By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
On Tuesday, June 9, the Cooperstown and Oneonta Area League of Women Voters presented a virtual debate between Dan Buttermann and Corey Mosher, the two candidates vying to become the Democratic Party’s nominee for New York State’s 121st District Assembly seat.
The democratic primary will be held on June 23. The ballot will include all contested congressional, state and local seats, as well as the presidential primary that was postponed from April. All eligible voters in New York were mailed applications for absentee ballots and may vote by mail.
The New York State Assembly is the lower chamber of the NYS legislature. Members of the Assembly pass bills on public policy matters, set levels for state spending, and work with the NYS Senate and the governor to create laws and establish a state budget.
The 121st Assembly District includes all of Madison County and the southern portion of Oneida County. It also covers the majority of towns in Otsego County, including the city of Oneonta and the villages of Richfield Springs and Cooperstown.
Republican John Salka currently holds the assembly seat and will be on the ballot in November.
Conducted using a standard debate format, the June 9 forum provided Buttermann and Mosher with the opportunity to make introductory statements and answer questions emailed from online viewers.
Buttermann, from Oneonta, is a member of the Oneonta School Board. He has served as a member of the Community Action Partnership and is co-founder and executive producer for TEDxOneonta. An insurance claims specialist, he graduated from the University of Arizona and received an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
Candidate Corey Mosher, from Hamilton, is a fourth-generation family farmer and a partner at Mosher Farms. He has served on the Boards of the Madison County Cooperative Extension and the New York State Vegetable Growers’ Association.
Buttermann
In his opening statements, Buttermann spoke about his desire to get the district its “fair share” from Albany in order to help residents and businesses recover from the COVID-19 shutdown.
“Right now we don’t have it; we put in our fair share, but we’re not getting it back,” he said. “The incumbent, John Salka, has said in his own words, ‘I do not expect to get significant legislation passed.’ That’s a troubling statement . . . We need a representative who is able to get our fair share. I think we need a candidate with vision and excitement for the opportunities ahead of us.”
Buttermann added that as a Democrat, he believes he would have a stronger position in Albany than Salka, who, as a Republican, is in the minority in the Assembly.
“We also need to have every support opportunity we can get, and that comes from New York State Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie,” Butterman said. “To that end, I’ve already got his number in my phone ready to go, and I plan to use it. I’m going to call him day one and get right to work.”
During his introduction, the candidate also touched on education reform, incentivizing new business, job development, climate change and renewable energy.
He concluded his opening remarks by noting he supports, and has attended, demonstrations demanding justice and equality.
Later in the debate, Buttermann commented that as assemblyman he would build on the state’s bail reform act.
“I want to take it a step further so that our justice system does not make you buy a presumption of innocence,” he said. “[I want to make sure] you have that until you go to trial and that you get your day in court.”
He also said he hopes to take part in conversations about reimagining the relationships between the police and the communities they serve.
When asked about the issue of climate change, Buttermann expressed his support for the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and his desire to see follow-up legislation regarding project-based solutions to make the bill work.
“If we can fight the climate crisis together by going after energy generation and also energy consumption, bringing that down, we have a bright future in energy,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working on that in the Assembly.”
Buttermann also advocated for empowering municipalities to become involved in the planning of green energy projects in order to help promote community buy-in.
On the topic of infrastructure, the candidate discussed the need for federal and state grant funding to support broadband expansion.
To learn more about Buttermann and his campaign, visit buttermannforassembly.com.
Mosher
Mosher opened with a statement about the protests being held across the country.
“We will not and cannot be silent,” he said. “We will listen and we will let the voices and perspectives of the disenfranchised black men and women of this country guide us and push us to the change we so desperately need.”
Later in the debate, Mosher expressed his support of the choking ban and the repeal of 50-A — the law that allowed law enforcement to shield police disciplinary records from the public.
During his introduction, Mosher stated that he aims to get the district the representation it needs and deserves.
“The issues of this community will not be relegated to the back burner,” he said. “I believe in the people of the 121st and it has been a while since we’ve been shown the respect we deserve. We are a vital part of New York State, both in economy and culture.”
He also said, if elected, he plans to do the following: move the ball forward with addressing climate change; represent agriculture issues and provide solutions to the problems facing farmers; and reinvest in the district’s infrastructure.
“I will work hard to address climate change by modernizing our community with 21st century clean technology,” Mosher said. “I will work with my colleagues to find evidence-based solutions that will remain active and open to achieve buy-in from our local communities. I will invest in our infrastructure by making broadband a utility and by increasing support for educators and educational institutions . . . We need to make this a place that people want to settle by giving them options to make a comfortable living. Finally, I will lead on the issue of agriculture by educating my colleagues in the legislature on what it is to live and work in a rural community based on my own experience as a farmer.”
Mosher noted that he has been endorsed by NYS Senator Rachel May, former Assemblyman Bill Magee, True Blue NY, and Planned Parenthood.
During the Q&A portion of the event, the candidates addressed a number of diverse topics, including mail-in voting, unfunded state mandates, divisions among constituents, gun control, the New York Health Act, the reopening of schools, and COVID-19 recovery.
The full debate is available for viewing at lwvoneonta.org/debates-voter-guides.
Additional voting information is available at vote411.org.
