERY, NY — The races for which voters will cast ballots in the general election in November have been set. One of the contested races is for state Senate District 39. Patch asked the candidates in the race to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day nears.

Steve Brescia, 52, is the Republican Party candidate running to represent state Senate District 39. His opponent is incumbent Democrat James Skoufis.

Brescia, who lives in Montgomery and has two sons, became a trustee of the village in 1987. He ran successfully for mayor in 1990 and still holds the position. Since 1994, he has represented District 9 in the Orange County Legislature.

He has a degree in business and was a product salesman prior to the coronavirus pandemic. He has been an Uber driver since then.

The 39th district covers Orange County, part of Ulster County and the northern tip of Rockland County.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running to bring balance and leadership to the State Senate. We need a Senator who will put Hudson Valley families first instead of passing a radical agenda that puts dangerous criminals back on the streets and raises our property taxes.

The single most pressing issue facing our community, and what I intend to do about it.

Public Safety. As Senator I will fight to repeal the disastrous bail reform law that Senator Skoufis helped pass and build upon my strong record of public safety and support law enforcement.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate seeking this post?

My opponent supports the radical agenda of Bill De Blasio; bail reform, defund the police, higher taxes and spending millions on left leaning platforms like publicly funded campaigns. I will work to repeal bail reform, support our law enforcement and provide tax breaks for families and businesses.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

From hiding in the bathroom on tough votes, to supporting policies that make our communities less safe and more expensive, my opponent has failed to stand up for Hudson Valley families and businesses.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The top three issues in my campaign are public safety, taxes and providing support for our school districts. Our current Senator has an abysmal record on these three issues. He passed bail reform, cut state aid to our school districts and cancelled STAR relief checks that provided local homeowners with important relief. My job will be to clean up his mess.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As Mayor of the Village of Montgomery I have worked with local law enforcement to make our community one of the safest in the nation. In regards to taxes, as chairman of the Orange County Legislature, I worked to keep taxes below the cap for several consecutive years. I have also worked closely with the Orange County IDA to bring businesses and jobs to our region. As Senator, I will always put the needs of our residents above those of the NYC political bosses.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

Senator Larkin told me the most important thing about public office is putting the needs of the men and women you represent first. As a local elected official I have always done this and will continue to do so as State Senator.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a hard worker. Throughout my time in public service I have always maintained a job in the private sector. I believe that this private and public sector experience makes me the ideal candidate to address the serious issues facing our community.

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