ELECTION 2024

By MAURY THOMPSON
Contributing writer

 

New York’s new public campaign finance system has given a big boost to the campaign of Democratic challenger Minita Sanghvi in the state Senate district that covers Saratoga County.
The new system, which uses public money to match small-dollar contributions after certain fund-raising thresholds are reached, is intended to dilute the influence of wealthy donors and political action committees on elections.

Sanghvi, a Skidmore College business professor who is serving her second term as city finance commissioner in Saratoga Springs, received $184,000 in public campaign-finance funds, accounting for nearly 85 percent of her campaign’s total receipts of $217,000, between Jan. 11 and July 12, the state’s most recent financial reporting period for campaigns.

Sanghvi is challenging four-term incumbent Sen. James Tedisco, R-Ballston, who reported collecting nearly $81,000 in campaign contributions in the same six-month period and had not yet received any public campaign funds. His campaign, however, has said he is on pace to qualify for public financing soon.

Sanghvi and Tedisco are competing in the 44th Senate District, which includes all of Saratoga County plus the city of Schenectady and town Niskayuna in Schenectady County.

Sanghvi’s early advantage in campaign cash, which in past years would have been rare for a challenger in a New York legislative race, could make for a more competitive contest in the district, where Democrats have a slight enrollment edge over Republicans.

As of late February, state Board of Elections figures show there were 75,856 active enrolled Democrats in the district, 71,376 Republicans and 64,831 voters not affiliated with any political party. Democratic enrollment had increased by 453 voters and Republican enrollment by 381 since the 2022 election.

Tedisco carried the district with more than 56 percent of the vote when he won re-election in 2022.

 

Union backing for Tedisco
Campaign finance reports show Tedisco has drawn some financial support from labor unions, which generally are more supportive of Democrats. As of July 12, his campaign had received donations ranging from $250 to $1,750 from the New York Association of Electrical Workers, the New York State Troopers PAC, the Police Benevolent Association of New York State, Law Enforcement Officers Council 82 and New York State United Teachers.

In addition, the Transport Workers Union of America, CSEA, Public Employees Federation, and Laborer’s International Union have endorsed his re-election bid.
Sanghvi had not received any labor contributions as of July 12 and had not announced any labor endorsements on her campaign website as of Aug. 25.

Tedisco said he is proud of his labor support.
But Sanghvi attributed Tedisco’s support from unions to his status as an incumbent.
“They have to work with whoever is in office,” she said.

Sanghvi said she recently participated in informational pickets with SEIU 200 United, a health care workers union, and the New York State Nurses Association, and has assisted with efforts to organize backstretch workers at Saratoga Race Course, while she is not aware of Tedisco making similar efforts.

“He doesn’t support labor on the picket lines,” she said. “It’s one thing to get labor money. It’s another thing to walk the walk.”

Tedisco countered that he spoke at a recent rally to protest the planned closing of Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Comstock.

“This is one thing people are tired of — lies … mudslinging,” he said.
Sanghvi, who is serving her second term in city government, said there is a clear distinction between the two candidates.

“I’m not a career politician,” she said.
But Tedisco, who served 17 terms in the state Assembly before being elected to the Senate, said his longevity is an indication that voters approve of his representation.

 

Differing on marriage, abortion rights
Sanghvi said the race offers voters clear differences on policy.
For example, she said, Tedisco voted against allowing same-sex marriages in New York.
“He’s voted against gay marriage,” said Sanghvi, whose spouse is a woman. “He literally voted against me and my partner being able to get married.”

Tedisco said he believes that marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman.
“Nobody should tell anybody how to live,” he said. “But I believe marriage is what it is.”
New York legalized same-sex marriage in 2011, four years before a U.S. Supreme Court decision required all states to do so. Tedisco, then an assemblyman, joined most Republicans in voting No when the Assembly passed the state’s Marriage Equality Act in June 2011 by a vote of 83-60. Two Republican state senators from the region who supported the marriage bill faced primary challengers in the next year’s election and wound up losing their seats.

Sanghvi criticized Tedisco for his anti-abortion voting record. Tedisco responded by saying he opposes “extreme” abortion rights.

Tedisco said Voters for Animal Rights and the New York State League of Humane Voters have endorsed his candidacy because of his advocacy for animal rights.

Tedisco said he has a history of championing cost-saving measures, such as using digital documents as the main method for distributing draft legislation to lawmakers. He said he also wrote legislation for the state’s first cap on local property taxes and led the effort to block former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to require vehicle owners to buy new license plates.
“We shouldn’t be No. 1 in outmigration in this state,” he said.

But Sanghvi pointed out that the population of Saratoga County has increased 9 percent over the past decade.

She said her business education and her experience as city finance commissioner provide her with expertise in assessing the state budget.

“These are all things that I have done,” she said.
Sanghvi immigrated to the United States from India in 2001, and her bid for the state Senate has drawn international attention, including articles in The Times of India and the Hindustan Times.
Her campaign received $2,500 from the Indian American Impact Fund, a Washington-based political action committee that supports Indian American and South Asian American candidates for public office.

 

Other area Senate races
The contest between Tedisco and Sanghvi is one of three potentially competitive New York state Senate races unfolding in the region.

In Washington and Rensselaer counties, Democrat Alvin Gamble is challenging freshman Sen. Jake Ashby, R-Castleton, in a district with a heavy Democratic enrollment advantage.
The two are competing in the 43rd Senate District, which covers all of Rensselaer County, a portion of Albany County and all of Washington County except the towns of Kingsbury, Fort Ann, Whitehall, Dresden and Putnam.

As of late February, state figures show there were 72,713 active enrolled Democrats in the district, 53,090 Republicans, and 62,144 voters who weren’t enrolled in any party.
Despite the Democratic enrollment advantage, Ashby won 51 percent of the vote in the newly configured district in 2022.

Gamble, a retired National Grid gas line service worker, is a town councilman in Colonie.
As of July 12, Ashby reported having $141,000 in his campaign fund, while Gamble had $25,000.
And in the Hudson Valley district that covers Columbia County, Republican Patrick Sheehan, a small business owner from Kingston, is challenging two-term incumbent Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-Saugerties.

Hinchey defeated incumbent Republican George Amedore in 2020, in what was then the 46th Senate District. Two years ago, she won re-election with 52 percent of the vote after she and GOP Sen. Sue Serino were both drawn into the new 41st Senate District.

The new district covers all of Columbia and Greene counties, northern Dutchess County and a portion of Ulster County. As of late February, it had 88,463 active enrolled Democrats, 59,492 Republicans and 64,268 voters who weren’t enrolled in any political party.

In the campaign finance reporting period that ended July 12, Hinchey took in $273,000 in contributions including $166,000 in public matching funds. She reported having had $410,000 in cash on hand as of July 12.

Sheehan had not filed a campaign finance report as of July 12.