Students React to Local Midterm Wins
Pat Ryan, the winner in the NY-18 congressional race, speaking with Marist students at a rally on Oct. 18. Credit: Emily Stellakis '24
On Election Day, voters in Dutchess County went to the polls to cast their votes in the close midterm races. For a race in the national spotlight—the NY-18 House race—Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan narrowly defeated Republican state Assemblyman Colin Schmitt; the 39th district State Senate race saw Republican Rob Rolison beat Democrat Julie Shiroshi, with 54% of the vote.
Throughout a contentious midterm season, Marist students have engaged with local campaigns and, in their aftermath, are reflecting on unexpected wins and the most convincing platforms of the 2022 cycle.
While the presidential four year cycle tends to garner more attention, local and state level elections often fly under the radar, seeing drastic decreases in voter participation. The younger generation is no anomaly to this phenomenon, as many young people place varying degrees of importance on electoral politics.
Easton Eberwein ‘24 said that he feels more compelled to vote in national elections rather than state or local elections as “the issues discussed and disputed are often more polarizing.” Steven Viera ‘23 however, said that local and state elections allow you “a voice on laws and issues which directly affect you” despite them not being typically “glamorous.”
While these non-glamorous issues such as local and state taxes and budgeting do not appeal to some voters, the more polarizing issues are still heavy topics of debate in these elections. The Democrat, Ryan, who edged out Republican challenger Schmitt by .8%, ran on a platform of guaranteed abortion rights and reduced crime rates. Ryan seems to have struck a chord, as Frank Mendonca ‘25, notes that both of these issues were “at the top of my mind” as he headed to the polls this fall.
Ryan, a five-year army combat veteran, also pushed his veteran status through his campaign, and promised better resources for veterans throughout the Hudson Valley. Gabriel Rodriguez ‘25, who saw Ryan speak last month at “Anthony’s Walk”—a veterans awareness walk on the Marist campus—notes, “Ryan is an excellent speaker, and given his experiences, can empathize with veterans in our community.” Eberwein, who also attended the walk, noted, “it really spoke numbers that he made an effort to show up to an event like that.”
Ryan also met with Marist students at a rally before his on-campus debate against Schmitt on Oct.18. He won a special election this summer in NY-19 to finish out the term of Lt. Gov. Anthony Delgado, which expires in January. Ryan’s race against Schmitt garnered national attention as one of the most competitive in both the region and the nation.
In the 39th district State Senate race, the Republican Rolison—a Marist alumni who currently serves as mayor of Poughkeepsie—echoed the main GOP platforms of this election cycle: inflation and crime. He emphasized the need to focus remedying inflation and public safety issues.
His agenda seems to have made waves within the community, as Viera notes that “economic progression and momentum” was most important to him when voting this November. Additionally, Rodriguez notes that public safety and crime, especially in an urban setting such as Poughkeepsie, “should be foremost on the minds of our politicians.”
Rolison, who served twelve years in the Poughkeepsie police department notes that he intends to improve safety and economic legislation by “connecting state government to people here in our communities.” He notes that his time in Poughkeepsie has instilled within him “work ethic and community spirit” which he aims to extend to the rest of the Empire State.
The recent elections in Dutchess County illustrated the priorities of local residents: personal liberties and public safety—two platforms that proved instrumental nationwide in this year’s midterms.