Rural Democrats Are Ready!

The Democratic Rural Conference (DRC) held its annual gathering at the Albany

Hilton, April 25-26. Approximately 250 people attended from rural counties across New

York, from Long Island to Niagara. The DRC was formed 30 years ago to give voice and

strength to rural Democrats. In workshops and informal conversations, participants

formed working relationships and shared election strategies that work in rural

communities. At one point those Democrats currently running for local office were

recognized, and it was a sizeable group!

We heard rousing speeches from Governor Kathy Hochul, Lieutenant Governor

Antonio Delgado, Attorney General Leticia James, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Senate

Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Congressmen Paul Tonko and Dan Golden, and

New York State Democrats Chair Jay Jacobs. Some panel presentations included members

of the New York State Senate and Assembly. It was very clear to me that from the Governor

down to each county committee, we rural Democrats have an agenda to resist ridiculous

policies coming from the White House that are doing direct and lasting damage to our

communities, including health care, social security, agriculture, infrastructure, and the

environment. .

It was electrifying to hear news of well-attended Town Hall meetings being held in

Republican congressional districts across the state as a direct strategy to push back against

tariffs, cuts to Social Security and Medicare, deportation threats and the gutting of essential

federal programs. On April 5, nearly 300 residents of the 24 th Congressional District held a

Town Hall to speak directly to Representative Claudia Tenney. Neither she or any staffer

attended. Later she claimed that most of the people attending were not from the district

and paid to attend. Every speaker clearly stated their town of residence and their

motivation for speaking. What an insult to her own constituents! We later heard that she

was very busy visiting a notorious prison in El Salvador during that time.

Of course, as a conference of rural Democrats, the various speakers directly

addressed the stresses on agricultural communities. Steve Gamache, Deputy Director of

the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, when I asked him about threatened

deportations, said “We need to constantly remind those who voted for Trump about the labor consequences”. Representative Paul Tonko, on the economic effects of the new

administration on rural New York (and Canada, too!): “Export markets are being reduced

due to tariffs, there will be higher costs for equipment due to tariffs, there will be a serious

impact on small farms and small business, manufacturers are cutting hours and reducing

expansion plans, we are already seeing a reduction in tourists from Canada; we are facing

overall economic uncertainty; trust in the USA and our image are now tarnished, we are

experiencing permanent damage.” Senator Pat Fahey: “’Tariffs’ are a fancier word for ‘taxes’.”

DRC Chair Judith Hunter of Livingston County was honored for her six years of

service. Bill Thicksun was elected the new DRC Chair. Democrats representing different regions of the state were elected to the DRC Board, including our friend Michael Plitt, the

Chair of the neighboring Genesee County Democrats.

Democrats In attendance from Orleans County were Jess Marciano, Rev. Jim Renfrew

and Diana Baker. Jess’ cousin Deborah from Monroe County also joined us. As a member of

the Medina Village Trustees, Jess was eagerly sought out by other participants as a

Democrat who has won elections in a rural area.

There was a very informative workshop on maximizing our messaging through

social media. I am sure that Jess, our website and Facebook manager for Orleans

Democrats, was taking detailed notes. I have a lot of misgivings about Facebook (its

ownership, algorithms, and constant advertising), but presenter Bryan Adams made it very

clear that FB continues to be the best way for Democrats to reach out to their membership

and wider communities, though instant messaging platforms may also be of worth to us.

There was a meeting of county party chairs in the 24th Congressional District, a large

15 county area that includes Watertown, Canandaigua, Geneseo, Batavia, Albion and

Lockport. Although the district appears to have been designed as a Republican majority

district, the group was very optimistic about running a successful campaign as the

wreckage already caused by the Trump Administration is becoming more obvious to

voters. The group strategized about selecting and supporting a viable candidate early to

run in 2026. With such a dreadful representative currently representing the 24th it is

essential that we lay early groundwork for a successful campaign. All of our county chairs

will help coordinate this effort. Our former candidate Diana Kastenbaum was very helpful

in describing the challenges Democrats face in the 24th . Because we are not considered a

“swing district”, national party funding for our candidate is nearly non-existent.

I can’t say enough about the importance of the DRC in supporting the work that we

do in Orleans County. If you ever get the chance to attend next year – GO!

Rev. James R. Renfrew, Vice-Chair

Orleans County Democratic Committee