ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The 24th Congressional District will soon go all the way up to Watertown, down to Penn Yan, and over to Western New York — making it geographically the largest district in New York State— and will include 12 counties.
The whole 24th district — says Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney — is critical for our food supply and the economy. This will be the largest dairy district in the entire northeast. But that’s not all.
“It is also, we think, the largest agricultural district in the northeast,” she said. Farming jobs for her are a major priority.
“A lot of the policies coming from Albany have made it nearly impossible for farmers to really thrive and grow,” Tenney said.
Steven Holden is the Democrat challenger running against Tenney. He’s originally from a dairy farm in Oklahoma; he is also big on agriculture and jobs.
“This is my first foray into it. We were supposed to run in 2018, but some things came up with my military career,” Holden said.
As an Army veteran, he’s passionate about veterans’ issues. He also wants to make clear: he supports the Second Amendment… but when it comes to guns…
“I understand what belongs in the general populace, and what doesn’t,” he says remarking that weapons like AR-15s do not belong in civilian hands.
Tenney says gun laws in New York State have become unconstitutional. On reproductive rights, Tenney is pro-life and says New York is protected.
“You can get an abortion in New York up to the moment of birth,” she said provided there is a medical issue.
Holden says on state and federal levels, stay out. “The government should have no business in the personal and medical decisions of women,” he said.
For Tenney, beyond abortion, she said these issues are truly what impact New Yorkers: “They care about inflation. They care about the cost of gas. They care about crime in our communities,” she said.
For Holden, his top issue is protecting democracy. “Whether that be the rule of law or protecting elections,” he said.