While I’m new to New York state’s politics, I’m not new to elections.

At home in North Carolina, I was involved in primary elections in which candidates made their cases to local voters and not just the party’s elites. This is why I was shocked to learn that in New York’s 24th congressional district race, the county’s Democratic committees endorse candidates to try and force other potential nominees out of the congressional campaign.

Local county committees have endorsed Dana Balter, while voters in the 24th district don’t nominate a candidate until the primary election in June. While my home state is not a shining example of voting rights, this nomination method is unfair to candidates who are new to the political scene. The true test of a candidate should be their ability to connect with their constituents, not the barrage of local donors and political bosses.

Grant Reeher, director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University, said he believes this system has its merits, but he added local party committees don’t always have the right priorities when making endorsements. He made the case that a candidate with a smaller political network and low name recognition wouldn’t make for a strong candidate in the general election.

An unfamiliar candidate isn’t necessarily a strong one. But grassroots candidates don’t have an opportunity to make their case because candidates are being endorsed four months before voters go to the polls.

Reeher said local committees are sometimes too focused on candidates who paid their dues and waited their turn, citing Syracuse Democrats’ support for Joe Nicoletti in the 2017 mayoral election. He characterized this as “the first move in a series of moves that hurt them in the general election.”

These committee structures are concerning, especially when people are looking to “drain the swamp.” While Balter may benefit from the 24th District nomination system, it won’t help the Democratic Party win support from politically disaffected voters. There’s less pressure on these frontrunner nominees to spend time connecting with district voters to win the nomination in comparison to their underdog counterparts.

While the Democratic Party argues Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) is out of touch with his voters, it would be best for the party to not do the same. Katko can be defeated in November, but only with the right candidate. And for that to happen, the local establishment must recognize this candidate can only be found by voters.

This system has been used for as long as most central New Yorkers can remember, and most voters don’t want to have to adapt to the political climate we now live in. But if local Democrats don’t change, the only other thing that will remain the same in this district is our representative.

Ryan Golden is a freshman policy studies and religion dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at rjgolden@syr.edu.

Published on March 4, 2018 at 10:44 pm