August Primary Preview: 5 Republicans Face Off For 17th District

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Five Republicans are running for Congress in New York District 17, and the showdown to see whose name will be on the ballot in the November general election is in the August primary.

Voting begins Saturday and ends Primary Day, Aug. 23.

On the ballot are

• William G. Faulkner, a Somers town Councilman
• Jack W. Schrepel, a retired businessman and Orange County resident
• Charles J. Falciglia, a Rockland County Legislator
• Shoshana M. David
• Mike Lawler, a member of the state Assembly serving District 97

Faulkner and Lawler are also in a Conservative Party primary in August to see who will hold that ballot line in November.

Lawler serves in the New York State Assembly, representing Orangetown and Ramapo in Rockland County and is the endorsed Republican and Conservative Party candidate for the 17th. He was endorsed Thursday by Republican House Leader Kevin McCarthy. He said his top priorities were inflation, spending and taxes, crime, illegal immigration, education and energy independence.

As a lawmaker, Falciglia has long been concerned with government corruption. Finances are also a priority. "Elected official after elected official has insulted our intelligence for over two decades by complaining about the deficit, especially when it fits their agenda or narrative; but collectively have done nothing to curtail it," he said on his website.

Schrepel, a retired businessman, was the Westchester County GOP's pick for the race. "I've seen a distinct change with this new administration back in January 2021 and I wanted to step up and serve my country," he said. His website only contains a donation form.

Faulkner, a Westchester businessman, calls on his website for universal school tax credits and school choice and for starting the XL pipeline back up and expanding leasing federal land for drilling. He links illegal immigration with the country's fentanyl drug crisis. At the forum he said his motto in public life has been "to do the right thing because it's the right thing."

David does not have an internet presence that Patch could discover.

Faulkner, Schrepel, Falciglia and Lawler appeared July 29 at a League of Women Voters candidates forum shown above. David did not respond to the invitation, the LWV said.

Asked at the forum what issues they've heard that are most important in the four counties served by the district, Falciglia brought up the national Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, saying it has created a problem for local municipalities where the threats of lawsuits push officials to bend zoning rules. Schrepel named criminal justice reform and inflation; Lawler added lifting the cap on SALT to ease the property-tax burden on local homeowners. Faulkner said "one-party Democrat rule down in Washington has been a disaster" and that an inspector general should be assigned to anybody with a public budget who isn't being audited.

The candidates were asked what should be the balance between gun owners' rights and the concerns of many about rampant gun violence.

"It's not just gun violence it's violence in general in this country," Falciglia said, saying only 2 percent of the gun violence comes from mass shootings. He called for federal support for 50,000 more officers and 50,000 more prosecutors nationwide.

While mass shootings like those in Buffalo and Uvalde cannot be tolerated, Lawler said, he prioritized state issues including cashless bail and the 'raise the age' policy where it involves teens using guns to commit crimes. "We need to make sure our laws treat people fairly and as long as they're eligible they're able to exercise their second amendment rights," he said, adding he was open to requiring training to get a gun permit, as they do in Texas, and universal background checks, and hardening security at schools.

"I think this issue is very much warped from what it should be," Faulkner said. "It's not an issue of guns, it's certainly not an issue of legal guns." He said 99 percent of the guns used in a crime are by illegal gun owners. "Those are the people who should be gone after. I'll do my job at the federal level to get rid of illegal guns."

Schrepel said penalties should be strengthened against illegal gun possession.

About the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe V Wade, Lawler, Faulkner and Schrepel said abortion access was a state-level issue and Falciglia called for a national referendum.

Faulkner said he supported the Disclose Act, the federal campaign reform bill opposed by Republicans in Congress in 2021. He pledged to not profit directly or indirectly or to pay himself during the campaign.

Schrepel said he supports transparency in campaign finances.

"Personally I think there should be a complete cap on how much a candidate can raise and spend," said Falciglia. "All those loopholes have to be stopped."

