The candidates for Assembly District 101 presented their platforms and fielded questions Saturday, Oct. 10 as part of a meet the candidates day held at Veterans Memorial Park in the Village of Montgomery.

The event was organized by Residents Protecting Montgomery, a group dedicated to protecting their town. Candidates in attendance were Brian Miller, Chad McEvoy and Barbara Kidney.

This district includes portions of Delaware, Herkimer, Oneida, Orange, Otsego, Sullivan and Ulster Counties. The Towns of Montgomery, Crawford and Shawangunk are part of the district.

Incumbent Brian Miller (R/Conservative Party/Independence Party) of New Hartford, was elected to the New York State Assembly on Nov. 8, 2016. He assumed office on Jan. 1, 2017.

From 2000 to 2016, Miller served as an Oneida County Legislator in the 16th District. He has served as chairman of the Oneida County Public Works Committee, assistant majority leader of the county Legislature and as a member of the county Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee. Miller has also served as a member of the Region 6 Fish and Wildlife Management Board and served eight years as Bridgewater Town Supervisor. A graduate of Mohawk Valley Community College, Miller has more than 36 years of experience as a mechanical engineer.

As an assemblyman, Miller is known for his reputation of working in the middle and working together with his colleagues across the aisle to best serve his constituents. He is an advocate for law enforcement; education and full funding of our school districts; investing in local businesses to create local jobs and boost the economy and providing unprecedented funding to upgrade New York’s infrastructure.

Right now he is attempting to get nursing homes open for visitation.

“But being a gentleman who had it, it better be a safe plan,” Miller said. “We’re not just gonna open things up.”

Miller was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March and spent a month in the Intensive Care Unit at St. Luke’s Campus – Mohawk Valley Health System.

Miller has been endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, the Civil Service Employees Association and the National Federation of Independent Businessmen

Chad McEvoy (D/Working Families Party) of Westford ran for the Assembly District 101 seat in 2018 and fell short.

“I am running again to finish what I started and bring a strong voice for rural communities to Albany,” he said.

McEvoy currently works as a project manager at the State University of New York College at Oneonta. He is also a proud member of the United University Professions union. McEvoy has spent the majority of his career helping nonprofits such as the American Red Cross and Heifer International grow their capacity.

If elected, he would focus on new and innovative ways to bring opportunities for high-paying, long-term jobs to upstate New York. He also believes that better health care should be provided to all New Yorkers. McEvoy stresses the importance of dealing with opioid addiction. He believes it should be treated as a public health issue and not a criminal matter.

“Since I will be in the majority party, I will have the opportunity to advocate with the decision makers for funding and infrastructure investments for our region, something the incumbent isn’t able to do,” McEvoy said. “I will also be able to sponsor legislation and move it forward on important issues like broadband service, education funding and addressing our high property tax rates.”

He has received many endorsements. McEvoy has been endorsed by the New York State United Teachers, New York State AFL-CIO, the New York State Public Employees Federation, UAW Region 9A representing child care providers, graduate employees and human service workers as well CWA Local 1126 representing communication workers.

Barbara Kidney (G) has lived in Assembly District 101 for almost 20 years, as a Town of Shawangunk resident. One of her main campaign positions is state tax reform to benefit the average New Yorker, not just the wealthy. She wants to increase the standard deduction for state income taxes to reflect the cost of living in one’s municipality. If elected, she plans to end property taxes on primary non-luxury residences, fund school, local government and public services via fair taxes on surplus wealth; levy state income tax only on surplus wealth and fairly increase tax rates on surplus wealth progressively.
Kidney also promotes being eco-friendly.

“Our state can and should promote the safest and most renewable energy possible, making it affordable to people of average means; support community aggregate renewable energy and community control of energy projects; encourage ecological farming, eco-tourism in our beautiful upstate district, and other sustainable local businesses and industries,” she said. “These are the constructive enterprises that should be eligible for tax breaks and subsidies; not the community and environment destroying projects of billionaires.”

Kidney works as a licensed psychologist in private practice. She has been endorsed by Voters for Animal Rights and by the state Green Party.