;)
David Calone;)
Anna Throne-HolstWith eyes focused on presidential politics it is easy to forget that there is another election very local. This November, voters in Congressional District 1 will be casting a vote for someone to represent them in the U.S. Congress. Republican Lee Zeldin is completing his first term of office and will be on the ballot hoping to retain his seat. Democrats are confident that Zeldin is vulnerable. Two Democrats, David Calone and Anna Throne-Holst, have been campaigning for months to be the Democratic candidate challenging Zeldin. Both candidates appeared before Smithtown Democrats Thursday, January 28 at the Kings Park American Legion Hall.
In a room filled to capacity Smithtown Democratic Chairman Ed Maher expressed the sentiment that the 2016 election is critical not only because of the presidential race, but also because the congressional race in CD 1 is flippable back to the Democrats. Maher then introduced Calone and Throne-Holst who made their appeal to Smithtown Democrats. The candidates talked about themselves and took questions from the audience. Both candidates agreed that congress is not working well. How would they change things? Calone stated that his very first piece of legislation would be to change the law that allows corporations to be classified as people. Throne-Holst committed to working to undo the legacy of George W. Bush.
Both candidates are articulate and passionate about their reason for running. Anna Throne-Holst* is the former Supervisor of the Town of Southampton, a position she gave up to run for congress. Dave Calone is a former federal prosecutor U.S. Department of Justice, he currently serves as the chairperson for the Suffolk County Planning Commission.
The meeting was more about getting to know the candidates rather than hearing them arguing their positions, what the audience learned was that the two candidates share many of the same positions. Both agree on the need to act on global warming, to support alternative energy, veterans, protecting the environment and they would work with anyone regardless or party association to accomplish their goal. Both candidates pointed to the incumbent Zeldin as being out of touch with the people in C.D. 1. They criticized Zeldin for being a tough talker on FOX news, but a no show at Congressional committee meetings. Calone named Zeldin “Absentee Lee”.
Throne - Holst and Calone took umbrage with Zeldin’s support for shutting the government down in a confrontation about funding planned parenthood. Throne-Holst called Zeldin a climate change denier and both candidates said he was out of touch with the people in the district’s views on guns, planned parenthood and climate change. They stressed his recent piece of legislation that would make it easier for those on the no-fly list to get guns.
The audience, many who have committed to a candidate, agreed that whichever candidate won in the primary would be a wonderful alternative to Abesentee Lee.
* The article was altered to correct the error in Ms. Throne-Holst’s name.