Dems in race to take on Ashby
Environmental attorney and New Lebanon town clerk compete in state’s 107th
Two Democrats are hoping to deny Republican Jake Ashby a full term in the state Assembly.
Don Boyajian and Tistrya Houghtling will go head to head on Thursday in the Democratic primary for the 107th Assembly District, which includes parts of Washington, Rensselaer and Columbia counties. The district is represented by Ashby, who won the seat by 170 votes in an April special election, which was called after incumbent Republican Steve Mclaughlin vacated the seat following his election as Rensselaer county executive in 2017.
The choice before Democratic primary voters is largely defined by the resumes of the two candidates.
“The main difference is that I have both life experiences and local government experience that help me understand the issues facing families and communities in the district,” said Houghtling, who was elected New Lebanon town clerk in 2015 and previously worked five years for the town court.
“I didn’t come from a privileged background,” she said. “My opponent does not have that first-hand, real world experience.”
Boyajian, a municipal and environmental attorney who lives in Cambridge, touts his time in the environmental bureau of the state attorney general’s office and representation of local communities affected by corporate polluters.
“My experiences ... bring a unique and valuable combination of local, state, and federal experience which will allow us to provide real results for our community,” he said.
There isn’t much breathing room between the Democrats on some of the major issues that will face state legislators when they return to Albany in January.
Boyajian says he supports marijuana legalization if it’s done “smartly” and Houghtling is on board if the implementation is “well planned.” Neither enthusiastically embraces sports gambling, but they both recognize the potential for additional state revenue.
Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie also has their support for another term as leader of the chamber.
They both claimed they’ll stand up
to their party leadership on issues that have been stalled in the Assembly, including internal legislative reforms and economic development transparency measures.
Boyajian identified the district’s aging water infrastructure as his top priority since launching his campaign in May, when he pulled the plug on a North Country congressional bid.
“We have a ticking bomb in our region: past industrial abuse combined with old and failing infrastructure,” he said. “Investing in our water infrastructure is a necessity for human health, for economic development, and for creating good paying jobs in our region.”
Houghtling held up broadband access as a significant concern for the district, saying she would work for a reliable service to all the local residents who wanted it.
“I have seen first hand our young people move away and small businesses not locate here because of the lack of broadband access,” she said. “New Lebanon was lucky to be one of the first communities affected with the current broadband initiatives because of a fight on the local level to have our voices heard.”
Houghtling and Boyajian both prioritize testing of water supplies for communities affected by PFOA contamination. Houghtling also wants the state to fund a new water source for Hoosick Falls, and Boyajian is calling for medical monitoring of affected areas.
The fight for the Democratic nomination will most likely be decided in Rensselaer County, where 75 percent of the district’s Democrats live. Columbia County is home to 21 percent of the district’s Democrats and the remaining 4 percent are in Washington County.
The Rensselaer County Democratic Committee backed Houghtling, who was rebuffed earlier in the year when she pursued the party’s nomination for the April special election. But the party establishment in the county is not united, with Rensselaer County Minority Leader Peter Grimm actively backing Boyajian’s candidacy.
Each candidate has the support of their home county’s Democratic committee.
Houghtling is backed by the Working Families and Women’s Equality parties, while Boyajian is endorsed by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko and the Capital Women political action committee.
The partisan breakdown of the district makes it an uphill climb for either Democrat in November. While Democratic and Republican enrollment is evenly split, nearly 30 percent of voters in the district aren’t aligned with a party and have traditionally leaned to the right.