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030519 Political Note #200 Anthony Brindisi NY CD 22
2020 General Election
A very Republican district
This is a very Republican district. In 2018, the incumbent, Claudia Tenney came close to holding on to her seat, despite being a terrible candidate.
In February 2018, after the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, she commented, in an interview “It’s interesting that so many of these people that commit the mass murders end up being Democrats.” Her correction – it’s not just Republicans who commit these crimes, everybody is equally guilty – didn’t help.
She claimed Anthony Brindisi’s father represented members of organized crime. Italian-Americans in Utica and the surrounding area were not pleased. She also claimed that Anthony Brindis would be Nancy Pelosi’s puppet. Brindisi was not pleased.
National Republicans were concerned about her brash talk. She insisted, for instance, that Hillary Clinton and James Comey should be jailed. One National Republican commented that if she kept her mouth shut, she would win her election. Complaining that Anthony Brindisi would be Nancy Pelosi’s puppet. That was standard fare for incumbent Republicans facing a new, tough opponent.
Claudia Tenney failed to keep her mouth shut and Anthony Brindisi was elected. She is wondering if her loss was a fluke. She is thinking about running again.
Her claim that Anthony Brindidi’s father had represented members of organized crime was factual. I was not the entire story. Anthony Brindisi was five years old when his mother died. The afternoon his mother died, in January, 1983, a 26 year old associate in his father’s law firm was shot and killed in the office. His hands and feet were bound. His eyes and mouth taped shut. He was wrapped with either a coat or a carpet – stories differ.
Fifty year old Louis Brindisi gave up the practice of criminal law. He was not suicidal. That was thirty-five years before Claudia Tenney pointed out that Anthony Brindisi’s father had represented gangsters.
Anthony Brindisi never practiced criminal law. He is political. As a politician, he is a builder. As a member of the Utica School Board, he built new schools. As a state representative, he helped build a new hospital in Utica, helped create a nano technology center at SUNY Polytechnic, and fostered cyber security research and development elsewhere in his district.
Anthony Brindisi will be the same kind of representative in Congress. On February 22, he announced a plan for federal investment in New York’s infrastructure.
Standing with union members in front of a bridge over the Thruway, said New York does not get its fair share of federal spending. “New York receives far less in federal funding than it contributes—and that needs to change. That’s why I’m co-sponsoring legislation that takes into consideration not only the amount of funding New York contributes to the Highway Trust Fund, but also the amount of federal tax revenue collected here. I have joined the Bipartisan Payer State Caucus to work on getting New York its fair share of federal funding.”
In addition to the Payer State Caucus, Anthony Brindisi joined a bunch of other caucuses. He joined another bipartisan caucus – the Problem Solvers Caucus, moderate Republicans and Democrats trying to work across party lines. He joined the New Democratic Coalition – the moderate caucus created to offset the Progressive Caucus. He became one of the five co-chairs of the Blue Dog caucus. Democratic conservatives. Some of the Members Anthony Brindisi connected with really did want to depose Nancy Pelosi and thought they could.
Anthony Brindisi promised to vote against Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. He voted for Joe Biden for Speaker. Despite those connections, he knows how to make peace. Appointed to the Agriculture Committee, a perfectly reasonable spot for someone from Upstate New York, Anthony Brindisi also wanted to be on the Armed Services Committee. He intended to look after the Defense Finance and Accounting Service housed in his district. He met with Nancy Pelosi after he was denied the Armed Services Committee. He became a member of the Committee on Veterans. Not a puppet, but also not suicidal.
Perhaps he is suicidal. He joined one other caucus — the Ice Hockey caucus. If they have a Red v Blue game, the Blues are in trouble. The Red team will have a ringer — an ex Detroit Red Wing who flipped a Democratic seat in Minnesota. =
Anthony Brindisi has made clear what kind of Member of Congress he will be. He will be a conservative Democrat. He will be looking out for the welfare of his district. Next time, though, he will vote for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker.
Make sure there is a next time. If Democrats are going to be a national party, they need Anthony Brindisi and people like him. They need to win in districts like NY 22. Send him some support. If Claudia Tenney could come within 4,500 votes of keeping her seat, a less reckless Republican will be hard to beat.
Those who need our help now for 2020.
Doug Jones AL Senator won by 21,924 of 1,348,720 votes
Ben McAdams UT 04 won by 694 votes of 269,271 votes
TJ Cox CA 21 won by 862 votes of 113,616 votes
Lucy McBath GA 06 won by 3,264 votes of 317,032 votes
Kendra Horn OK 05 won by 3,298 votes of 238,738 votes
Jared Golden ME 02 won by 3,509 votes of 281,371 votes*
Xochitl Torres Small NM 02 won by 3,722 votes of 199,256 votes
Joe Cunningham SC 01 won by 3,982 votes of 287,433 votes
Andy Kim NJ 03 won by 3,973 votes of 306.875 votes
Anthony Brindisi NY 22 won by 4,473 votes of 250,957 votes
