Kleinhandler's Meet & Greet: 'Interviewing for a Job'

York Kleinhandler hosted a meet and greet yesterday at the Dog House Restaurant in Nanuet.

Kleinhandler, R-West Nyack, is in the 17th Congressional District Republican Primary on Sept. 14 against Anthony Mele, R-Chestnut Ridge. The winner takes on U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-The Bronx, whose district includes part of Clarkstown as well as Orangetown and Ramapo.

Kleinhandler said his campaign has been going phenomenal and he has been going out everyday because of the size of the district.

"This is a very large district. I travel all over," Kleinhandler said. He added that the places he's been, there is a positive reaction from the voters toward him. From all this traveling, he also found a common concern: accessibility of his Republican rival Mele.

"It's a district-wide complaint that he is not accessible," he said. Kleinhandler is worried that if Mele makes it, he will continue to not be reachable by the public that he represents.

Kleinhandler sees this campaign as a job interview for the Congressional seat.

"I'm being interviewed by the public by campaigning. When you go for a job interview, you talk about your qualifications. For me, my issues are my qualifications," he said.

His issues span across topic of the environment and the economy to health care and education. His website details his specific stands in each issue. He also added that he is personally invested in the 17th district because he's lived 44 of his 49 years in this district.