The Democratic candidate in the 20th Congressional District special election might be a relative newcomer to the world of politics, but Glens Falls businessman Scott Murphy is hoping that voters will give him the nod in light of an ever-expanding economic crisis.
Standing on a platform of job creation and throwing support to President Obama’s economic recovery package, Murphy has been touring the district ever since clinching his party’s nomination. He stopped in Saratoga Springs on Thursday, Feb. 19, to officially open his area campaign headquarters, located on Broadway, a stone’s throw from Congress Park.
There, he acknowledged that perhaps his greatest challenge in the upcoming elections will be competing with the instant name recognition of his opponent, James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, who has served in the Assembly for over a quarter century.
But Murphy, who moved to Glens Falls three years ago, feels that what the voters of the 20th Congressional District are hungry for isn’t a career politician, but for political outsiders like him with real-world business experience that will be invaluable in solving the ongoing economic crisis.
At the end of the day, in these economically trying times, I think it’s a pretty clear choice, said Murphy in an interview following the headquarters opening. `In terms of experience, it’s a person who has been part of the system his entire career and brings a partisan mentality, and somebody who brings a sort of solution-oriented business mentality and a different experience to the table.`
Murphy’s wife, Jennifer, is native to the 20th, as is her extended family. Murphy mentioned 57-member Sunday dinners in Glens Falls, and credited his wife with introducing him to the area.
`Part of the reason I got involved in this race is because I know all too well how much of a challenge it’s going to be for all 30 of my nieces and nephews, and my three kids, to find jobs and opportunity here in Upstate New York, where they can have a good job at a livable wage and be able to raise their own family as part of this community,` he said.
Murphy, 39, was born and raised in Missouri, the son of a postal worker and elementary school teacher. There, he served on the staff of two governors.
Running on a platform of job creation, Murphy has been applauding President Obama’s recently passed $787 billion economic recovery package, and criticizing Tedisco for failing to take a `yes or no` position on it.
`My opponent apparently can’t decide whether or not he would have voted for the economic recovery act,` said Murphy. `We need leadership. Leaders have to decide.`
He’s hoping that taking a strong stance on the package ` which he admits is not perfect, but is necessary ` will help him win favor in the overwhelmingly Republican district. He also plans to follow in the footsteps of Kirsten Gillibrand, the popular Democrat who recently graduated to the Senate.
Murphy, like Gillibrand, describes himself as a `Blue Dog` Democrat, and says he has applied for membership of that caucus if elected. Like other Blue Dogs, Murphy says he is a fiscal conservative.
`As a businessperson, that resonated with me, because I’m used to having to meet a payroll and make sure you have the money to pay your bills,` he said.
A support of hunter’s rights is also on his agenda, as is living up to the standard Gillibrand set for transparency in government through the continuation of Congress on Your Corner events and keeping an open schedule.
Though Murphy couldn’t say what the tenor of the next five weeks will be, it’s clear that both parties will be playing to win in this high-profile race.
Republicans, for example, are accusing Murphy of failing to vote for four years while he lived in New York City.
When asked to respond, Murphy did not refute the claim, instead dismissing it as a derogatory distraction.
`I think the arguments and attacks coming out of Washington aren’t what I want to spend my time on,` he said. `I want to spend my time talking about the issues people care about.
`What I want to do is introduce myself to people.`
He’ll have until March 31, the date Gov. David Paterson has set for the special election.
Candidates to square off in March
The two candidates will meet at least three times before the election, but only one appearance is agreed upon as a debate: a Thursday, March 26, debate hosted by the League of Women Voters in Latham. Though technically not in the district, Latham provides a centrally located meeting place resting in the grasp on the 20th’s claw-like boundary.
Tedisco and Murphy will also meet with the AARP on Tuesday, March 3, and the Poughkeepsie Journal on Monday, March 9, for debates, issues forums or editorial board meetings, depending on whom you ask.“