Lawler said, "the Supreme Court has found that campaign contributions are free speech. People have a right to support who they want for public office and I fully support that," Lawler said. "What I absolutely fundamentally do not support is taxpayer-funded campaigns."

The redrawn District 17 now includes central-northern Westchester, all of Rockland and Putnam counties and southern Dutchess County.

The winner of the Republican and Conservative primaries will face the winner of the Democratic primary. SEE: August Primary Preview: 2 Democrats Vye In 17th Congressional District

The redistricting process put six-term Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney into the 17th and moved the current incumbent, Rep. Mondaire Jones, into the 16th. Maloney angered some on the left by announcing he was running for re-election in District 17, where he lives, and not in District 18, where he is the incumbent. Freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones in the 17the was surprised and angry, according to reports — and is running for the District 10 seat in New York City, to which he would move if elected. Maloney faces a challenge from State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, who had initially been running for District 3 when it included her hometown of Pelham, but when the 3rd was redrawn she announced her challenge in the 17th, to which she would move if elected.

There are nine days of early voting for the Aug. 23 primary. Early voting is primarily a daytime operation, though several days have afternoon-evening hours and Westchester also offers three days with earlier hours.

In Dutchess, Putnam and Rockland counties, early voting hours are:

1. Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
2. Sunday, August 14, 2022 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
3. Monday, August 15, 2022 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
4. Tuesday, August 16, 2022 from 12 Noon until 8 p.m.
5. Wednesday, August 17, 2022 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
6. Thursday, August 18, 2022 from 12 Noon until 8 p.m.
7. Friday, August 19, 2022 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
8. Saturday, August 20, 2022 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
9. Sunday, August 21, 2022 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

In Westchester County, early voting hours are:

1. Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
2. Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
3. Monday, Aug. 15, 2022 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
4. Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022 from noon until 8 p.m.
5. Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
6. Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022 from noon until 8 p.m.
7. Friday, Aug. 19, 2022 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
8. Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
9. Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Early voting centers

In Dutchess County:

• Mid-Hudson Library Auditorium 105 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
• East Fishkill Community Library 348 Route 376, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
• Cornell Cooperative Center 2715 US-44, Millbrook, NY 12545
• Boardman Road Library 141 Boardman Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
• Fishkill Town Hall 807 Route 52, Fishkill, NY 12524
• Rhinebeck Town Hall 80 East Market Street, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
• Roosevelt Engine Company #3 830 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538

Putnam:

• North Highlands Fire House, 504 Fishkill Road, Cold Spring, NY 10516
• Putnam County Office Building, 40 Gleneida Ave., Room 102, Carmel, NY 10512

Rockland

• Clarkstown Town Hall, 10 Maple Avenue, New City, New York 10956
• Haverstraw Town Hall, 1 Rosman Road, Garnerville, New York 10923
• Orangetown Town Hall, 26 West Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, New York 10962
• Ramapo Town Hall, 237 Route 59, Suffern, New York 10901
• Stony Point Community Center (RHO), 5 Club House Lane, Stony Point, New York 10980

Central and northern Westchester

• Greenburgh Town Hall, 177 Hillside Avenue, White Plains, NY 10607
• Mt. Kisco Municipal Building, 104 Main Street, Mt. Kisco, NY 10549 (New Location)
• Mt. Pleasant Community Center, 125 Lozza Drive, Valhalla, NY 10595
• Joseph G. Caputo Community Center, 95 Broadway, Ossining, NY 10562
• Pound Ridge Town House, 179 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge, NY 10576
• Somers Town House, 335 Route 202, Somers, NY 10589
• Jefferson Village Annex, 3500 Hill Boulevard, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
• Yorktown Cultural Center, 1974 Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
• Peekskill Nutrition Center – Neighborhood Center, 4 Nelson Avenue, Peekskill, NY 10566
• Peekskill Lincoln Depot Museum, 10 S. Water Street, Peekskill, NY 10566

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