Repub. Candidate for Lt. Gov. Visits Putnam as Fight Against Cuomo Heightens
Addressing everything from repealing the SAFE Act and improving a weak economic climate in New York, to a primary night that exposed sitting Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, Republican candidate for Lt. Governor Christopher Moss had a straightforward conversation with roughly 50 attendees Wednesday night at the Paladin Center in Carmel.
Fresh off of a New York State primary night, which saw little known and severely underfunded Zephyr Teachout take 34 percent of the vote from Cuomo, Moss said it showed how vulnerable the incumbent governor really is. Moss, Chemung County’s Sheriff, stressed how Teachout won 30 counties, causing more duress to Cuomo than originally expected, especially for a college law professor who had only been campaigning for four months.
Moss is running on the ticket with Republican candidate for governor Rob Astorino, who is Westchester’s County Executive.
“Cuomo’s got problems, he knows he’s got problems,” Moss said. “If he thinks he had his hands full with Teachout and (Lt. Governor candidate Tim) Wu, he’s really got his hands full with Astorino and Moss.”
With Democrats in the state seemingly divided, Moss said he hopes some of those Democrats cross over to the Astorino/Moss campaign.
Moss said the campaign is employing the same strategy Astorino used to get elected to the position of county executive in Democratic heavy Westchester, by reaching out to a diversity of voters. That especially includes reaching out to women and minorities, something Moss concedes Republicans have been poor at in past years.
Much of the night focused on what Astorino and Moss have done consistently—and that’s bash Cuomo’s record. The SAFE Act, a set of controversial gun laws assailed by most Republicans, Moss said was simply pushed through because Cuomo has “presidential aspirations” and doesn’t sincerely care about improving public safety.
As a sheriff himself, Moss said he has yet to make an arrest stemming from the SAFE Act, stressing he has more pressing law enforcement issues to worry about. (Putnam County Sheriff Don Smith, who was at the event, also confirmed his department has not made any arrest related to the SAFE Act.)
Like most Republicans running in any state race, Moss also wants to see the end of Common Core, a new set of education standards that have been under fire since its implantation. Moss said by having the Stop Common Core line, there’s the hope it’ll be popular with either affiliated party.
“Here’s the main problem with Common Core,” he said. “Now we have our educators teaching to a manual instead of the individual needs of the kids that are in front of them.”
Moss also discussed other less hot topic issues like Medicaid, that he said needs to be revamped and unfunded mandates, which are putting a real burden on counties in the state like Putnam.
Moss also stated if Cuomo refuses to debate to Astorino, it’s a disservice to every voter in New York State.
“You know what the problem with Andrew Cuomo is,” Moss said. “He talks at you, he doesn’t listen to anyone.”
Ultimately, Moss said the governor’s race will come down to getting voters to their polling places on election day. Every four years, state voters only have one shot, Moss said, to have their voices heard and Astorino and Moss are going to travel to every part f the state to get that message out to people.
“You’ll see a campaign over the next 55 days that you’ve never seen in a governor’s race before,” Moss added.
