Rural America

My hometown of Gilboa, which lies just outside of our district in Schoharie County, is the very definition of rural. It lays claim to a school, a post office, a dam, and a few hundred residents. For the first 18 years of my life, it was the only home that I have ever known, and it will always be home to me.

I have a lot of pride in, and a lot of love for that community. When I first started telling people about my illness, my old classmates were the ones that showed me the greatest amount of concern and kindness when I first saw them again. Between the pandemic and my declining health, I had been away for a few years but when I came back there was warmth and a sense of belonging that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. If there’s one thing I want people to know about where I grew up, it’s that kindness and humanity.

By circumstance, we’ve also been made to be a tenacious community. Whether it was rebuilding after Hurricane Irene or the loss of our classmate at a young age, that kindness has been accompanied by a higher sense of maturity and toughness. So when I heard my classmates telling stories of starting families or getting their masters degree or building their own home, it made me so happy and proud of them. I’m so glad that I was able to witness that.

I think we have a lot to offer, a perspective on life that isn’t being represented in government currently. And likewise, our government hasn’t been delivering for us as it should. When you look at the biggest markers of inequality, whether that be education quality, poverty, income, infrastructure, or healthcare, some of the greatest divides are between rural communities and the rest of America. We have not been given the same tools to succeed, and a lot of people my age are finding it increasingly difficult to stay in our communities, and older folks are finding that there is no way that anyone can survive on the current levels of social security. Not to mention the growing epidemic of loneliness that doesn’t get talked about, but causes far too much unnecessary suffering.

My focus is on policies that empower us, and provide us with the ability to improve our own lives, rather than bringing in big businesses who prey on our communities, or relying on Republican politicians who never deliver. Imagine a world where we can create businesses locally because you can head to the post office and get a fair loan rather than getting ripped off or denied by a bank. Where workers are paid enough that they can actually afford to shop at those businesses, and their labor is treated with dignity and respect. Where local farms no longer have to worry about being undercut by monopolistic agriculture giants. Imagine having quality healthcare choices where everyone is covered, which doesn’t require you to drive several hours away only to be rushed out of the doctor’s office as soon as you arrive. Imagine being able to send your child to a school that is the envy of the world, regardless of your zip code, compared to having textbooks 30 years out of date like I had. Not to mention childcare centers that can make working while raising a child actually possible. And the restoration of the child tax credit so that if anyone else gets sick like I got sick, they won’t have to worry about how they’re going to provide for their child.

The story over the last several decades has been a Republican party that exploits us, and an out-of-touch Democratic party that thinks we are helpless yokels that need saving. I want to change that narrative. I want a rural America that is not only strong enough to solve its own problems but is an inseparable part of a nation that has rediscovered its values. And on a personal level, to represent a part of the community that I grew up in in the United States Congress would mean more to me than I can put into words.

Policy List

• Restoration of post office banking so that we have access to low-interest loans to improve our communities on our own terms
• Protecting rural air, water, and environment from industrial pollution by increasing funding to the EPA
• Increased funding for rural schools
• Funding for housing, especially helpful for younger people who are often forced to leave the town they grew up in
• Passing the Vote At Home Act, which would enable “voting by mail in federal elections and provides for automatic voter registration through state motor vehicle authorities”
• Implementation of Community Paramedicine programs
• Expansion of high-speed internet and telehealth services