Meet The Candidate: Smith For Congressional District 18

GOSHEN, 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 the 18th Congressional District. Patch asked the candidates in the race to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day nears.

Libertarian and Serve America Movement parties candidate Scott Smith is running to represent the 18th Congressional District. Her opponents are incumbent Democrat Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and Republican Chele Farley.

Smith, 47, lives in Goshen and is a science educator. He has a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University and a teaching certificate from PACE University.

He previously served two terms on the Middletown city council. Smith is married and a father of three.

The 18th Congressional District consists of Orange and Putnam counties and parts of Westchester and Dutchess counties.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking to represent my neighbors, friends and family of the 18th District of New York in the United States House of Representatives because I believe that both major political parties have failed us, and that continuing the status quo carries us down a path of ever worsening outcomes. The hyper-partisanship in government simply cannot be resolved by continuing to swing back and forth between the two parties that comprise it. The process of escaping from the toxicity of the current political paradigm must begin somewhere and I say let it begin here.

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

The greatest threat to our nation is the current state of our politics and our institutions. Those who have occupied them have done so much damage to the trust and integrity that is so essential to their function that they are losing their validity. There is a point at which that becomes irreparable. I intend to begin the process of demonstrating that we do not have to continue to choose from two bad options, that there is a different path. Towards that goal I will approach everything before me in an objective manner with no conflicting or divided ambitions. I will shun the division based model upon which our contemporary politics thrives, instead focusing on what unites us. There is so much common ground, but we are kept from cultivating it because it does not yield the agitated electorate that the politicians require.

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

The first critical difference, though it is often glossed over and has become par for the course in politics today, is that my opponents are not originally from the district. I, on the other hand, am a lifelong resident of the district. Both of the other candidates moved to the district just weeks before their first runs here, one for the 2012 race, and one for this race. That should matter, for if it does not, then we are really nothing more than real estate in the broader political game. Second, I have only one interest, the faithful and objective representation of the 18th District and all those who call it home. My opponents have unavoidable conflicting interests; those of the district, and those of the national parties they represent. Lastly, I will not be a universal yes or a universal no for any President, whereas my opponents will be one or the other depending on who we call President next year.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

The current officeholder, Mr. Maloney, has in some regards done good work for the district. That is indisputable. However, where he has failed is in his commitment to serving his national party’s broader objectives at the expense of the district and the nation. This is an unavoidable consequence of the political paradigm as it stands and is just as prevalent from the opposite side of the aisle. In addition, I believe his ambitions lie higher, as demonstrated by his recent pursuit of the NY State Attorney General’s Office, which leaves him distracted.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The other issues that are a focus of my campaign are immigration, education, justice reform and government reform. In addition, the primary objective of anyone seeking office today must also be the restoration of trust and integrity and the foundational principles of this nation. Neglecting to do that will leave government unable to accomplish anything else, thereby continuing and solidifying its current impotence. All of this requires leading by example, an essential component of any viable path forward for us all.

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

I do not have any spectacular accomplishments to point to that one might view as indisputable evidence that I am prepared to serve in the United States Congress. I don’t know that such examples readily exist. What I instead can say is that there is little that I have set mind to that I have been unable to accomplish, and that I have faith in my abilities, my principles and my resolve. Further, I can point to actions while on the Middletown City Council that show I am willing to place principle and the good of those I seek to serve above my own benefit or comfort. First, when the Council sought to eliminate voter-implemented term-limits on our own positions I voted against it. Second, when the Council sought to give itself a raise, doubling the salary immediately following our own re-election, I spoke against it. Lacking unanimous support the proposed raise was withdrawn, which earned me the scorn of some of the people I served with and respected, even though I could have used the raise as much as anyone. Further, I once believed, perhaps as you did as well, that those who rose to serve us in government were more capable, more honest, more principled than most. I have lived and observed long enough to have discovered that to be less than true.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

I don’t recall where I first heard it or when, but a quote has long stuck with me: “There are two kinds of failures in life: those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought." I'd also have to give recognition to Socrates' humble recognition that the root of wisdom is in accepting the vastness of how much one does not know.

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

Voters should know the following: I am honest and sincere. This is not a whim, or some flight of ambition. I mean what I am saying and no one has produced my words for me. In closing, I can promise you this, I will work every day to live up to the responsibility, the duty and the honor that the office I seek demands, and I will set an example that paves the way toward a better future.

Are you running for office? Contact Michael Woyton for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.